Genesis 4:25-6:4 Cain’s Descendants

Cain Killed His Brother

Cain’s legacy begins with the murder of his own brother. It starts with a new sibling who follows a godly line and leaves Cain’s descendants following a not-so-godly path.

What a dreadful experience his parents had by losing a child abruptly and without warning. The burden of enticing her husband had already been placed on Eve’s shoulders, and now she is only referred to as “his wife,” not as Eve. She hopes a new child can somehow make up for the loss of her adored son Abel, whose loss has broken her heart. This happens frequently in complicated bereavement circumstances, believe it or not. 

Unfortunately, another child never fills the void of a previously lost child. The relationship between parents and children may suffer when it is realized that the new child will never live up to the expectations of the prior child. The child will be seeking love and acceptance all the time and will encounter expectations that they will never be able to meet. Seth is born to Adam and Eve within this context. He is the child with shoes to fill. 

Cain’s Descendants Call Themselves Lord

Let’s discuss the phrase “At that time people began to call on the name of the Lord.” Since Enos was born about 235AM (this is not a time of day, but years after creation), according to the Book of Jubilees, we can figure out when the “at that time” was. Apparently, a lot can change in the course of a couple of hundred years. We’re talking around the same period of time as the United States has existed as a nation.

By this point, I’m sure you’re not surprised that the phrase “call on the name of the LORD” has multiple interpretations. We already know from our reading of Genesis that Cain killed Abel and was exiled to the land of the nomads, Nod. Many people think that he and his ancestors developed into exceedingly evil people. Therefore, others contend that this word should be understood to mean that they “called themselves Lord.” They were going away from God and toward pagan idols.

Another school of thought holds that the Messiah would one day emerge from Sethic ancestry. The period of calling for, and anticipating the coming of, the Messiah began at this point. Naturally, the majority of us would interpret the term “call on the name of the Lord” as a way to worship or return to God.

Cain’s Family Lives to be Extremely Old

Now let’s talk about how long ancient folks lived during this time. According to the Bible, these men lived for hundreds of years, or almost a thousand. These passages explain that the nature of the human race is similar to that of God. This may have been a strategy used by the author of Genesis to convey the idea that God exists and always will. To have the nature of God is to possess his spiritual qualities, his personality, and his superhuman powers. We would certainly see such longevity as a miraculous accomplishment.

The Bible is not the only ancient text to claim that people lived to be hundreds of years old. Some explanations for these unbelievable numbers include the misinterpretation during the translation process. It is possible that the meaning of a year in ancient times was one orbit around the moon (a month) rather than an orbit around the sun (a year). However, this calculation also causes various problems.

Another explanation is that the ages have been calculated using the squares of numbers and some other calculations. For instance, Enosh is said to have lived to be 905 years. It is possible he lived to be 35, with the number 30 being squared to 900 plus the additional five years.

There is no evidence to prove humans ever lived to be this old. A study has shown that it is only possible for a human being to live to be between 120-150 years maximum. The human body would be so worn out by this point that it would not be able to withstand even minor ailments.

Cain’s Descendants Conceived Children Late in Life

Besides living to be extremely old, they were conceiving children at very old ages as well. The oldest mother in modern times was recorded to have conceived a child at the age of 73; however, the oldest verified mother was nearly 67, and was impregnated through IVF. The oldest mother verified to give birth naturally was 59 years old. Most women typically experience menopause between the ages of 44-58 years; therefore, reproducing children beyond that point is not possible.

However, in this passage, the people reproducing at an old age are men. So let’s discuss if that changes the likelihood of having a child at 130 like it says Adam did. Men are thought to have an endless capacity for reproduction, yet this is a common fallacy. Even though males have been known to have children well into their sixties, the likelihood of this happening after the age of 35 is greatly reduced. At that age, a lot of changes occur for men. Their reproductive rate declines by more than 50%. This means that it may take two or more years to impregnate a woman. Additionally, there is a higher chance of miscarriage or difficult deliveries. Research has demonstrated that children born to older men are far more likely to experience additional health issues, such as autism, Down syndrome, or mental illnesses.

Aquatic organisms are essentially the only ones on the planet that can survive past 200 years old. A particular type of sponge is thought to be the longest-living organism, with an estimated age of 11,000 years. The next is a type of coral that has existed for almost 5,000 years. A form of clam ranks as the next oldest at about 500 years.

There are two types of aquatic animals that can be cloned or transformed to almost live forever, which is another intriguing fact. The eternal jellyfish develops from a larva into a polyp and finally into a fully swimming jellyfish. Injured jellyfish have the ability to turn back into polyps in order to heal and then grow back into jellyfish again. A hydra can replicate itself, continuing to exist in different forms.

A Relative of Cain’s Goes Missing

Could you imagine having a child vanish into thin air? I think worried thoughts would plague me until they were once again found. As a matter of fact, I have experienced this with one of my children. It was not a proud parenting moment. One morning, we had run out of milk, and only my three-year-old was awake at the time. A convenience store was only a few minutes drive away, so I asked my son to stay home in case the other kids woke up and wondered where I was. My husband was also still asleep. When I returned, my three-year-old was nowhere to be found. 

I quickly woke up my husband and the other kids and we began frantically looking for him. We searched the house, the yard, and I drove around our community looking for him. We finally had set out on foot going in different directions when a car pulled up next to me with my son. They had found him searching for me and were driving around hoping he would recognize his house. It’s a heart-dropping experience I would never want to have again.

