Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to:
Genesis
Book: Genesis
Chapter: 4
Overview:
The
Birth, employment, and religion of
Cain and
Abel.
(1-7)
Cain murders
Abel, The
Curse of
Cain.
(8-15) The conduct of
Cain, His family.
(16-18) Lamech and his wives, The skill of
Cain's descendants.
(19-24) The
Birth of another son and
grandson of
Adam.
(25,26)
1-7 When
Cain was born,
Eve said, I have gotten a
Man from the
Lord. Perhaps she thought that this was the promised seed. If
So, she was woefully disappointed.
Abel signifies vanity: when
she thought she had the promised seed in
Cain, whose name
signifies possession, she was
So taken up with him that another
son was as vanity to her. Observe, each son had a
Calling. It is
the will of
God for every one to have something to do in this
world. Parents ought to bring up their children to work. Give
them a
Bible and a
Calling, said good Mr. Dod, and
God be with
them. We may believe that
God commanded
Adam, after the fall, to
shed the
Blood of innocent animals, and after their
Death to
burn part or the whole of their bodies
By Fire. Thus that
Punishment which sinners deserve, even the
Death of the body,
and the wrath of
God, of which
Fire is a
Well-known emblem, and
also the sufferings of
Christ, were prefigured. Observe that the
religious
Worship of
God is
No new invention. It was from the
beginning; it is the good old way, Jer 6:16. The offerings of
Cain and
Abel were different.
Cain showed a proud, unbelieving
Heart. Therefore he and his
Offering were rejected.
Abel came as
a sinner, and according to
God's appointment,
By his
Sacrifice
expressing
Humility, sincerity, and believing obedience. Thus,
seeking the benefit of the new
Covenant of
Mercy, through the
promised Seed, his
Sacrifice had a token that
God accepted it.
Abel offered in
Faith, and
Cain did not, Heb 11:4. In all ages
there have been two sorts of worshippers, such as
Cain and
Abel;
namely, proud, hardened despisers of the
Gospel method of
Salvation, who attempt to please
God in ways of their own
devising; and humble believers, who draw near to him in the way
he has revealed.
Cain indulged malignant
Anger against
Abel. He
harboured an evil
Spirit of discontent and rebellion against
God.
God notices all our sinful passions and discontents. There
is not an angry, envious, or fretful look, that escapes his
observing
Eye. The
Lord reasoned with this rebellious
Man; if he
came in the right way, he should be accepted. Some understand
this as an intimation of
Mercy. "If thou doest not
Well,
Sin,
that is, the
Sin-Offering, lies at the door, and thou mayest
take the benefit of it." The same
Word signifies
Sin, and a
Sacrifice for
Sin. "Though thou hast not done
Well, yet do not
despair; the remedy is at
Hand."
Christ, the great
Sin-Offering,
is said to stand at the door, Re 3:20. And those
Well deserve
to perish in their sins, that will not go to the door to ask for
the benefit of this
Sin-Offering.
God's acceptance of
Abel's
Offering did not change the
Birthright, and make it his; why
then should
Cain be
So angry? Sinful heats and disquiets vanish
before a strict and fair inquiry into the cause.
8-15 Malice in the
Heart ends in
Murder By the hands.
Cain slew
Abel, his own
Brother, his own mother's son, whom he ought to
have loved; his younger
Brother, whom he ought to have
protected; a good
Brother, who had never done him any wrong.
What fatal effects were these of our first parents'
Sin, and how
must their hearts have been filled with anguish! Observe the
pride, unbelief, and impenitence of
Cain. He denies the crime,
as if he could conceal it from
God. He tries to cover a
deliberate
Murder with a deliberate
Lie.
Murder is a crying
Sin.
Blood calls for
Blood, the
Blood of the murdered for the
Blood
of the murderer. Who knows the extent and weight of a Divine
Curse, how far it reaches, how
Deep it pierces? Only in
Christ
are believers saved from it, and inherit the blessing.
Cain was
cursed from the
Earth. He found his
Punishment there where he
chose his portion, and set his
Heart. Every
Creature is to us
what
God makes it, a comfort or a
Cross, a blessing or a
Curse.
