Genesis 4:21

And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.

1. Lamech, a descendant of Cain, and Adah his wife also had another son named Jubal.
2. Jubal's descendants were musicians and played the harp and the organ. They may have also built these musical instruments.
3. Trades and talents in these early times appear to have followed and remained within family lines.

Genesis 4:20

And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle.

1. Lamech and his wife Adah had a son named Jabal.
2. Some of Jabal's descendants lived in tents, and some raised cattle.
3. This information was apparently recorded some years after the birth of Jabal - perhaps even after his death, the genealogical records being the basis of it.

Genesis 4:19

And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.

1. Lamech married two women - Adah and Zillah.
2. Polygamy was practiced among the descendants of Cain.
3. Marriage was practiced among the descendants of Cain.

Genesis 4:18

And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech.

1. Enoch, the son of Cain, had a child named Irad.
2. Irad, the grandchild of Cain, had a child named Mehujael.
3. Mehujael, a great-grandchild of Cain, had a child named Methusael.
4. Methusael, a 2nd great-grandchild of Cain, had a child named Lamech.
5. The people kept track of their genealogy.

Genesis 4:17

And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.

1. Cain married.
2. Cain and his wife had a son named Enoch.
3. Cain built a city and named it Enoch.
4. Cain, it appears, was proud of his son.
5. Cain, it appears, did not spend his life running from the law, nor traveling from place to place, but he settled down and became a builder.
6. Unless the LORD was mistaken, Cain was a fugitive and a vagabond in some other sense.
7. Cain's wife was willing to marry a murderer.
8. Cain's wife may have helped him become a useful member of society.

Genesis 4:16

And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

1. Cain left the presence of the LORD.
2. Other members of the family apparently did not go out from the presence of the LORD.
3. Cain established a residence in the land of Nod.
4. The land of Nod was to the east of Eden.

Genesis 4:15

And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.

1. The LORD took steps to protect Cain from being killed, promising a much worse punishment for anyone who did.
2. The LORD set a mark upon Cain to make him readily identifiable and prevent him from being killed by mistake.
3. For some unexplained reason, the LORD really seems to have wanted Cain to live a long life.

Genesis 4:14

Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.

1. Cain would no longer enjoy the privilege of speaking with God.
2. Cain worried that others would kill him.
3. There were other people on the earth besides Adam, Eve and Cain, so Adam and Eve must have had other children prior to Cain and Abel.
4. I'm uncertain what Cain meant by God driving him out from "the face of the earth." Obviously, he intended to continue living upon the earth.
5. We should not commit murder.

Genesis 4:13

And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.

1. Cain found the consequences of his murdering Abel very difficult to bear.
2. Some punishments are worse than death.
3. Losing your farm, or any occupation, is very difficult.
4. Being homeless is difficult.
5. Running from the law is difficult.
6. People sometimes do things without considering the difficulty of the consequences they will suffer.
7. Think before you act.

Genesis 4:12

When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.

1. Cain would no longer be a successful farmer. His efforts to raise crops would prove fruitless.
2. Cain would become a fugitive and a vagabond.
3. Considering the strictness of the later Law of Moses, apparently given by the same LORD, this punishment seems fairly mild, although the term, "fugitive", suggests he would be running from the local sheriff or the FBI.
4. Either the LORD or the earth, or both, have the power to cause crops to be unsuccessful for one farmer and not for others. The language here suggests that nutrients in the soil would for some reason be prevented from being absorbed by the plants, or perhaps Cain had just exhausted the soil through several years of planting without fertilizing, and the LORD knew this was the case.

Genesis 4:11

And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;

1. The LORD ceased to wait for Cain to admit what he did, and went ahead and described for Cain what the consequences of his actions would be.
2. When dealing with misbehavior in children it's not necessary to wait forever for them to confess. If they don't, get on with the consequences, but let them know you know what they've done (assuming you do).
3. Cain was cursed from the earth. (I'm not sure what that means. He doesn't say "by", so it's not the earth issuing the curse. It's more like some distance will be created between Cain and the earth. Perhaps some benefit previously provided by the earth will be withheld.)
4. The LORD assures Cain He knows what has happened.
5. The LORD likens the ground to the earth's mouth. He speaks of the earth as a living thing.

Genesis 4:10

And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.

1. The LORD replied to Cain with another question and a bit of evidence, letting Cain know He knew something was wrong, but not admitting He knew Cain was responsible.
2. The LORD said Abel's blood cried unto Him from the ground. I'm not certain how literally to interpret this. Blood is composed of living cells, and I suppose it's possible for them to communicate somehow.

Genesis 4:9

And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?

1. Following Abel's murder, the LORD asked Cain where Abel was. (It seems fairly obvious that the LORD knows what has happened, and that this is the reason He asks Cain, but as with Adam and Eve's transgression, the LORD doesn't accuse and is apparently not angry. Instead he asks Cain a question, giving him the opportunity to voluntarily confess. Why does He operate this way? Is this, perhaps, a useful approach for parents to use with their children?)
2. Cain responded that he did not know, which was a lie.
3. Cain asked the LORD if he were Abel's keeper. (In other words, "why are you asking me?" which seems like a very arrogant response.)
4. Cain was not a nice guy; he was a murderer, a liar, arrogant, did not respect the LORD and apparently had a violent temper. It makes me wonder how he felt about other members of his family.

