GENESIS 4

4:1 And Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and brought forth Cain and said, I have gained a man through God. 2 And she again bore his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

AMBROSE OF MILAN. 'And Abel,' we are told, 'became a keeper of flocks and Cain a tiller of the soil.' (Gen. 4.2) Not without reason, as Scripture teaches us, is Abel mentioned first in this passage, although Cain was the first bora. The order of nature differs from the order given to the names themselves. What is the significance of this change of order in first mentioning the younger of the two, when there is reference to employment and vocation? In order to understand the reason for this preference we should take note of the differences in their tasks. Tilling the soil comes first in our experience. This activity is lower in prestige than that of sheep-herding. This is like the case of a teacher or leader who, rightfully as elders do, begins with principles that are older and better established. The younger man, on the other hand, is likely to prefer land which is not so old, which does not 'bring forth thorns and thistles,' (Gen. 3.18) and which is generally acceptable. Accordingly, Adam, being guilty of sin, is expelled from the Garden of Delight that he might till the soil. (Cf. Gen, 3.17) The order of nature is correctly preserved at the time of the coming of these brothers into this world. When it is a question of instruction in the art of living, the younger is preferred to the older because, although junior in age, he is superior in virtue. Innocence is later in time than wickedness. Although nearly equal in age, it is far superior in the high quality of its merits: Tor venerable old age is not counted by years nor by grey hairs but by morals, and a spotless life is old age.' (Wisd. 4.8,9) When, therefore, there is question of birth, Cain should take the first place. When there is question of instruction, Abel should stand first. Who can deny, then, that adolescence and the early years of man- hood are subject to the temptations of the passions? Who can deny, too, that, when a more mature age is reached, peace returns after the tempestuous yearnings of youth are passed and the wearied soul finds at last a mooring place in some secluded harbor of life? [On Cain and Abel]

AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO. (Gen. 4:2) Et apposuit parere fratrem ejus Abel (She gave birth again, and gave birth to his brother Abel). This phrase is frequently found in the holy books: apposuit dicere (He says again). [Locutions]

JEROME OF STRIDON. 4:1 SHE CONCEIVED AND BORE CAIN, AND SAID, I HAVE ACQUIRED OR POSSESSED MAN FOR GOD'S SAKE. Cain means acquisition or possession, and that is why, explaining the origin of the name itself, she says: CANITHI, that is to say, "I have possessed man for God's sake." [Hebrew Questions on Genesis]

JOHN CHRYSOSTOM OF CONSTANTINOPLE. (Gen. 4:1) Now Adam knew Eve his wife. (Gen. IV, 1.) Notice the precise date of this fact. It was only after their disobedience and their exile that Adam and Eve traded together. Before, they lived like angels, and they did not know the pleasures of the flesh. Ah! how could they have known them, since they were not subject to the needs of the body! Thus, in the order of time, virginity possesses the palm of the priority; but when the weakness of man had introduced disobedience and sin, she withdrew, because the earth was no longer worthy to possess; and then the law of concupiscence is established. Understand then, my dear brother, what is the dignity of virginity? It is a well-ascended and sublime virtue, and its possession is too much above human power, that we may acquire it without a special succor from divine power. And, indeed, Jesus Christ Himself declares to us that the virgins are in a mortal body the emulators of the angels. The Sadducees questioned him one day of the resurrection and said to him: Master, there were among us seven brothers; and the first having married a wife died, and having no children, he left his wife to his brother. It was the same with the second, the third, and all until the seventh. On the day of the resurrection, which of the seven will she be a woman? because all had her for wife. But Jesus Christ answered them, You are in error, knowing neither the scriptures nor the power of God. For in the day of resurrection men will not have wives, nor wives of husbands; but they will be like angels. (Matthew XXII, 25-30.) Do you now understand that those who, for love of Jesus Christ, embrace holy virginity, lead the life of angels to the earth and in a mortal body? But the more this state is great and high, and the brighter are the crowns, the more magnificent the rewards, and the more abundant the goods which are promised to all who join in chastity the practice of other virtues.

Now Adam knew his wife who conceived and bore Cain. Sin had entered the world through the disobedience of our first parents, and the divine judgment had put them to death. That is why the Lord, who watched over the preservation of the human race, allowed it to spread through the union of man and woman. And Eve said, I have possessed a man by the grace of God. Do you see how the punishment inflicted on the woman made her better and more reserved? For she does not attribute to the laws of nature the birth of this child; but she brings it back to God and pays homage to it. Thus punishment has been a useful lesson for Elf. For I have possessed a man, "said she," by the grace of God, and I owe it rather to his kindness than to nature.

(Gen. 4:2) And again she bore Abel, her brother. The birth of this second son was the reward of his keen gratitude for that of the first. For this is how the Lord deals with us; and when we thank him for a first benefit, he pays our homage by new favors. Eve became a mother a second time, because in the first she had recognized the hand of the Lord. Now this fertility, since sin had subjected her to death, was a great consolation to her. So God wanted from the beginning to diminish for our first parents the severity of punishment, and to erase the image of death under the picture of new generations. And, indeed, these generations that succeed one another, are an emblem of immortality. And Abel, says the Scripture, was shepherd of sheep, and Cain plowman. We learn that each of the two brothers exercised a different art; one embraced pastoral life, and the other devoted himself to agriculture.

4:3-7 And it was so after some time that Cain brought of the fruits of the earth a sacrifice to the Lord. 4 And Abel also brought of the first born of his sheep and of his fatlings, and God looked upon Abel and his gifts, 5 but Cain and his sacrifices he regarded not, and Cain was exceedingly sorrowful and his countenance fell. 6 And the Lord God said to Cain, Why art thou become very sorrowful and why is thy countenance fallen? 7 Hast thou not sinned if thou hast brought it rightly, but not rightly divided it? be still, to thee shall be his submission, and thou shalt rule over him.

