Cain and Abel in early Jewish reading, with Keil on the sign
Says Cain brings an offering from the soil and Abel from the firstborn of his flock, and the Lord regards Abel and his offering but not Cain and his (Gen 4:3–5). Cain kills Abel (4:8), and the Lord sets an אוֹת (’ot, “sign”; BSB “mark”) for Cain (4:15). Abel “offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did” (Heb 11:4), and Cain killed his brother “because his own deeds were evil” (1 John 3:12).
Josephus calls Abel “a lover of righteousness”; God preferred what grew of its own accord, spared Cain because he sacrificed and pleaded, and set a mark on him “that he might be known” (Ant. 1.2.1). In Jubilees Cain kills Abel because God accepted only Abel’s sacrifice (Jub 4:2), and Cain died by stone as he had killed by stone (4:31). Wisdom says the unrighteous man “perished himself in the rage wherewith he slew his brother” (Wis 10:3). Philo reads Cain (“possession”) and Abel (“referring to God”) as opposed opinions (Sacr. 2), and 4:8 as Cain killing himself (Det. 47–48). In the Targum of Pseudo-Jonathan Cain says in the field, “There is neither judgment nor Judge, nor another world” (4:8), and the mark is the Name sealed on his face (4:15). Keil takes it as a protective sign, not a bodily mark, its kind undeterminable. These are their views.
Uncertain Why Abel’s offering was regarded, and what the sign was, are open. No lean is taken, and these readings do not fix the meaning of 4:1–16.
Claims
- SaysGen 4:3–5 says the Lord regarded Abel and his offering but not Cain and his; 4:8 that Cain killed Abel; 4:15 that the Lord set a sign for Cain; Heb 11:4 and 1 John 3:12 speak of Abel’s better sacrifice by faith and Cain’s evil deeds.
- UncertainWhy Abel’s offering was regarded and what the sign was are open; no lean, and early readings do not fix the meaning of Gen 4:1–16.
Citations
- BSB public domain Gen 4:3–5, 8, 15; Heb 11:4; 1 John 3:12
- OSHB CC BY 4.0 Gen 4:15
- Josephus (Whiston) public domain Ant. 1.2.1 = 1.52–59 (Whiston, 1817, vol. 1), pp. 11–12 (n20–n21); read on the page images; quoted, otherwise paraphrased
- APOT public domain vol. 2 (1913): Jub 4:2, p. 17 (n36); Jub 4:31, p. 19 (n38); read on the page images; paraphrased
- APOT 1 public domain vol. 1 (1913): Wis 10:3, p. 551 (n568); page number and wording read on the page image; quoted
- Philo (Yonge) public domain Sacr. 2 (Yonge ch. I, p. 207 (n220)); Det. 47–48 (Yonge ch. XIV, p. 253 (n266)); read on the page images; “possession” and “referring to God” quoted, otherwise paraphrased
- Etheridge public domain Etheridge, vol. 1 (1862), Targum of Palestine (Pseudo-Jonathan) on Gen 4:8, pp. 170–171 (n182–n183), and 4:15, pp. 171–172 (n183–n184); read on the page images; “There is neither judgment nor Judge, nor another world” quoted, otherwise paraphrased
- Keil–Delitzsch, Pentateuch 1 public domain Keil, Pentateuch vol. 1 (Clark, Martin trans., 1868), on Gen 4:15, p. 115 (n118); read on the page image; paraphrased
2026-11-10
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