Genesis 4:8

And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

1. Cain talked with Abel, presumeably about their offerings and the LORD's reactions.
2. Cain became angry with Abel and murdered him while they were out in the field together.

Genesis 4:7

If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

1. The LORD reassured Cain that if He yet made an offering that met the LORD's criteria for a good sacrifice he and his sacrifice would be accepted.
2. If we do well the LORD will accept us.
3. Sin was the reason Cain did not make an acceptable offering to the LORD. The nature of his sin is not mentioned.
4. We cannot please the LORD if we continue to sin.
5. Cain was to rule over someone who would look to him as his leader. It doesn't make sense that this would be Abel, since Abel was a righteous man. No other brother is mentioned - only sin is mentioned, but to rule over sin makes no sense either. It might be the serpent who tempted Eve to commit sin, but He isn't mentioned here either. It appears that some of the story has been left out, either by accident or intentionally.

Genesis 4:6

And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

1. The LORD apparently tried to help Cain understand why his offering had been rejected and how he ought to respond to it.
2. When our attempts to please the LORD are not successful, we should not become angry or discouraged.
3. We should not react with anger toward those who have committed crimes.

Genesis 4:5

But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

1. The LORD did not respect or accept Cain and his offering. (I'm feeling a bit uncertain about the LORD's attitude toward Cain and Abel.)
2. Cain was angry with the LORD's response to his offering.
3. Cain became discouraged.

Genesis 4:4

And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

1. Abel offered the firstlings of his flock to the LORD.
2. Offerings of first-born lambs included the fat.
3. The LORD respected Abel and his offering.

Genesis 4:3

And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

1. Cain eventually offered some of his crops to the LORD.
2. Members of Adam and Eve's family made offerings to the LORD.
3. The phrase, "and it came to pass", for which the Book of Mormon is so infamous, is used here for the first time (one of about 224 times) in the Old Testament.

Genesis 4:2

And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

1. Eve bore a son named Abel.
2. Abel was younger than his brother Cain.
3. Abel became a sheep herder.
4. Cain became a farmer.
5. Raising sheep and farming were occupations developed by Adam, Eve and their family.

Genesis 4:1

And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.

1. Adam and his wife Eve had a sexual relationship (this is obvious if you accept that we are their posterity).
2. Eve conceived and gave birth to a son, named Cain.
3. Either Eve delivered Cain outside of Adam's presence, in which case she told Adam about it by saying, "I have gotten a man from the LORD," or she said this to someone else (perhaps previous, unnamed children), or she was emphasizing to Adam that children are gifts from God.
4. It's interesting that Eve referred to a newborn male child as a "man". Perhaps, their language was not well-developed yet.
5. This is the first use of the title, "LORD" by itself. In the first three chapters of Genesis it is always used as a part of "LORD God." They each seem to refer to the same being.

Genesis 3:24

So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.

1. The LORD God drove Adam and Eve out of the garden.
2. The tree of life was apparently located at the east end of the garden of Eden.
3. The LORD God apparently placed Cherubims and a flaming sword (that turned every way) near the tree of life to prevent Adam and Eve from eating from it.
4. Cherubims, whatever they were, apparently had the power to prevent Adam and Eve from eating from the tree of life.
5. The LORD God may employ sophisticated technology to accomplish His objectives (what in the world is a flaming sword that turns every way - it sounds like an automatic light sabre).

Genesis 3:23

Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.

1. The LORD God sent Adam (and Eve as well, I presume) out of the garden of Eden to begin life as a farmer.
2. It stands to reason that the LORD God must have told Adam something about farming before sending him off to do it. Otherwise, they might not have survived. And what did they eat in the mean time - did they farm during the day, and return back to the garden for lunch, dinner, and a good night's sleep, or was their ejection from the garden immediate and complete, forcing Adam and Eve to subsist on roots and berries until the crops came in? These questions are not addressed.

Genesis 3:22

And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

1. Prior to eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil Adam and Eve did not recognize the difference between good and evil. Now they did.
2. Knowing good and evil - understanding and being capable of distinguishing one from the other is a significant characteristic of the LORD God and His associates (whoever He spoke to when He said this).
3. Other beings were with the LORD God when He dealt with Adam and Eve following their transgression of His commandment.
4. There was another special tree in the Garden of Eden called "the tree of life," which, if eaten, would cause a person to live forever. Adam and Eve, at this point, had full access to this tree. It's not clear, however, whether Adam and Eve understood the tree's characteristics.
5. The LORD God, who had already promised Adam and Eve they would die if they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, intended to take measures to ensure that promise was fulfilled.
6. It seems reasonable to suppose, since the LORD God and His companions created a tree that enabled a being to live forever, that they possessed this quality, as well.
7. Either the LORD God did not want men and women to live forever, or He had other plans for accomplishing that following their limited lifespans (such as the resurrection).