ALCUIN OF YORK. (Gen. 4:4) WHY WAS ABEL'S SACRIFICE ACCEPTED AND CAIN'S REJECTED? — Answer. Because Abel offered God excellent and natural things, whereas Cain offered things of lesser worth and devised by human invention, as is supposed. (Contradiction of Bed. Hexm. I, PL 91, col. 64.) [Question 15]

WHY IS ABEL INDIVIDUALLY CALLED JUST IN THE GOSPEL (MATT. 23:35)? — Answer. Because we read that in him are the three greatest glories of justice: virginity, priesthood, and martyrdom, in which he was the first to bear the type of Christ, who was a virgin, priest, and martyr. [Question 16]

(Gen. 4:5). HOW COULD CAIN TELL THAT THE LORD HAD HAD NO RESPECT TO HIS OFFERINGS AND HAD HAD RESPECT TO ABEL'S? — Answer. The Lord, it is believed, took Abel's sacrifice by sending fire from heaven, as we read happened very often when holy men were making offerings; but Cain had to burn his sacrifice himself. [Question 83]

(Gen. 4:7). WHAT IS MEANT BY WHAT THE LORD SAID TO CAIN, "IF THOU DO WELL, SHALT THOU NOT RECEIVE? BUT IF ILL, SHALL NOT THY SIN FORTHWITH BE PRESENT AT THE DOOR?"? — Answer. That is, if you offer a sacrifice with a pure mind, you shall receive, because God will have respect to you and to your sacrifice; but if you do ill, your sin will always accompany you when you come in or go out, and the Lord will stop watching over your coming in and your going out. [Questions and Answers on Genesis, 84]

AMBROSE OF MILAN. In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground (Gen. 4.3) a twofold error: first, that his offering came after a period of time, and second, that it was composed of fruits of the ground. Again, the offering was not of the first fruits. This would have been commendable from the point of view of speed and of desirability. Wherefore we have the precept: 'When thou hast made a vow? thou shalt not delay to pay it,' and it is much better not to make a vow than after a vow not to perform the things promised (Deut. 23.21; Eccle. 5.4) for, although you make a vow, you do not carry it out. A vow is a request for a benefit from God with a promise to give something in return. Hence, when you have obtained what you sought, it would be an ungrateful act to delay what you have promised. But, at times, men are apt to be heedless and forgetful of the blessings they have obtained or to become proud and haughty and claim the resulting favors as their own. They tend to refer the results to their own peculiar virtues and to consider that they, and not the Author of the favors, are responsible for their success. There is a third category of error which is of lesser import, but comparable because of its arrogance. We have reference to those who actually do not deny that God is the giver of good things, yet are of the opinion that they have obtained them as a result of their adherence to prudence and to the other virtues. Wherefore they believe that they are deserving of divine grace, inasmuch as it appear that they are by no means unworthy of such merits from God's beneficence… Having thus disposed of that charge against Cain, let as now discuss another fault in the performance of his sacrifice. He made c an offering of the fruit of the ground, (Gen. 4.3) whereas he owed to God the first fruit of his crop. In this way he claimed the first fruit for himself and the remainder he left to God. Hence, inasmuch as the soul should be preferred to the body, just as the master should be placed over the servant, the soul's first fruits should take precedence over what the body offers. The first fruit of the soul are the primary emotions which are associated with all good thoughts and acts. Although these emotions come later in time than the first fruits of the body, which include nutrition, growth, sight, hearing, touch, smell, voice both soul and body have a share in mind and sense still, as senses, they exist prior to man's acts. To make an offering of thanksgiving to God with pure heart and tongue is in itself an expression of a primary act for his offerings (Cf. Gen. 4.4) because they came from the first fruits and, moreover., from the firstlings of the sheep, those which were fat and sleek. Note the fact that the offering was composed of living beings, not inanimate things. What is living, since it is very closely related to what has a spirit, is more important than what is earthly. The significance lies in the fact that the living thing comes first and that next it is endowed with spirit. The living being breathes and has a vital spirit. This is not true of the fruits of the earth… Now let us reflect on the meaning of the Lord's words, 'If you offer rightly and you do not divine rightly, thou hast sinned. Hold thy peace.' This signifies that God is not appeased by the gifts that are offered, but by the disposition of the giver. Hence Cain, who offered a gift which was denounced, was conscious of the fact that his offering was fraudulent, that his sacrifice was not acceptable to God, and he was downcast. When 'the mind is conscious of right,' 2 then there is occasion for veritable joy a joy of the spirit when one's purpose and deeds are commendable to God. Cain's sadness, therefore, bears testimony to his consciousness of right and is an indication of his failure. (Cf. Gen. 4.7) Again, because he offered a gift and did not in addition make a just and righteous division of it, for that reason he fell into error made acceptable. The sacrifice should consist of a gift, the newest of the new, or it should be dried or broken into pieces, or it should be unbroken. (Cf. Lev. 2.14) The 'newest of the new' belongs to the early season of the year and is consistent with the nature of first-fruits. [On Cain and Abel]

AMBROSIASTER. (Genesis 4:6-7) WHY WAS THE SACRIFICE OF ABEL APPROVED OF GOD, AND THAT OF CAIN REFUSED? — One can conclude from the terms alone of this narrative that the truth of history is not veiled by any literary artifice. The Holy Scripture tells us here clearly that Abel was prudent and religious, while Cain was negligent and careless, and by the same had much less religion. Abel therefore chooses the best sheep of his flock to offer them to his Creator. By offering God the first fruits of the possessions he had made, he testified of God's excellence and deep submission, he testified his feelings of respect and adoration, and acknowledged that God was the author of all things. Cain, guided by coarser sentiments, could not offer God a similar sacrifice. When he was plunged into the things of the earth, he could not raise the eyes of his soul to heaven to consider what might be worthy of his Creator, and he offered to God the most common fruits of the earth. It is in this also that the Jews lacked righteousness. For the Lord has often reproached them that they are inconsiderately charging on his altar victims even unworthy of being offered to men. "You offer me," said he, "sightless or blind victims, I will not receive them from your hands; Offer them to your master or chief if they please him. (Mal. 1:8)” Everyone agrees, indeed, that one must offer what is most excellent to a person of higher dignity. The Lord therefore rejected Cain's gifts and said to him, "Why are you angry and why is your face sad? If you do your offering with righteousness, but you do not have it in the choice of your gifts, you sin. Stay at rest. Your offering comes to you and you are the master of it. (Gen. 4:6). You see that it was the choice of the gift which rendered it, usable. He was not able to discern what was worthy of God, and reserved the best fruits for his use. It is not therefore the offering he has made that God reproaches Cain, but the unworthy presents he offers him. And he is not even condemned for this fact, but because in spite of this warning he would not correct his conduct. "This offering comes to you, and you are the master of it,” (Ibid., 7), that is, those gifts that I reject become your property again. He wants to teach him what to do in the future. Cain conceived a violent jealousy against his brother. This man of iniquity put to death the first righteous man, and thus gave men the example of crime. In fact, this profound jealousy blinded him to the point that not only did he not give thanks to God, who, far from punishing him as guilty, taught him to correct his conduct, but that he fell into a far more enormous crime which attracted his just condemnation. The imprudent conduct of the Cain fratricide resembles that of that wretched servant, who, ungrateful for the forgiveness he had just received from his master, wanted to acquit his companion, and thus deserved to be condemned without excuse, and for the fault which had been forgiven him, and for his cruelty to his fellowman (Matt. 18:28). [Questions on the Old and New Testaments]

AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO. (Gen. 4:6-7) But though God made use of this very mode of address which we have been endeavoring to explain, and spoke to Cain in that form by which He was wont to accommodate Himself to our first parents and converse with them as a companion, what good influence had it on Cain? Did he not fulfill his wicked intention of killing his brother even after he was warned by God's voice? For when God had made a distinction between their sacrifices, neglecting Cain's, regarding Abel's, which was doubtless intimated by some visible sign to that effect; and when God had done so because the works of the one were evil but those of his brother good, Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. For thus it is written: And the Lord said to Cain, Why are you angry, and why is your countenance fallen? If you offer rightly, but do not rightly distinguish, have you not sinned? Fret not yourself, for unto you shall be his turning, and you shall rule over him. (Genesis 4:6-7) In this admonition administered by God to Cain, that clause indeed, If you offer rightly, but do not rightly distinguish, have you not sinned? is obscure, inasmuch as it is not apparent for what reason or purpose it was spoken, and many meanings have been put upon it, as each one who discusses it attempts to interpret it according to the rule of faith. The truth is, that a sacrifice is rightly offered when it is offered to the true God, to whom alone we must sacrifice. And it is not rightly distinguished when we do not rightly distinguish the places or seasons or materials of the offering, or the person offering, or the person to whom it is presented, or those to whom it is distributed for food after the oblation. Distinguishing is here used for discriminating — whether when an offering is made in a place where it ought not or of a material which ought to be offered not there but elsewhere; or when an offering is made at a wrong time, or of a material suitable not then but at some other time; or when that is offered which in no place nor any time ought to be offered; or when a man keeps to himself choicer specimens of the same kind than he offers to God; or when he or any other who may not lawfully partake profanely eats of the oblation. In which of these particulars Cain displeased God, it is difficult to determine. But the Apostle John, speaking of these brothers, says, Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. 1 John 3:12 He thus gives us to understand that God did not respect his offering because it was not rightly distinguished in this, that he gave to God something of his own but kept himself to himself. For this all do who follow not God's will but their own, who live not with an upright but a crooked heart, and yet offer to God such gifts as they suppose will procure from Him that He aid them not by healing but by gratifying their evil passions. And this is the characteristic of the earthly city, that it worships God or gods who may aid it in reigning victoriously and peacefully on earth not through love of doing good, but through lust of rule. The good use the world that they may enjoy God: the wicked, on the contrary, that they may enjoy the world would fain use God — those of them, at least, who have attained to the belief that He is and takes an interest in human affairs. For they who have not yet attained even to this belief are still at a much lower level. Cain, then, when he saw that God had respect to his brother's sacrifice, but not to his own, should have humbly chosen his good brother as his example, and not proudly counted him his rival. But he was angry, and his countenance fell. This angry regret for another person's goodness, even his brother's, was charged upon him by God as a great sin. And He accused him of it in the interrogation, Why are you angry, and why is your countenance fallen? For God saw that he envied his brother, and of this He accused him. For to men, from whom the heart of their fellow is hid, it might be doubtful and quite uncertain whether that sadness bewailed his own wickedness by which, as he had learned, he had displeased God, or his brother's goodness, which had pleased God, and won His favorable regard to his sacrifice. But God, in giving the reason why He refused to accept Cain's offering and why Cain should rather have been displeased at himself than at his brother, shows him that though he was unjust in not rightly distinguishing, that is, not rightly living and being unworthy to have his offering received, he was more unjust by far in hating his just brother without a cause. [City of God]

IRENAEUS OF LYONS. For at the beginning God had respect to the gifts of Abel, because he offered with single-mindedness and righteousness; but He had no respect unto the offering of Cain, because his heart was divided with envy and malice. [Against Her. 4.18.3 ANF vol. 1]

JEROME OF STRIDON. 4:5 AND GOD HAD REGARD FOR ABEL AND HIS OFFERINGS; BUT HE DID NOT REGARD THEM OF CAIN AND HIS SACRIFICES, AND CAIN WAS DEEPLY SADDENED. — From where did Cain know that God had welcomed the offerings of his brother, and rejected his own. Perhaps the interpretation of Theodotion is the true one. ‘And God hastened to descend the flame upon Abel and on his sacrifice, but not to descend upon Cain and his sacrifice.’ That fire was accustomed to descend from heaven to consume the offerings, we see it in connection with the dedication of the temple under Solomon, and when Elijah built an altar on Mount Carmel (II Chron. 7:1; I Sam. 18:38).

4:6 AND THE LORD SAID TO HIM, WHY IS YOUR FACE DOWNCAST? IS IT NOT SO, THAT IF YOU OFFER SACRIFICE RIGHTLY, BUT DO NOT APPORTION [THE OFFERING] CORRECTLY, YOU HAVE SINNED? BE QUIET: ITS TURNING WILL BE TOWARDS YOU, AND YOU SHALL HAVE THE DOMINION OVER HIM.  The need obliges us to insist on every detail. Here again the Hebrew text has a meaning quite different from that of the Septuagint version. The Lord said to Cain, Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, shall it not be forgiven you? But if you do not do well, your sin shall sit in front of the gates, and its companionship shall be to you. But you, rather, should exercise dominion over it.  What he says, here it is: Why are you angry, and why, devoured by a guilty envy against your brother, do you curl your forehead to the ground?" Well, will not all your sin be forgiven you, or, according to Theodotion, will not your action be pleasant, that is, will I not succeed? Do not you think that I have accepted your brother's? and if you hurt, sin will immediately sit at your door, and that jailer will always escort you. But since you have the freedom of choice, do not let yourself, I warn you, dominate by sin; dominate it, on the contrary. What has misled the Septuagint is that the word sin, that is to say, ATTATH, is masculine in Hebrew and feminine in Greek; and those who interpreted, translated it into the masculine, as it was in Hebrew. [Hebrew Questions on Genesis]

JOHN CHRYSOSTOM OF CONSTANTINOPLE. (Gen. 4:3) But it came long after that Cain offered the Lord a sacrifice of the fruits of the earth. (Gen. IV, 3.) Observe here what lights the Creator had spread in the consciousness of man. For who had revealed to Cain the notion of sacrifice? The voice of his conscience; he therefore offered the Lord a sacrifice of the productions of the earth, because he could not fail to acknowledge that he should pay homage to him for the fruits of his labor. It is not that God needed his sacrifices; but it was fitting that, receiving his benefits, he should show him his gratitude. And indeed, God, self-sufficient and not claiming anything from us, willfully, in his extreme goodness, will humble himself to our poverty, and allow by interest for our salvation, that the knowledge of its attributes are a school of virtues.

