Table of Contents
The name Cain
Elder son of Adam and Eve, the first murderer and the first fratricide, from Hebrew Qayin, literally “created one” also “smith,” from Semitic stem q-y-n “to form, to fashion.” Figurative use for “murderer, fratricide” is from late 14c. The Cainites were a 2c. heretical sect who revered Cain, Judas, and other wicked characters in Scripture.
“And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.”
Genesis 4:1-2 KJV
The names Cain and Abel are Latin/English transliterations of the Greek names as found in the Septuagint (2,000 year old Greek translation of the Hebrew). In Greek, Cain is Καιν (Kain) and Abel is Αβελ (Abel). These are in turn Greek transliterations of the Hebrew. In Hebrew Cain is קין (qayin) and Abel is חבל (havel).
The word קין (qayin) means to acquire or possess something which is why Eve (chavah in Hebrew) said “I have gotten/acquired (qanah) a man” (Gen 4:1). The word חבל means to be empty, often translated as vain or vanity in the sense of being empty of substance.
In Hebrew thought ones name (Shem in Hebrew literally meaning breath or character) is reflective of one’s character. The Hebraic meanings of the names of “Cain and Abel” are windows into their characters. Cain is a possessor, one who has substance while Abel is empty of substance.
Cain and Abel are the first twins
Another interesting fact about these two that is often overlooked is that Cain and Abel are the first twins. In normal Hebraic accounting of multiple births the conception then birth of each child is mentioned such as in Genesis 29:32,33 – And Leah conceived and bore a son… She conceived again and bore a son…
But notice how it is worded in Genesis 4:1,2 – she conceived and bore Cain… And again, she bore his brother Abel. There is only one conception but two births. The Hebrew word for “again” is “asaph” meaning to add something, in this case the birthing of Abel was added to the birthing of Cain.
Son Cain and Daughter Luluwa
Chapter LXXIV – The birth of Cain and Luluwa. Why they received those names.
1 And they lived on the earth working in order to keep their bodies in good health; and they continued so until the nine months of Eve’s pregnancy were over, and the time drew near when she must give birth.
2 Then she said to Adam, “The signs placed in this cave since we left the garden indicate that this is a pure place and we will be praying in it again some time. It is not appropriate then, that I should give birth in it. Let us instead go to the sheltering rock cave that was formed by the command of God when Satan threw a big rock down on us in an attempt to kill us with it.
3 Adam then took Eve to that cave. When the time came for her to give birth, she strained a lot. Adam felt sorry, and he was very worried about her because she was close to death and the words of God to her were being fulfilled: “In suffering shall you bear a child, and in sorrow shall you bring forth a child.”
4 But when Adam saw the distress in which Eve was, he got up and prayed to God, and said, “O Lord, look at me with the eye of Your mercy, and bring her out of her distress.”
5 And God looked at His maid-servant Eve, and delivered her, and she gave birth to her first-born son, and with him a daughter.
6 The Adam rejoiced at Eve’s deliverance, and also over the children she had borne him. And Adam ministered to Eve in the cave, until the end of eight days; when they named the son Cain, and the daughter Luluwa.
7 The meaning of Cain is “hater,” because he hated his sister in their mother’s womb; before they came out of it. Therefore Adam named him Cain.
8 But Luluwa means “beautiful,” because she was more beautiful than her mother.
9 Then Adam and Eve waited until Cain and his sister were forty days old, when Adam said to Eve, “We will make an offering and offer it up in behalf of the children.”
10 And Eve said, “We will make one offering for the first-born son and then later we shall make one for the daughter.”
The First Book of Adam and Eve
OAHSPE Bible
God’s Book of Eskra
Jehovih said: This mark put I upon man from the time of Cain to the present day, that whoso raiseth his hand against his brother, raiseth his hand against Me also. And this mark should distinguish My servants to the end of the world. Behold, I alone, am All Knowledge.
OAHSPE Bible: God's Book of Eskra
Book of Wars Against Jehovih
And the Lord wrote upon Cain’s forehead the word Asugasahiben, signifying, BLOOD FOR SAKE OF SELF, a mark, lest any finding him might kill him.
OAHSPE Bible: Book of Wars Against Jehovih
- And A’su called his wife’s name Eve (We-it), for she was the fountain of all men. And Eve brought forth a son, Cain, saying: I have begotten a son from the Lord. And she brought forth another son, Abel. And the first-born was begotten in darkness, but the second of the light of the Lord. And the Lord had more respect unto the second, Abel, than unto the first, Cain.
- In course of time Cain brought of the fruit of the ground and offered it unto the Lord. And Abel brought for the Lord, as his offerings, the firstlings of his flocks. And Cain perceived that the Lord had more respect for his brother, and Cain was wroth, and his countenance fell.
- And the Lord said unto Cain: Why are you jealous? If you doest well, should you not be accepted? And if you doest not well, sin lie at your*** door.
- But Cain would not be reconciled (because of the darkness in him), and when he and his brother were walking in the fields, Cain turned upon Abel and slew him.
- God said: Behold, darkness is between men; the son begotten in darkness fall”’ upon him begotten in the light. And it should come to pass on the earth from this time forth that the righteous should be persecuted by the unrighteous.
- And the Lord said unto Cain: Where is Abel, your* brother? And he said: I know not. Am I my brother’s keeper? The Lord said: The voice of your* brother’s blood cry out unto me from the ground: Now are you accursed from the earth, for it hath opened to receive thy brother’s blood from your*** hand. In my sight you should be a fugitive and a vagabond upon the earth. And because you hast shed blood, blood should not cease to flow from thy sons and daughters forever.
- Cain said: O Lord, my punishment is greater than I can bear. For I am become the first foundation of all the wars on the earth; for you hast hid your*** face from me; and it should come to pass that every one that find of me in them should be slain also.
- And the Lord said unto Cain: Whosoever slay you* or thine, vengeance should be upon him seven-fold. And the Lord wrote upon Cain’s forehead the word Asugasahiben, signifying, BLOOD FOR SAKE OF SELF, a mark, lest any finding him might kill him.
- And from this time forth Cain lost the voice of the Lord, because he went off into Nod (darkness). And Cain took a wife and begot heirs unto himself after his own manner, and they were called Cainites, and the heirs after them were called the tribe of Cainites, which survived him nine hundred and ten years, after which they were divided into six and twenty tribes. (And the name Cain was lost. But the people survived, and are known to this day as THE WORLD’S PEOPLE.)
- And We-it bore another son, Seth, in place of Abel, whom Cain slew. And after these came the generations of men, good and evil. And the Lord God said: Behold, I created man without sin, and I gave him warning, that he might remain holy on the face of the earth. But woman hearkened not to my counsel, but to the serpent, and sin came into the world. Therefore should woman bring forth in pain all the generations of the earth.
- Thus it was that the Lord God created man; in the likeness of God created he him.
- And the sons of Cain were called tribes, even unto this day, but the sons of the righteous were sons of God; wherefore it was said of old: Behold the sons of earth and the sons of heaven.
- And the Lord said: Should I not accord to myself to choose what I will? For this right I gave to man also. And from that time after the sons of God were called God’s chosen.
OAHSPE Bible: Book of Wars against Jehovih
But as the light of a full grown man differ”’ from that of a child’s, so, in different degree, was the light of men; and those with the higher light were called Faithists (I’hins), because they perceived that Wisdom shaped all things and ruled to the ultimate glory of the All One; but those of the lesser light were called Cain, the druk, because their trust was more in corporeal than in spiritual things.
OAHSPE Bible: The Lords’ First Book
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