Jared was an experienced parent (527 years old – unless you use a calculation mentioned earlier). His son Enoch vanished and he endured this worry for another 435 years of his life. Since this story was recorded long after the time of Jared, we have no idea if he knew God had taken him. If he did know, we are given no information about how he came to learn and know this. I imagine it may have brought some comfort to know what became of him. As far as we’ve been told, this is the first parent to experience the loss of a missing child. 

A child going missing causes a very serious sort of trauma for the parents. Their emotional and physical well-being suffer from this nightmare. They sleep very little and eat very little throughout the first several days and weeks. Finding a safe haven for even a little moment of solace is challenging because every location brings back painful memories. We talked about the blame game in a previous blog, and in cases like this, parents frequently put the blame on themselves. What could or should I have done differently? 

However, there is a far more bleak prospect. What if Jared was somehow involved in Enoch’s disappearance, inventing the tale that God had taken him to heaven? 90% of children who are kidnapped or go missing are stolen by a parent or other relative. Of that number, fathers take them 53% of the time. And of those, 6% are never located or brought back. Compared to biblical times, we have a lot more tools available today for tracking down, looking into, and finding lost children. 

Enoch was said to have journeyed steadfastly with God before he disappeared. It is stated in the Garden of Eden that God visited the garden and strolled alongside Adam and Eve. It does not, however, imply that Enoch actually went on walks with God in this circumstance. The word used here describes leading an obedient life that earns God’s favor. This brings us to another intriguing topic, which makes me question if this sentence should be interpreted as a lesson rather than an account of facts.

Enoch’s name means “dedicated.” The name of a person is frequently a reflection of that person’s character in the Bible. Because of Enoch’s devotion to God, He took him home early. As parents, we typically take some time to decide on a name for our kids. The name typically serves a purpose or has meaning for us in some way. The child’s name should reflect who they are, but we choose names before we know what kind of personality or character they will have. 

Did Cain’s Relative Reverse a Curse by God?

We recently looked at some of the curses God pronounced after Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. We now come to an interesting plot twist. Is it possible to reverse a curse God has proclaimed over something or someone? 

Lamech proclaims that his son, Noah, came out of the ground God had cursed. Don’t we come from our parents? Well, yes, but no. In Genesis 2, God created Adam out of the earth’s dust. Then, in Genesis 3, it was revealed that after we pass away, we revert back into dust. Trillions of cells make up an individual human. Every cell originates from an earlier cell. Our cells decompose after death and resurface in a variety of other living things. 

Lamech believed his son was special. He predicted that Noah would be the one to reverse the curse God had placed on the ground. The name Noah means “rest” or “comfort.” Noah would bring comfort to his generation by rebuilding humankind. 

However, the curse on the ground included weeds and thorns. Those still exist. You might think this proves that we can’t reverse a curse God has spoken over someone or something. However, there are some who believe Noah was successful in reversing the curse.

Not only did working the ground bring food and sustenance to the body, but the fruits of Noah’s labors now provided a beverage that could offer a time of refreshment and relaxation. At the end of a long day, one could sit back and enjoy the evening with their family while enjoying a glass of wine, because Noah was the first to plant a vineyard. But things got out of hand, and Noah’s children did unspeakable things to him while he was intoxicated. By the sound of things, the ground had risen up to curse man once again. Noah may have brought some relief, but God seems to have the final word once a curse has been pronounced.

Cain’s Descendants Were Married by Angels

This part of our passage is both puzzling and intriguing. For whatever reason, there is a contrast between the birth of daughters and the growth of the human population. I’m left wondering how there were more people without women contributing to the process. Perhaps the distinction shows that the daughters were now lovely rather than…? This is the first time daughters are mentioned. We have seen wives and a sister in earlier sections. 

We learn of a group of people called “the sons of God.” There are a few hypotheses regarding who they could be. According to one theory, Seth’s descendants make up the sons of God. They further speculate that the stunning daughters are Cain’s ancestors. We looked at how Seth replaced Abel as the new godly line in Genesis 4-5. But “the sons of God” are never specifically mentioned in this passage. 

Another perspective holds that “the sons of God” are fallen angels. In the early church and Judaism, this frame of view was common. However, the sons of God seem to apply to all angels in other portions of scripture. It also raises concerns because it is widely believed that angels do not have genders. If that’s the case, why are girls so appealing to them? And, why are they usually given male names?

The fact that the women appeared to have no option is the passage’s next difficult theme. They were selected and married by the sons of God. This is how things were if we really wanted to pursue a marriage founded on the Bible. Women were not seen as equal partners but as property. Women were available to be given in marriage when they were between the ages of 11 and 13. Everything they had (or received as dowry) and their body became the man’s property. This is the simple reality as stated throughout the Bible. Exodus 20:17 lists women among the possessions that should not be desired by a neighbor. A wife’s primary responsibility was to bear children. This explains why there are so many tales of childless mothers who cried out to God for a child. A marriage could be dissolved because of barrenness. 

Cain’s Descendants Were Giants

The Nephilim are the next set of creatures we encounter. They might be the children of the divine sons and the lovely daughters. They are depicted as enormously strong giants. They are described as standing 4500 feet tall in the book of Enoch. Joshua and Caleb spy on the inhabitants of Canaan, and most scouts are too terrified to attempt to conquer the area. They are demigods, according to some Jewish theories, since they possess both human and angelic traits.

One verse seems to distinguish the Nephilim from the children born to the sons of God and beautiful daughters. However, it is also phrased in such a way that it could be renaming them as one and the same. It’s interesting that the scouting group feared them because they are described as heroes and men of renown. It’s possible Goliath was a Nephilim; although that is a disputed point we won’t get into today.