(Gen. 4:4) And Abel also offered the firstborn of his flock. It is not without reason that in our previous interview I told you that God, who does not accept anyone, probes the will and rewards the intention of the heart. This remark finds here its correct application. That is why this passage of Genesis deserves a profound examination, and it is necessary to stop there seriously to understand well what is said of Cain and Abel. For there is nothing useless in Scripture, and a syllable, even a letter, contains a rich treasure, since we can always draw from it a moral sense. But what does she tell us? And it came to pass, long after, that Cain offered to the Lord a sacrifice of the fruits of the earth, and Abel also offered the firstborn of his flock and the fat ones.

A penetrating mind understands at a simple reading the meaning of this passage. But I owe it to all, and the Gospel doctrine is equally addressed to all; I will go into some explanations, so that you will be better educated. Cain, says the Scripture, offered the Lord a sacrifice of the fruits of the earth. As for Abel, he chooses the productions of pastoral art as his own. And he offered the firstborn of his flock and the fat ones. Already these words alone show us all the piety of Abel, for he does not offer only a few sheep taken at random from his flock, but the firstborn, that is to say, the most beautiful and the most precious; and even among them the fatter, that is to say all that was better and more excellent. But with regard to Cain, Scripture does not enter into any detail; he contented himself with telling us that he offered a sacrifice of the fruits of the earth, and thus lets us suppose that he took the first that fell to her hand, and that he disdained to choose the most beautiful.

I have already said it, and I will not cease to repeat it. If God receives our sacrifices, it is not that He needs them. He only wants to facilitate the means to show him our gratitude. That is why the man who offers in sacrifice the very things that he holds of God, must, to fulfill this religious duty, choose all that he has of the best. Otherwise, he would not understand how much God is superior to him and how much he is honored to fulfill these priestly functions. Observe also, my dear brother, and conclude from this example what rigorous chastisement deserves the Christian who, by cowardice, neglects his salvation. I add that no doctor instructed Cain and Abel, and that no counselor suggested to them the idea of ​​offering a sacrifice: their conscience alone warned them, and the lights which the Lord had spread in the spirit of the man. It was also the purity of the intention which made acceptable the sacrifice of the one and the malice of the will which made reject that of the other.

And God, says the scripture, looked at Abel and his gifts. Do you see how this word of the Gospel is fulfilled here: the first will be the last and the last will be first? (Xxi., 30.) For whoever had the privilege of the birthright, and who first offered his sacrifice, was put under his brother, because his intention was not right. Both offered a sacrifice; but it is only from Abel that Scripture says: The Lord looked upon Abel and his gifts. What does this word mean, looked? he states that God approved of Abel's action, praised his intention, crowned his good will and, in a word, was satisfied with his conduct. For if we dare to say something about God and open our mouth to speak of this eternal Being, we can not do it, because we are men, only in human language. But, oh prodigy! God looked at Abel and his gifts, that is to say, the offering he made of his fattest and best sheep. So God looked at Abel, because his sacrifice was from a pure and sincere heart. He looked also at his gifts, because the sheep were spotless and precious, either in relation to the intention of him who offered them, or in themselves, since they had been taken from the firstborn of the flock, and that they were the fattest, that is to say they were a choice made in all that was best.

And God looked upon Abel and his gifts; but he did not look at Cain or his sacrifices. (Gen. VII, 5.) The sacrifice that Abel offered, with a pure heart and a righteous will, was therefore pleasing to the Lord, who accepted him and even deigned him. to rent. So he called Abel's offering to better honor the sincerity of his intention. But he did not look at Cain or his sacrifices. Observe here how accurately the sacred writer speaks. By saying that God did not look at Cain, he tells us that he rejected his gifts, and calling them sacrifices, he gives us a useful lesson. The action and the word of God thus teach us that the Lord demands our sacrifices as an outward testimony of the feelings of our soul and as a public protest that we recognize for our Master and for the Creator who brought us out of nothingness. And indeed, Scripture, which names the offering of some sheep, and sacrifices that of some fruits of the earth, teaches us that the Lord seeks the purity of the intention much more than he cares that we offer him animals or fruits. It was this purity that made Abel's sacrifice pleasing to God; and it is a very opposite disposition that rejected Cain's.

(Gen. 4:5-7) It must also be understood in a sense worthy of God these words: The Lord looked upon Abel and his gifts; but he kept neither Cain nor his sacrifices. They signify that the Lord made the one understand that he approved his good will, and the other that he rejected his ingratitude. Such was the conduct of God; and now let's explain the next verse. And Cain was violently grieved, and his face was shot down. Where did this violent sadness come from? from a double principle: The Lord had rejected his sacrifice, and he had approved that of Abel. This is why Cain was violently grieved, and why his face was shot down. These two causes united to aggravate his sadness; the Lord had rejected his offering, and he had received that of Abel. Now, since he had sinned, he had to do penance and correct himself, for our God is always full of mercy, and he hates in us less sin than (hardening in sin.) But Cain did not hold any account.

For the rest, the Lord's conduct showed all the greatness of his mercy, no less than the excellence of his goodness, and even the excess of his patience. And indeed, when he saw Cain violently saddened, and overwhelmed by the waves of pain, he did not look away from him, but he remembered that he had behaved towards Adam with tender compassion, which he had made it easier for him after his crime to obtain pardon for it, and that he had opened to her the door of a humble confession by this interrogation: Adam, where are you? So we see him bear witness to this ungrateful kindness, and offer him, on the edge of the abyss, a helping hand. Thus, to smooth his ways of penance and repentance, he said to him, "Why are you sad, and why is your face downcast? Your offering was good in itself, but did you not sin in the choice of fruits? so calm your irritation; his recourse will be in you and you will dominate him. Consider here, my dear brother, the indulgent and ineffable goodness of the Lord. He saw that Cain was prey to a violent evil, and that a black jealousy assailed him strongly; and now he is hastening, in his merciful tenderness, to offer him a salutary remedy. Even more, he offers her a helping hand to pull her out of the waves that threaten to overwhelm her.