Genesis 3:21

Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

1. The LORD God knows how to tailor leather clothing for men and women.
2. The LORD God made leather clothing for Adam and Eve rather than angrily tell them to make their own.
3. The LORD God made clothing for Adam and Eve rather than create it simply by speaking a word or two.
4. Sewing is not "women's work."
5. Either some animals had already died of natural causes, or the LORD God killed some animals and used their hides to make the clothes, or he created the skins out of thin air and then tailored them into clothing.
6. If we want to be more like God, we should create things, plant gardens, and train and clothe child-like beings.

Genesis 3:20

And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.

1. I've used Eve's name until now for convenience, but this is the first time her name is mentioned.


2. The name "Eve" apparently means or has something to do with her being the "mother of all living."


3. Eve was the mother of all living. It's not clearly explained what this means. She obviously did not give birth to every living creature, nor did all the plants and animals require her mothering care, nor could she have provided it even if she wanted to - there were too many, and they had their own mothers. It might be another way of describing her role with respect to the LORD God's decree that man would have dominion over all living creatures (see Genesis 1:26, 28). It might mean she was to be the source of the human race, but there are conflicting views about that and whether other human-like creatures existed prior to Adam and Eve. Apparently, though, only apparently on Adam and Eve and their descendents are regarded by God and/or the writer of Genesis as being "men" and "women," for no others are mentioned. If there were other humans before them, they must apparently be regarded, within a biblical context anyway, as prototypical and not part of the final mold, so to speak.

Genesis 3:19

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

1. Adam and his posterity would have to work up a sweat in order to obtain their food.
2. Adam's body was created from the elements of the earth.
3. Adam would eventually die and his body would decompose back to its original elements.
4. Bread has been around at least since the time Adam lived in the garden of Eden.

Genesis 3:18

Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

1. Weeds grow.
2. Difficult experiences happen.
3. Don't be surprised when they do.
4. Don't think you can avoid them.
5. Don't try to avoid them. Do some gardening. Work in the field of life. Raise things of value.
6. Include grains and vegetables in your diet.

Genesis 3:17

And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;

1. The LORD God gave Adam consequences for following Eve instead of obeying His commandment, and also just for eating the "forbidden fruit."
2. The consequences given to Adam are not characterized as a curse to Adam or man.
3. The LORD God cursed the ground for Adam's sake, meaning it would be good for Adam, even if it wasn't an enjoyable experience.
4. We shouldn't expect our lives to be free of difficulties and sorrow. Life is intended to include them, and they are there for our benefit.
5. We should obey God's commandments regardless of what others, including our spouses, attempt to persuade us to do.
6. Farming may be a miserable occupation and home gardening a challenge.

Genesis 3:16

Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

1. Although the LORD God gave Eve consequences for her disobedience, He didn't characterize them as a curse.
2. Pregnancy and delivery for Eve (and presumably other women to follow) would become a painful process. The wording "multiply thy sorrow and thy conception" is interesting, suggesting that perhaps the length of a pregnancy or something else about it was to be increased.
3. Eve's desire would be to her husband. I don't completely understand this, but I think it may be a reason why women have the reputation for their ability to take a mediocre man and help him be successful. They are also famous for their loyalty and dedication to men, even when they are abused and otherwise mistreated.
4. Adam was to rule over Eve. This is perhaps where patriarchal rule originated. What type of rule isn't specified, nor is "over" defined. It may simply mean "at a higher level", or that God would deal with the man and let him deal with his family - in other words, establishing a chain of command between God and each individual. Judging from how the LORD God dealt with Adam and Eve during this period of time, which would be Adam's only example to follow, it didn't mean being abusive, angry, impatient or removing Eve's power to choose or answer for herself. It could be construed to mean Adam could give Eve commandments and consequences if she disobeyed, but this seems to conflict with the idea that she was given to him to be a help or companion, not a servant, which role the LORD God doesn't appear to change. In short, it appears to me that the wife would become an even greater blessing to the husband than she was before, and would suffer for it - all the more reason for the man to appreciate, respect and love her, something too many husbands throughout the world fail to do. Of course, not all wives live up to this standard either. If both did, what a better place this would be.

Genesis 3:15

And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

1. The LORD God apparently did something to cause a feeling of ill-will or hostility between Eve and the serpent, and between Eve's posterity and the posterity of the serpent.
2. The phrase, "her seed", seems to refer to a specific, male individual, since "it" would bruise the serpent's head, and the serpent would bruise "his" heel.
3. I assume this bruising of head and heel either refers to some incident not documented in the bible where a snake gets its head stomped on for biting someone's heel, or that it is symbolic of something else (I would guess it's the latter).

Genesis 3:14

And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

1. The LORD God spoke to the serpent.
2. Unlike his conversation with Eve and Adam, the LORD God did not give the serpent the opportunity to explain what he had done.
3. The LORD God was apparently not pleased with the serpent.
4. The LORD God, as a consequence of the serpent's actions, cursed it to crawl on its belly on the ground from that point on.
5. Cattle and other beasts apparently have some degree of curse upon them, but not to the same degree as the serpent.