Cain's Wife?

Simply_Nikki · #1 (**permalink**) 02-12-2008, 06:54 PM

So.. I was just wondering... where did Cain's wife come from in Genesis 4? Do you think God created other people besides Adam and Eve? That can't be right because then they would not have had the sinful nature passed down through Adam... or could they have? But the bible doesn't say Adam and Even bore a daughter before Seth.. and it seems Cain was married before Seth was born... Hmm.. I am confused

. And of course this could be one of those let's ask God when we get there types of questions, which i'm perfectly content with.

I was just wondering.

DMcFadden · #2 (**permalink**) 02-12-2008, 07:02 PM

Nikki,

There are a number of approaches taken by conservatives on this issue.

* Some argue that Adam was a representative human God selected as federal head of the race. This would allow for other humans to be alive and able to be selected for spouses for Cain.

* I accept the "straight forward" appraoch to the text. Adam and Eve had many children; Cain married one of his sisters.

Check out:
Cain’s wife—who was she?
Was Cain’s wife a Neanderthal? at Around the World with AiG’s Ken Ham
One Blood: Cain’s wife
Cain’s wife explanation ‘gross and disgusting’?

Simply_Nikki · #3 (**permalink**) 02-12-2008, 07:08 PM

Thanks for the links =)

Presbyterian Deacon · #4 (**permalink**) 02-12-2008, 07:10 PM

DMcFadden says:
* I accept the "straight forward" appraoch to the text. Adam and Eve had many children; Cain married one of his sisters.
________________________

py3ak · #5 (**permalink**) 02-12-2008, 07:55 PM

Or you could take the "some unsmiling hominid" approach! Although it works as verse, I think it's lousy as theology.

VirginiaHuguenot · #6 (**permalink**) 02-12-2008, 09:08 PM

John Calvin on Gen. 4.17:

Quote:

Gen 4:17. And Cain knew his wife. From the context we may gather that Cain, before he slew his brother, had married a wife; otherwise Moses would now have related something respecting his marriage; because it would be a fact worthy to be recorded, that any one of his sisters could be found, who would not shrink with horror from committing herself into the hand of one whom she knew to be defiled with a brother's blood; and while a free choice was still given her, should rather choose spontaneously to follow an exile and a fugitive, than to remain in her father's family.

Matthew Poole (Synopsis) on Gen. 4.17:

Quote:

[His wife] Who also was his sister (Grotius, Munster on verse 16). In the beginning of the world it was necessary for sisters to marry their brothers (Lapide, Menochius).

Henry Ainsworth on Gen. 4.17:

Quote:

This was one of Adam's daughters, spoken of in Gen. v. 4. to whom it seemeth he was married before.

John Bunyan on Gen. 4.17:

Quote:

Cain's wife was his sister, or near kinswoman; for she sprang of the same loins with himself; because his mother was "the mother of all living" (Gen 3:20).

Benjamin Needler on Gen. 4.17:

Quote:

It is faid, And Cain knew his wife, why is fhe not call'd his fifter?

There is no queftion, but Cain married his fifter, but fhe is not fo called, becaufe God would not have this to be a ftanding rule; lest therefore any from hence for the future might take occafion to tranfgreffe the command, there is no mention made of Cains wife being his fifter, but onely Cain knew his wife.

The truth is, Cain could not do otherwife; for being under a command to encreate and multiply, and God creating but one man and one woman, viz. his father and mother, Marriage could not have been continued, nor mankinde propagated, if he had not married his fifter.

But will neceffity make a thing unlawfull to be lawfull?

Yes, If that neceffity be founded upon the command of God, as in this cafe.

James G. Murphy on Gen. 4.17:

Quote:

The wife of Cain was of necessity his sister, though this was forbidden in after times, for wise and holy reasons, when the necessity no longer existed.

Kevin · #7 (**permalink**) 02-12-2008, 10:26 PM

Andrew, let me get this straight, are you saying that Cain was from Alabama? **Rimshot**

( I love Alabama jokes!!)

NaphtaliPress · #8 (**permalink**) 02-12-2008, 10:40 PM

And there's that line: Everyone asks me where Cain got his wife; that's the problem with the world today; everyone's worrying about someone else's wife!

Kevin · #9 (**permalink**) 02-12-2008, 10:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NaphtaliPress

And there's that line: Everyone asks me where Cain got his wife; that's the problem with the world today; everyone's worrying about someone else's wife!

Presbyterian Deacon · #10 (**permalink**) 02-12-2008, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NaphtaliPress

And there's that line: Everyone asks me where Cain got his wife; that's the problem with the world today; everyone's worrying about someone else's wife!

bookslover · #11 (**permalink**) 02-12-2008, 11:34 PM

By the way, I think Cain's wife's name was Bertha. She wore those old-fashioned cat glasses, and was allergic to poodles...