Why are you sad, he said to him; and why is your face downcast? Where does this sadness come from, so great that one can read on your forehead the signs of deep sorrow? Why is your face all downcast? and what is the cause of this melancholy? Why did not you think about what you were doing? and did you think you were offering your sacrifices to a man who can be deceived? Finally, do you not know that I have no need of the gifts of man, and that I only consider in the sacrifice the intention of him who offers it? Why are you sad? and why is your face downcast? your offering was good in itself; but did not you sin in the choice of fruits? Yes, the thought of offering me a sacrifice was commendable; and the bad choice of fruits offered alone made me reject this sacrifice. The oblation of a sacrifice requires great precautions, and the infinite distance which separates the God who receives it from the man who presents it to him, commands. this one a serious attention in the choice of the matter. But you did not make any of these reflections, and you offered me the first fruits that you found under your hand. So I could not accept your sacrifice

The evil dispositions with which you offered your sacrifice, made me reject it; and on the contrary the purity of the heart and the exquisite choice of the victims made me accept that of your brother. However, I do not hasten to punish your sin, and I only want to put it back to you right now, and give you good advice. If you are, you will obtain your forgiveness, and you will avoid frightful misfortunes. What is this advice? you have sinned, and seriously; but I punish crime less than hardening in crime, for I am good, and I do not wish for the death of the sinner, but to be converted and live. (Ezek. Xviii. 27.) Also because you have sinned, sooth your resentment, restore calm to your thoughts, banish from your mind trouble and worry, and tear your soul from the tumultuous waves that threaten to engulf it. but, above all, beware of falling into a still more serious sin, and of precipitating yourself into irreparable despair. You have sinned, so calm your anger.

The Lord knew that Cain would rise up against his brother, and that was why he tried to warn him of this guilty resolution. Because all the secrets of our hearts are known to him, and he discovered the movements that agitated that of Cain. So he seeks to cure him by paternal opinions, and by a language full of condescension for his guilty dispositions. He does not, therefore, attempt to bring back Cain to better feelings; but the unfortunate man rejected the remedy, and rushed into the abyss of the fratricide. You sinned, said the Lord, so calm your anger. No doubt I have rejected your sacrifice because of your bad dispositions, and I have approved that of your brother because of his pure and righteous intention; but do not think I want to deprive you of the honor and privileges of the birthright. Calm your anger, for though I have honored Abel, and received his gifts; but you shall be his eldest, and he shall be subject to you. Thus, even after your sin, I maintain the privileges of the birthright for you, and I want your younger brother to recognize your superiority and authority.

Admire then with what goodness the Lord seeks to moderate the fury and irritation of Cain, and by what sweet words he tries to calm the anger of his anger! He sees the turmoil and agitation of his heart, and he is not unaware of his cruel and murderous plans; that is why he tries to enlighten his reason; and to restore calm and serenity to his soul, he assures him that his brother will be submitted to him, and that he will lose nothing of his authority. But so much kindness and consideration were useless; Cain did not profit by it, and he continued his malice and obstinacy. [Homilies on Genesis]

4:8 And Cain said to Abel his brother, Let us go out into the plain; and it came to pass that when they were in the plain Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

AMBROSE OF MILAN. What, therefore, is the meaning of the words, Let us go into the field? (Gen. 4.8) Does it mean that a place devoid of plant life is chosen by Cain for the murder of his brother? What place was more fitting for this murder than one that was barren? Nature, it seems, had purposely denied germinating powers to a place destined for such a crime, because it was not fitting that, contrary to nature, this soil should on the one hand share in the contagion of parricidal blood and at the same time bring forth fruit in accordance with the laws of nature. When Cain said : 'Let us go forth into the field, 3 his words had meaning. He did not say: 'Let us go forth into the Garden where fruit grows plentifully, into a cultivated and productive place.' As a matter of fact, we know that parricides cannot obtain for themselves the fruit of their crimes. They expend time and effort in a frightful act of impiety, yet they cannot attain their objective. They shun places that have been blest by nature's benignity. We have the example of Cain, who seems to have been afraid that a land productive of such goodly crops might be an impediment to his ghastly crime. He seems to have feared that the lushness of vegetable life with its variety of germinating fruits might by its mute appeal, even in the act of perpetating his crime, bring back to him his affection for his own brother. [On Cain and Abel]

AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO. Et factum est, dum essent in campo, insurrexit Caïn super Abel, et occidit eum (And it happened while they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel and killed him). Here we see a phrase; for if one suppressed: Et factum est (And it happened), to begin the sentence by these words: Et cum essent in campo; (And when they were in the field) the meaning would be complete. [Locutions]

JEROME OF STRIDON. 4:8 AND CAIN SAID TO HIS BROTHER ABEL. We imply the words of the Lord. They are so apparent, these words found in the Samaritan collection and in our own: Let us go out into the countryside. [Hebrew Questions on Genesis]

JOHN CHRYSOSTOM OF CONSTANTINOPLE. This is the conduct he has held especially with regard to Cain. See, however, in what an abyss of malice this one has fallen, in spite of the efforts of a providence so attentive! He must, since he was conscious of the crime he meditated, apply only to correct the perversity of his thought; but not dominated by a sort of intoxication, to the wound which his soul has already received he has brought a second; as for the remedy which was applied to him with such a gentle hand, he can not bear it, but he hastens to execute the murder of which he has conceived the black design; he goes about it with cunning and cunning, he finds misleading words to make his brother fall into the trap. Such is the ferocity of the man who turns to evil. Great and respectable when his effort tends to good, this reasonable animal becomes as basely cruel as ferocious beasts when it is towards the evil that its energy is directed. His natural sweetness and reason are changed into ferocity and brutality, so much so that he prevails in this respect over the very beasts of the forests.

But let's see the story. And Cain said to his brother, Let's go out into the country. Fraternal words intended to conceal a homicidal project. What are you doing, Cain? Do not you know who you are talking to? Do you forget that this word is addressed to your brother? Do not you think that he came out of the same breast as you? Is not your conscience struck by what is abominable in your design? Do you not fear the infallible judge? Do not you shudder at the thought of your company? What is your goal in dragging your brother into the countryside, tearing his paternal arms? Why do you want to deprive him of his father's help? What is new so that you take your brother to the countryside, so that you do what you are not used to, so that under the pretext of showing him the friendship of a brother, are you prepared to treat him with the cruelty of an implacable enemy? Where does this rage come from? Why this rabies? Either your conscience is blinded, the feelings you have for a brother, you have stifled them, you have silenced the voice of nature; but why declare war on him who has not done you any harm? And your parents? What do you have to reproach them for in order to inflict upon them, deliberately, a mourning which will now overwhelm their existence, to display the first before their eyes the dreadful spectacle of death, and a violent death? Is this how you reward them for raising you? What artifice of the devil led you to this action? You can not even say that the benevolence of the Sovereign Master towards your brother has inspired him with disdain for you. To prevent the outbursts of your homicide nature, the Lord did not submit this brother to your authority? Did he not say: In you will be his recourse, and you will be his master? These words indeed mark the submission of Abel to Cain. Some interpreters hear them of the sacrifice offered to God, who would have said to Cain: the return (apostrophe can mean also recourse and return) of him, that is to say of your sacrifice, will be towards you, and you will be master from him, that is to say, you will enjoy it. I give these two interpretations to your intelligence, and I leave you free to choose the one that seems more suitable to you. As for me, I bow for the first.

