_The Hebrew spelling of this word means ‘breath,’ ‘vapor,’ that which is ‘insubstantial.’ However, it is more likely that the name should be linked with the Accadian word meaning ‘son.’ Abel was the second son of Adam and Eve and was murdered by his brother Cain because God preferred Abel’s sacrifice over Cain’s. Abel is referenced multiple times throughout the Bible, including in Heb 11:4; 1 John 3:12; Matt. 23:35; Luke 11:51; and Heb 12:24, always as a faithful, innocent, righteous man. Biblical references: Genesis 4:2- “Next she bore his brother Abel. Abel became a keeper of flocks, and Cain a tiller of the soil. Genesis 4:4- “…while Abel, for his part, brought one of the best firstlings of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering,…” Genesis 4:8- “Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out in the field.” When they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.” Sources: Catholic Book Publishing. (various) Genesis: Chapter 2 Notes. “St. Joseph Edition, New American Bible.” New York, NY: Catholic Book Publishing. Green, Kevin (compiler). (2008). Eden. “All-In-One Bible Reference Guide”. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan. Lockyear Sr., H. (Ed.) (1986) Eden. “Illustrated Dictionary of the Bible”. Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson Publishers.
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While I will cover the actual book of Psalms, its authors, and origins in greater detail when we reach there, I want to gradually intersperse the Psalms throughout our journey through the Bible. This is for two reasons: 1) We are doing very detailed studies. Everyone (including me!) needs a day or so to stop "studying" and instead browse God's word for pleasure. 2) When we do reach the Book of Psalms, I don't want to spend 150 days posting a single psalm with very few notes, as is the case with most of the Psalms. So, enjoy the relaxing days when I post just the a psalm! They will, of course, also be posted under their appropriate section on the website. In this case, Psalms is under the "OT 2" tab. Psalm 1: True Happiness in God's Law 1 Happy those who do not follow the counsel of the wicked, Nor go the way of sinners, nor sit in company with scoffers. 2 Rather, the law of the Lord is their joy; God's law they study day and night. 3 They are like a tree planted near streams of water, that yields is fruit in season; Its leaves never wither; whatever they do prospers. 4 But not the wicked! They are like chaff driven by the wind. 5 Therefore the wicked will not survive judgement, nor will sinners in the assembly of the just. 6 The Lord watches over the way of the just, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin. The Pentateuch consists of the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. It is derived from the Greek "pentateuchos" meaning "five containers" or "five-volumed." It enjoys particular prestige among Jews as the "Law" or "Torah," the concrete expression of God's will. It also has the benefit of being containing five books that have NEVER had their canonicity called into question (by either Jews, Catholics, or Protestants). The division of the material into five sections is supported by both the Septuagint, a 3rd century B.C. translation of the Hebrew Old Testament into Greek, as well as the Samaritan Pentateuch, which dates from even earlier. As for material, it contains: a body of legal doctrine, the formation of the People of God (Abraham and the patriarchs), Moses and the oppressed Hebrews in Egypt, the birth of Israel in the Sinai covenant, the journey to the promised land, and the "discourses" of Moses. The time frame is from creation to the end of the Mosaic era. Many scholars divide/identify the material as coming from four major historical traditions/sources: Yahwist (J), Elohist (E), Priestly (P), and Deuteronomic (D). This theory is called the "Documentary Hypothesis." However, this is a simplification, and one that many scholars are now rejecting, due to the simple fact that all four of these "divisions" draw upon even older material from different sources (not just from four major sources), and that it ignores what we know of literary traditions of the time (for example, how stories would often be told from two or more points of view, even by the same author). However, other scholars feel that modifying the initial hypothesis, not rejecting it outright, is the proper course of action. By looking at the Pentateuch from the Documentary Hypothesis viewpoint, one can accept the fact that Moses was not the sole author of this entire section of the Bible, as previously believed. It also gives us deeper insight in the meaning behind various verses if one can understand the background and viewpoint of that particular "author" or school of authorship. It must be noted that more conservative scholars vehemently reject this theory, saying that it shows a complete misunderstanding of how early writings were passed on, and "rewrites the Bible" by forcing a 19th century and later editing process on material that is ancient. First of all, I would like to thank all of my readers who take time to comment. But I cannot approve comments that are "rants" again certain denominations or groups of people. While legitimate criticisms can be applied to all churches (after all, Churches are made up of sinners, as is every human), I don't want to provide a platform for biased arguments. I would like to state that my original statement: "The Catholic Church, the most conservative of believers" was incorrect. There are churches and denominations that ARE more conservative. The point I was trying to get across was that even very conservative churches and scholars generally accept that the Bible must be interpreted. I chose my words poorly, and labeled a single church with a single label, which is unfair to the church in question, other churches, and the members of those churches. Thank you to the reader in question for pointing