| I think "both/and" with a focus on the idea that Cain sort of haphazardly grabbed some of his grain and carelessly sacrificed it, whereas Abel took the choicest of the firstlings. I'm getting this from looking at the contrast in the Hebrew, which shows in the AV too. Cain took of the fruit of the ground (not "firstfruits"), Abel took the firstling and the choicest parts (the fat).
Elsewhere (like in Exodus) we see the "firstfruits" discussed. There the root word is almost identical to "firstlings" in this passage, and not at all similar to the word for "fruit of the land."
So, in my fairly naive view, I think we have some reason to think Cain's heart wasn't in the right place, and because of that, he gave carelessly. That seems to fit with the idea that sin was lying at his door. |