And it came to pass, as they were in the field, that Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. A terrible attack! horrible package! abominable action! unforgivable sin! design conceived in a fierce soul! He rose against his brother Abel and killed him. O villainous hand! O criminal arm; or rather it is not the hand that must be called scoundrel, but the thought whose hand was only the instrument. Let us say, O reckless thought, miserable and criminal! say everything we want, because we can not say enough. How does this hand not become numb? How, she said, did she carry the blow? How did the soul of the murderer not fly away from his body? How could she have the strength to execute such a horrible attack? How did she not flinch, and change her design? How did she stifle the voice of nature? How, before executing, did she not consider the consequences of the execution? How, after the murder, would the murderer have the heart to see the body of his brother throb on the ground? How could he sustain the sight of a dead body lying on the ground without feeling the bonds of life in him? If we who live so many centuries later, who every day see the dying, we are so moved by the spectacle of a death even natural, and that when it comes to men who are nothing to us, that we feel our force us to abandon ourselves, that our strongest hatred does not survive the death of an enemy; how much more did Cain have for life to be extinguished in his heart, for his soul to flee for ever from his body, who saw the one who had just spoken to him, this brother who had the same mother and the same father as he, the one who had been borne in the same womb, the one for whom God had shown special benevolence. who saw him suddenly deprived of life and motion, and only throbbing on the ground where he lay? [Homilies on Genesis]

THEOPHILUS OF ANTIOCH. When, then, Satan saw Adam and his wife not only still living, but also begetting children— being carried away with spite because he had not succeeded in putting them to death—when he saw that Abel was well-pleasing to God, he wrought upon the heart of his brother called Cain, and caused him to kill his brother Abel. And thus did death get a beginning in this world, to find its way into every race of man, even to this day. [To Autolycus 2.29 ANF v.2]

4:9-11 And the Lord God said to Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? and he said, I know not, am I my brother’s keeper? 10 And the Lord said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood cries to me out of the ground. 11 And now thou art cursed from the earth which has opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand.

ALCUIN OF YORK. (Gen. 4:9) WHY DID THE LORD ASK CAIN, "WHERE IS THY BROTHER ABEL"? — Answer. He did not ask as one not knowing the answer, but as a judge interrogates a culprit whom he is to punish; and Cain, to the aggravation of his sin, replied to him deceitfully and proudly. [Questions and Answers on Genesis, 86]

(Gen. 4:10). HOW DOES THE VOICE OF ABEL'S BLOOD CRY TO THE LORD? — Answer. It means that the guilt for his murder was visible in the sight of the just judge. (Bed. in Pent., PL 91, col. 217. Bed. Hexm. II, PL 91, col. 66.) [Question 87]

(Gen. 4:11). WHY IS CAIN CURSED FOR HIS SIN[, WHILE FOR ADAM'S SIN IT IS THE EARTH THAT IS CURSED] [VARIANT: WHILE THE EARTH WAS PREVIOUSLY CURSED IN ADAM'S WORK]? — Answer. Because Cain was aware of the condemnation for the first transgression, and yet he did not fear to add the crime of fratricide to original sin; therefore he was deemed worthy of a greater curse. (Bed. Hexm. II, PL 91, col. 67.) [Questions and Answers on Genesis, 88]

AMBROSE OF MILAN. A profounder meaning may be seen here in God’s exhortation that sinners do penance, for confession of guilt leads to a lessening of punishment. Hence, in the civil courts, those who deny their guilt are put on the rack, whereas an admission of guilt tends to mercy on the part of the judge. To confess his guilt not to evade his guilt, but to admit it indicates that the sinner humbly awaits his sentence. Admission of guilt pacifies the judge, whereas denial rouses his opposition. God wishes to stir you up to seek pardon. He wants you to look for indulgence from Himself. He wishes to have it made clear by your admission that He is not responsible for your wrong-doing…

am I my brother’s keeper? Although this reply smells of disrespect, there is still the implication that, considering the goodness of his brother, Cain should by his actions make known his loyalty to him. Who is there to whom he is more bound by necessity to offer protection? But how could that person who did not recognize the influence of family bonds have been expected to observe what is expedient in relations of brotherly love?  Or how was it possible for him to comply with the laws of nature when he did not show reverence even to God? The existence of God is denied, as if He were unaware of Cain’s act.  Cain shirks his duty to be his brother’s keeper, as if this were beyond the bounds of nature’s laws.  [On Cain and Abel 2.9.27-28]

BASIL OF CAESAREA. The Lord inquired ‘Where is Abel thy brother?’ not because he wished for information, but in order to give Cain an opportunity for repentance, as is proved by the words themselves, for on his denial the Lord immediately convicts him saying, “The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me.” So the enquiry, “Where is Abel thy brother?” was not made with a view to God’s information, but to give Cain an opportunity of perceiving his sin. [Letter 260.4 NPNF s.2 vol. 8]

JOHN CHRYSOSTOM OF CONSTANTINOPLE. (Gen. 4:9) But let's see again, after such an unforgivable attack, let us see from what condescension, what goodness the sovereign lord of all things has towards the culprit. And God said to Cain. What proof of kindness already to address the jay had just committed such a crime! If we reject as odious our parents who have been dishonored by crime, it is a reason for more to admire the good God when he uses so much patience. Because God is a doctor, he is a very tender father: as a doctor he gives all his care to the healing of those who suffer: as a tender father he tries to bring back to their first happiness those of his children who are fallen. by their fault the privileges of their birth. He therefore wishes, because of his immense goodness, to show kindness to this great culprit, and he says to him: Where is your brother Abel? Astonishing, and infinite patience of God! If he questions, it is not that he does not know: he had already questioned the father after his fault, nothing prevented him from using the same with the son. Sending Adam, who was hiding because of the shame his nakedness gave him, he asked him, Where are you? (Gen. III, 9.) He was not unaware where he was, but he wanted, by exciting him to trust, to lead him to obliterate his sin by the confession he would make of it. Such is his ordinary conduct: he provokes and first demands the confession of sins, then he grants pardon; therefore he now asks Cain, and saith unto him, Where is thy brother Abel? He pretends to ignore, this merciful Master; he tries to bring by his questions the culprit to the confession of his sin, so that he can thus obtain his pardon and find mercy. Where is your brother Abel?

