# Cain and Abel

Beginnings · Draft · BSB

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Date: not assigned.

God accepts Abel’s offering but not Cain’s, and warns Cain that sin is crouching at his door. Cain kills his brother. God sends him away as a wanderer but puts a mark on him to protect him, and Cain settles in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

## Primary Scripture

[Genesis 4:1–16 (BSB)](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Genesis%204%3A1%E2%80%9316&version=BSB)

4:1 And Adam had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man,” she said.

4:2 Later she gave birth to Cain’s brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, while Cain was a tiller of the soil.

4:3 So in the course of time, Cain brought some of the fruit of the soil as an offering to the LORD,

4:4 while Abel brought the best portions of the firstborn of his flock. And the LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,

4:5 but He had no regard for Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell.

4:6 “Why are you angry,” said the LORD to Cain, “and why has your countenance fallen?

4:7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you refuse to do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires you, but you must master it.”

4:8 Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.

4:9 And the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I do not know!” he answered. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

4:10 “What have you done?” replied the LORD. “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.

4:11 Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.

4:12 When you till the ground, it will no longer yield its produce to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”

4:13 But Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.

4:14 Behold, this day You have driven me from the face of the earth, and from Your face I will be hidden; I will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”

4:15 “Not so!” replied the LORD. “If anyone slays Cain, then Cain will be avenged sevenfold.” And the LORD placed a mark on Cain, so that no one who found him would kill him.

4:16 So Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

## Related Scripture

[Hebrews 11:4 · teaching](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews%2011%3A4&version=BSB)

By faith Abel offered a better sacrifice.

[1 John 3:11–12 · teaching](https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20John%203%3A11%E2%80%9312&version=BSB)

John contrasts Cain with the call to love one another.

## Location evidence

The land of Nod, whose name sounds like the Hebrew for “wandering,” cannot be located.

No event map marker is assigned. Do not infer an exact venue from related places.

## For the class

God tells Cain he must rule over sin. What does that look like?

## Interpretation and reuse

Narrative order is a reading arrangement, not a proven chronology. Dates retain their stated uncertainty. An identified locality does not establish the exact venue or prove an event. Region extents and routes are illustrative, not surveyed boundaries or ancient roads. Draft material has not completed editorial review.

Record source: editorial (content/authored/beginnings.json)

Place coordinates from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding Data, CC BY 4.0.

Teaching stops, summaries and regional extents are original editorial content of this atlas.

Berean Standard Bible (BSB), public domain. https://berean.bible/licensing.htm

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