Semper Fidelis · #12 (**permalink**) 02-12-2008, 11:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NaphtaliPress

And there's that line: Everyone asks me where Cain got his wife; that's the problem with the world today; everyone's worrying about someone else's wife!

~~Susita~~ · #13 (**permalink**) 02-13-2008, 11:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DMcFadden

* I accept the "straight forward" appraoch to the text. Adam and Eve had many children; Cain married one of his sisters.

Every time cells replicate and divide, they begin to deteriorate as time goes on (extreme short and simple version) and since they were subject to the effects of sin, of course their bodies started to decay. They were perfect, but we sure screwed that up royally

The law to not marry a relative was not made until later on, probably because God knew our DNA and the mistakes that would continue to replicate and worsen.

Also, look up "telomeres" - but they're basically DNA structures on the ends of chromosomes that break off during cell replication and therefore limit the amount of times cell replication can occur. Thus, old age.

Kinda fun to think about, aye?

Gomarus · #14 (**permalink**) 02-14-2008, 08:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ~~Susita~~

. . . The law to not marry a relative was not made until later on, probably because God knew our DNA and the mistakes that would continue to replicate and worsen.
[/font][/color]

The detrimental biological effects of human inbreeding developed over time as our gene pool reflected the physical corruption brought on by sin.

Given Adam's longevity, he and Eve could have directly born hundreds of sons and daughters. Cain's wife could have been a sister or a niece or a cousin.

panta dokimazete · #15 (**permalink**) 02-14-2008, 08:34 AM

Depending on your view - it could have been a distant cousin...but brother-sister unions had to happen at some point.

Blueridge Believer · #16 (**permalink**) 02-14-2008, 11:56 AM

Wouldn't that have made his father his brother-in-law?

panta dokimazete · #17 (**permalink**) 02-14-2008, 04:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blueridge Baptist

Wouldn't that have made his father his brother-in-law?

I Am My Own Grandpa

Many, many years ago
When I was twenty-three
I got married to a widow
Pretty as could be.

This widow had a grow-up daughter
With flowing hair of red.
My father fell in love with her,
And soon the two were wed.

This made my dad my son-in-law
And changed my very life.
Now my daughter was my mother,
For she was my father's wife.

To complicate the matters worse,
Although it brought me joy,
I soon became the father
Of a bouncing baby boy.

My little baby then became
A brother-in-law to dad.
And so became my uncle,
Though it made me very sad.

For if he was my uncle,
Then that also made him brother
To the widow's grown-up daughter
Who, of course, was my step-mother.

Father's wife then had a son
Who kept them on the run.
And he became my grandson,
For he was my daughter's son.

My wife is now my mother's mother
And it makes me blue.
Because, although she is my wife,
She's my grandma, too.

If my wife is my grandmother,
Then I am her grandchild.
And every time I think of it,
It simply drives me wild.

For now I have become
The strangest case you ever saw,
As the husband of my grandmother,
I am my own grandpa!

Southern Presbyterian · #18 (**permalink**) 02-14-2008, 06:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by panta dokimazete

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blueridge Baptist

Wouldn't that have made his father his brother-in-law?

I Am My Own Grandpa

Many, many years ago
When I was twenty-three
I got married to a widow
Pretty as could be.

This widow had a grow-up daughter
With flowing hair of red.
My father fell in love with her,
And soon the two were wed.

This made my dad my son-in-law
And changed my very life.
Now my daughter was my mother,
For she was my father's wife.

To complicate the matters worse,
Although it brought me joy,
I soon became the father
Of a bouncing baby boy.

My little baby then became
A brother-in-law to dad.
And so became my uncle,
Though it made me very sad.

For if he was my uncle,
Then that also made him brother
To the widow's grown-up daughter
Who, of course, was my step-mother.

Father's wife then had a son
Who kept them on the run.
And he became my grandson,
For he was my daughter's son.

My wife is now my mother's mother
And it makes me blue.
Because, although she is my wife,
She's my grandma, too.

If my wife is my grandmother,
Then I am her grandchild.
And every time I think of it,
It simply drives me wild.

For now I have become
The strangest case you ever saw,
As the husband of my grandmother,
I am my own grandpa!

Now I'm going to have to dust off my old Ray Stevens albums.....

Sonoftheday · #19 (**permalink**) 02-14-2008, 08:12 PM

Doesnt anyone on this site know that this verse about Cain marrying a woman is proof that the creation story was just an allegory??

At least that is what I read on other sites.

~~Susita~~ · #20 (**permalink**) 02-15-2008, 12:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gomarus

Quote:

Originally Posted by ~~Susita~~

. . . The law to not marry a relative was not made until later on, probably because God knew our DNA and the mistakes that would continue to replicate and worsen.
[/font][/color]

The detrimental biological effects of human inbreeding developed over time as our gene pool reflected the physical corruption brought on by sin.

Given Adam's longevity, he and Eve could have directly born hundreds of sons and daughters. Cain's wife could have been a sister or a niece or a cousin.

Right... Essentially what I said.