What does this man, without heart, without entrails, answer, that rash man, that impudent man? He must have thought that God knew nothing whatever he questioned, that he wanted to provoke a confession, while at the same time informing us that we must not condemn anyone until we have heard and convinced him; he must remember the counsel of God, who had tried to prevent this crime; from God, who, seeing beforehand his culpable designs, had endeavored to prevent their execution; he had to make all these reflections and not to push further his criminal madness; he had to say what he had done, show his wound to the doctor, and receive from him remedies for his cure; but, on the contrary, he aggravates his wound even more, he renders his wound deeper. He replied: I do not know. What an impudent answer! Is the man you are talking to a man, that you tried to deceive him? Do you not know, miserable man, who is He with whom you speak? Do you not see that it is from kindness that he asks you, that he seeks an opportunity to show his mercy, that he wants to do for you everything that depends on him, so that on the day of the condemnation you have no more excuses to present, since you will have run from yourself in front of the punishment?

And he answered: I do not know. Am I the guardian of my brother? Notice here with me the force of an accusing conscience, see how, pushed by this consciousness, it does not limit itself to saying: I do not know, but it adds: am I the guardian of my brother? Word by which he condemns himself, very nearly, expressly. Yes, certainly, if one wanted with you to proceed with the rigor, one would say to you that, according to the law of the nature, you were obliged to be the guardian of the salvation of your brother. It is indeed a law of nature that those born of the same womb must mutually keep and defend. If you did not want to fulfill this duty, or be the guardian of your brother, why did you become his murderer? why did you kill him who did not hurt him? Did you believe, then, that there would be no witness to convince you? But wait, and you will see an accuser rise in the one you killed; yes, this dead brother lying on the ground will accuse you aloud, you who live, you who walk.

(Gen. 4:10) And God said, why did you do that? How many things in this brief word! Why did you do that, commit this abominable crime, this execrable action, this inexpiable crime, this work of incredible madness, this murder, new sin, unheard of, and for the first time introduced by, your hand in the life of men? Why did you commit this big, this. frightful sin, I no more grievance that can be committed? The voice of your brother's blood cries from the earth to me. Do you think that I am like men who hear no voice other than the one whose language is the organ? I am God, and I hear the voice of the blood that the murder has shed; I hear the complaints of the unfortunate man who has been killed by the homicide. Do you see how far the voice of this blood is! it ascends from the earth to the sky, it even crosses the celestial regions, arrives higher than the powers from above, to the throne of the great King, where it accuses by moaning your parricide. The voice of your brother's blood cries from the earth to me. It's not a stranger, an enemy that your hand has hit; it was your brother, your brother, who had not offended you in any way. Perhaps the benevolence that I showed to her was the cause of her death, and as she could not reproach me, you made the weight of your anger fall on him. That is why I will inflict on you a punishment that will not let your crime fall into oblivion, a punishment that will serve as an example and a lesson to all future men. And now, since you have done this, since you have done your evil design, and the excess of envy has precipitated you into murder, you will be cursed on the earth.

(Gen. 4:11) Do you see, my dear listener, how this curse differs from that of Adam? Do not go carelessly, but by the greatness of the curse understand the enormity of the crime. How much more sinful this sin was than the prevarication of the first man, you can judge by the difference of the curse. God said to Adam, "The earth is cursed in your works" (Gen. III, 17), spreading the curse on the earth and sparing man out of kindness; but here, as the work is deadly, that it is a crime, a monstrous and unforgivable iniquity, it is Cain himself who is struck by a curse.

And now you are cursed on the earth. He had practically done the same thing as the serpent, he had like him served as an instrument at the thought of the devil, as he used the cunning to introduce death into the world, since he had deceived his brother to do so to go out into the country, and having armed his hand, he had killed him. So God, who cursed the serpent, You will be cursed among the beasts of the earth, God also cursed Cain, whose work resembled that of the serpent. The devil was tormented by envy; he could not see without bitter vexation the immense blessings with which God had filled man from the first day of his life; that is why he wove an artificial train that introduced death into the world. In the same way Cain looked enviously and jealously at the special benevolence of God for Abel, and from envy he went on to murder. This is why God says to him: You will be cursed on the earth. You will be an abomination to this very land that has opened its mouth to receive from your hand the blood of your brother. Yes, it will repel you with horror, this earth, because it is indignant to have been sprinkled with such blood, stained with such a crime, outraged by your homicidal hand. [Homilies on Genesis]

THEOPHILUS OF ANTIOCH. God, being pitiful, and wishing to afford to Cain, as to Adam, an opportunity of repentance and confession, said, “Where is Abel your brother?” [To Autolycus 2.29 ANF v.2]

4:12-14 When thou tillest the earth, then it shall not continue to give its strength to thee: thou shalt be groaning and trembling on the earth. 13 And Cain said to the Lord God, My crime is too great for me to be forgiven. 14 If thou castest me out this day from the face of the earth, and I shall be hidden from thy presence, and I shall be groaning and trembling upon the earth, then it will be that any one that finds me shall slay me.

ALCUIN OF YORK. (Gen. 4:12-14) WHY DID HE CONDEMN HIMSELF TO DEATH BY SAYING "EVERYONE THAT FINDETH ME SHALL KILL ME"? — Answer. He said that out of despair, or in order to escape present torments by a quick death. [Questions and Answers on Genesis, 90]

AMBROSE OF MILAN. There is no doubt, therefore, that the person condemned by the inferior parts of the world is condemned, too, by the superior. How can Cain, when he is not absolved by the earth, be absolved by the righteous decisions made there above? Hence he is commanded to be 'a fugitive on the earth, groaning and trembling.' (Gen. 4.12) There is no disputing the fact that the wicked are confronted with evil and always will be. Present evils cause sadness; future evils, dread; but the wicked are more perturbed by present evils than by those in the future. Wherefore Cain said the Lord: 'My punishment is too great to bear. If you abandon me today, I shall hide myself from your face.' (Gen, 4.13) There is nothing more grievous than to be a wanderer and to be irrevocably bereft of God. With a sinner's death there comes an end of sinning, whereas his life, deprived of God, his Pilot, suffers shipwreck and disaster. If the shepherd abandons his flock, the wild beasts make their inroads. In like manner, when God deserts man, the Devil makes his entrance. To be deprived of a guide is a matter of serious consequence for the foolish. When no physician is at hand, there is occasion for diseases to creep in and inflict more injury. The man who desires to hide his faults and cover up his sins goes into concealment. The man who does wrong hates the light of day and waits for darkness to serve his iniquities. The just man, however, is apt not to conceal himself from his Lord and God. Rather, he desires to offer himself to God, saying: 'Behold, I am here as one whose conscience is clear and who fears no detection.' With reason, therefore, does the man who is conscious of evil hide himself and say: 'Whoever finds me will kill me. (Gen. 4.14) The man of limited vision is afraid when death has come upon him. He pays no heed to the continuous presence of death. The judgment of God is ignored and his sole concern is his body's decease. But from what source did he fear death whose parents were the only living beings on earth? There was the possibility that one who broke the ordinances of the Law of God could have had fears of an attack from wild beasts. A person who taught man how to kill could not have assumptions regarding the rest of the animal kingdom. A person who showed how the crime of parricide could be committed might well fear a parricidal act on the part of his own parents. The parents could learn that lesson from their son which later generations learned from their parents. [On Cain and Abel]