The wickedness of the wicked brings a
Curse upon all they do,
and all they have.
Cain complains not of his
Sin, but of his
Punishment. It shows great hardness of
Heart to be more
concerned about our sufferings than our sins.
God has
Wise and
holy ends in prolonging the lives even of very wicked men. It is
in vain to inquire what was the
Mark set upon
Cain. It was
doubtless known, both as a brand of infamy
On Cain, and a token
from
God that they should not kill him.
Abel, being dead, yet
speaketh. He tells the heinous guilt of
Murder, and warns us to
stifle the first risings of wrath, and teaches us that
Persecution must be expected
By the righteous. Also, that there
is a future state, and an eternal recompence to be enjoyed,
through
Faith in
Christ and his atoning
Sacrifice. And he tells
us the excellency of
Faith in the atoning
Sacrifice and
Blood of
the
Lamb of
God.
Cain slew his
Brother, because his own
Works
were evil, and his
Brother's righteous, 1Jo 3:12. In
consequence of the
Enmity Put between the Seed of the
Woman and
the seed of the
Serpent, the
War broke out, which has been waged
ever since. In this
War we are all concerned, none are neuter;
our
Captain has declared, He that is not with me is against me.
Let us decidedly, yet in
Meekness, support the cause of
Truth
and
Righteousness against
Satan.
16-18 Cain cast off all fear of
God, and attended
No more
On
God's ordinances. Hypocritical professors, who dissemble and
trifle with
God, are justly left to themselves to do something
grossly scandalous.
So they throw off that form of
Godliness to
which they have been a reproach, and of which they deny the
power.
Cain went out from the presence of the
Lord, and we never
find that he came into it again, to his comfort. The land
Cain
dwelt in was called the land of
Nod, which means, 'shaking,' or
'trembling,' and
So shows the restlessness and uneasiness of his
own
Spirit, or 'the land of a
Vagabond:' they that depart from
God cannot find
Rest any where else. Those
On Earth who looked
for the heavenly
City, chose to
Dwell in
Tabernacles or tents;
but
Cain, as not minding that
City, built one
On Earth. Thus all
who are cursed of
God seek their settlement and satisfaction
here below.
19-24 One of
Cain's wicked race is the first recorded, as
having broken the
Law of
Marriage. Hitherto, one
Man had but one
Wife at a time; but
Lamech took two. Worldly things, are the only
things that
Carnal, wicked people set their hearts upon, and are
most clever and industrious about.
So it was with this race of
Cain. Here was a
Father of shepherds, and a
Father of musicians,
but not a
Father of the
Faithful. Here is one to teach about
Brass and
Iron, but none to teach the good knowledge of the
Lord: here are devices how to be rich, and how to be mighty, and
how to be merry; but nothing of
God, of his fear and service.
Present things fill the heads of most.
Lamech had enemies, whom
he had provoked. He draws a comparison betwixt himself and his
ancestor
Cain; and flatters himself that he is much less
criminal. He seems to abuse the patience of
God in sparing
Cain,
into an encouragement to expect that he may
Sin unpunished.
25,26 Our first parents were comforted in their affliction
By
the
Birth of a son, whom they called
Seth, that is, 'set,'
'settled,' or 'placed;' in his seed mankind should continue to
the
End of time, and from him the
Messiah should descend. While
Cain, the head of the apostasy, is made a wanderer,
Seth, from
whom the true
Church was to come, is one fixed. In
Christ and
his
Church is the only true settlement.
Seth walked in the steps
of his martyred
Brother Abel; he was a partaker of like precious
Faith in the
Righteousness of our
God and
Saviour Jesus Christ,
and
So became a fresh
Witness of the
Grace and influence of
God
the Holy
Spirit.
God gave
Adam and
Eve to see the revival of
religion in their family. The worshippers of
God began to do
more in religion; some,
By an open profession of true religion,
protested against the wickedness of the world around. The worse
others are, the better we should be, and the more zealous. Then
began the distinction between professors and profane, which has
been kept up ever since, and will be, while the world stands.