that out. In Chapter 4, we meet Cain and Abel, and witness the first murder committed by man. In our prior discussion, we studied the word origins of various names used in Chapter 4. We also looked at the practice of sacrifice and why Abel’s sacrifice was preferred. For additional discussion, we are going to look at Cain and at the perplexing question of Cain’s wife. This will be divided into two parts: 1) Biography of Cain -and- 2) Where did Cain find his wife? Part 1: Cain (biography): Origin of the name: Genesis 4:1- “The man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying ‘I have produced a man with the help of the Lord.’” The Hebrew name "qayin" (Cain) and the term "qaniti" (I have produced) is another play on words that would be recognized in the original Hebrew, but is lost in translation. An extremely rough equivalent would be “I have gained Cain”, with gain meaning “to begat” or “to create” The first son of Adam and Eve. The first murderer in human history- killed his brother Abel because God preferred Abel’s sacrifice over his own. In punishment, Cain was “banned from the soil” and condemned to wander the Earth. He settled in the land of Nod and built a city. His descendants include: Jabal (forefather of tent-dwelling cattle-keepers), Jubal (forefather of musicians), Tubal-Cain (forefather of smiths). It is also hypothesized that Cain is the father of the Kenites, which included both shepherds and metal-workers. In this theory, though, some of the descendants of Cain must have survived the flood. This is entirely possible as it is becoming more common to accept that the flood was not world-wide. The Oxford Illustrated Companion to the Bible lists multiple later interpretations, including identifying Cain as the son of either Satan, the wicked angel Sammael, or the serpent in the Garden of Eden. It also states that the “Zohar” and various medieval legends speculate on the fate of Cain’s offspring (with his wife Awan, meaning “Wickedness”) as demons. Part 2: 4:17 Where did Cain find his wife? Reading the Bible, one naturally comes to a perplexing question: if Cain’s parents were literally the first two people on Earth, where did Cain find his wife? There are two possible solutions to this dilemma. 1) If one takes a literal view of the story of Genesis (see Genesis: Chapter 3: Additional Notes & Discussion for more information), then one accepts not only that Adam and Eve were literal figures, but that they really lived for 800 years. The Bible also states that Adam and Eve had many sons and daughters. Genesis states that Cain “settled in the land of Nod.” One reads specifically that Cain spent many years wandering before he settled down and started a family. Quite logically, then, Cain may have married one of his sisters, or the daughter of one of his many brother or sisters. 2) One can also accept that between the literary traditions of the time and the oral tradition by which we have received these stories, that Genesis is figurative, not explicitly literal. In that case, early humans may have fallen from grace and Adam and Eve could have been literal people, but they may have been part of a tribe of humans, not the only two humans ever in existence. Cain, in this theory, has multiple options when choosing a wife. Brown, Raymond E. (S.S.), Fitzmyer, Joseph A. (S.J.), & Murphy, Roland E. (O. Carm). (1990) Genesis. “The New Jerome Biblical Commentary.” Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc. Catholic Book Publishing. (various) Genesis: Chapter 4 Notes. “St. Joseph Edition, New American Bible.” New York, NY: Catholic Book Publishing. Geisler, Norman & Howe, Thomas. (1992). Genesis 4:17. “The Big Book of Bible Difficulties.” Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books. Green, Kevin (compiler). (2008). Cain. “All-In-One Bible Reference Guide”. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan. Metzger, Bruce M. & Coogan, Michael D. (2003). Eden. “The Oxford Illustrated Companion to the Bible”. New York, NY: Tess Press. Rhodes, Ron. (2008). Genesis 4:17. “Commonly Misunderstood Bible Verses.” Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers.” |
Jennifer Becker Landsberger
Who am I? Freelance writer (magazines, websites, & copywriting), Catholic, military wife, and Mensan. Double Bachelor's in History & Psychology. Witnessing by charity and love are above all. Studying the Bible and beyond helps me on this quest. Feel free to join my walk into the Bible.
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Oh creator of the universe, who has set the stars in the heavens and causes the sun to rise and set, shed the light of your wisdom into the darkness of my mind. Fill my thoughts with a loving knowledge of you, that I may bring you like to others. Just as you can make even babies speak your truth, instruct my tongue and guide my pen to convey the wonderful glory of the Gospel. Make my intellect sharp, my memory clear, and my words eloquent, so that I may faithfully interpret the mysteries what you have revealed. Categories
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To my readers & fellow writers,
I promise: 1. I will pray that God's grace helps illuminate all of our interactions- both those of simple reading and more active conversations. 2. I will communicate with you respectfully and civilly. These are (rightly) issues which we feel passionate about. But even in disagreements, I will respect you fellow "seekers of truth." 3. I will not fall into negative behavior or words, such as insinuations, exaggerations, blames, or personal attacks. I respectfully ask you to do the same. 4. I will pray we will all find the truth and strive to fulfill the two greatest commandments: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:30-31) This site will occasionally feature paid posts! I always 100% verify everything I endorse. You will not see posts for products or sites I would not use myself.
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