AMBROSIASTER. Nevertheless, Cain was not condemned at once; he was left on earth to be confounded and terrified by his crime, and to facilitate the way of repentance and forgiveness. And as he was afraid of being put to death for the crime he had committed, he said to the Lord, "My iniquity is too great for me to be forsaken; If you reject me today from the face of the earth, I will escape from all eyes, I will be wandering and groaning on earth, and whoever finds me will kill me (Gen. 4:13).  Cain, afraid of the condemnation of the just Judge, fears that this abandonment of the Lord forces him to flee the eyes of men, certain that it is that he who has against him an angry God must fear to be put to death by the men. But what does the Lord answer? "It will not be so," said he, "that is to say, I will not let you go, you who do not deserve to live, that you may fall under the blows of your likes, but so that you may spend your life in groans, in fear, and in alarms, as a punishment for the evil example which you first gave on earth, and seeing that the earth does not respond by your productiveness to your labors. [Questions on the Old and New Testaments]

BASIL OF CAESAREA. Cain supposed that he would be an easy prey to everyone, because of there being no safety for him in the earth (for the earth was cursed for his sake), and of his being deprived of the succor of God, Who was angry with him for the murder, and so of there being no help for him either from earth or from heaven. Therefore he said, “It shall come to pass that every one that finds me shall slay me.” Scripture proves his error in the words, “Not so;” i.e. you shall not be slain. For to men suffering punishment, death is a gain, because it brings relief from their pain. But your life shall be prolonged, that your punishment may be made commensurate with your sins. [Letter 260.3 NPNF s.2 vol.8]

JOHN CHRYSOSTOM OF CONSTANTINOPLE. (Gen. 4:12) Then the Holy Scripture, interpreting the curse, adds: When you have cultivated it, it will not give its fruit. Terrible punishment and denotes great indignation in the person who inflicts it. Thou shalt bear the burden of labor, thou shalt employ all that thou hast forcibly to cultivate this soil soiled with this blood, and thou shalt not gather any fruit from thy hard labors; whatever pain you endure, it will not produce anything. There will not be limited your punishment, but you will moan and trembling through the earth. What greater torture to always moan and tremble! Since you have not served your body strength and the vigor of your limbs properly, here I am bothering you with continual agitation and trembling, not only so that you have a perpetual warning and imperishable remembrance of your crime yourself, but also that all who see you will be instructed by sight alone, so that your only appearance will be like a powerful voice warning the spectators to abstain from if they want to avoid punishment, so that the punishment that will weigh on you teaches men not to defile the earth with the blood of their brethren. And to better achieve this goal, I will not make you die too soon, lest your lump sum be forgotten, but I will make you live a life more painful than death, so that you know what is your crime.

(Gen. 4:13) And Cain said to the Lord, My crime is too great for me to be forgiven. This is a word which, if we are attentive, will furnish us with a very important and very useful teaching for our salvation. And Cain said, My crime is too great for me to be forgiven. The confession is complete. My sin is so great, he says, that it is not possible for me to receive forgiveness. So he confessed, and confessed entirely? Yes, but without any profit, because he did it in an untimely way. It should have been done in due time, while the Judge was disposed to mercy. Remember what I told you before, that in this terrible last day, and before the Tribunal where there will be no acceptance of persons, each one of us will feel a sharp repentance of his sins, when he will have before his eyes the now inevitable torments and punishments of hell, but it will be a useless repentance, because it will not happen in a proper time.

When it precedes punishment, penance comes in its time, and its virtue is immense. That is why, I conjure you, while this admirable remedy still retains its efficiency, hasten to take advantage of it; Let us apply the treatment of penance while we are in this life, and let us be convinced that it will be useless to repent after the tragedy of this world is played and when the time of the struggles is past.

Let's go back to our subject. It was when the Lord asked him, Where is your brother Abel? that Cain must confess his sin, prostrate himself, pray, implore mercy. But then he refused the remedy, and now, after the sentence pronounced, when all is over, when the voice of the bloodshed has loudly heard an overwhelming accusation, he confesses, but belated and useless confession, against which stands the word of the Prophet: The righteous himself is his accuser in the first place. (Prov., XVIII, 77.) Cain himself, if he had warned the reprimand, would have been judged worthy of some pity, so great is divine mercy. There is no sin, however great, that surpasses the charity of God for men, provided we do penance at the proper time and implore our forgiveness.

(Gen. 4:14) And Cain said, My crime is too great for me to be forgiven. Confession sufficient, but untimely. Cain said again, "If you drive me out of the earth today, I will go and hide myself from your face, and I will be groaning and trembling on the earth; and it will happen that whoever finds me will kill me. Words that excite pity! Unfortunately, they come too late, and the lack of opportunity robs them of all value: If you drive me out, from the earth, I will hide from your face, and I will be moaning and trembling on the earth. ; and it will happen that whoever meets me will kill me. Since you have made me execrable to the earth, since you repulse me yourself, that you give me to a punishment so severe, that it must make me moan and tremble, nothing will prevent from now on, that being in this state, and without any help on your part, I am not killed by the first who will meet me. I will be easy to win for the first comer who wants to take my life. I do not have the strength to resist on my own with these limbs impeded and agitated by a continual trembling; besides, it will be known that you have deprived me of your assistance, and this motive will determine to kill those who desire it. [Homilies on Genesis]

4:15 And the Lord God said to him, Not so, any one that slays Cain shall suffer seven-fold vengeance; and the Lord God set a mark upon Cain that no one that found him might slay him.

ALCUIN OF YORK. (Gen. 4:15) WHAT IS CAIN'S MARK, WHICH GOD SET UPON HIM SO THAT HE MIGHT NOT BE KILLED)? — Answer. The sign is the very fact that he would always live trembling and moaning, a vagabond and a fugitive, and would not dare to have a peaceful dwelling anywhere on earth. And perhaps that is why he founded a city in which to be saved (verse 17). (Bed. in Pent., PL 91, col. 218. Bed. Hexm. II, PL 91, col. 67.) [Questions and Answers on Genesis, 89]

AMBROSE OF MILAN. Now let us consider the reason for God's statement, 'Whoever kills Cain shall be punished sevenfold,' (Gen. 4.15) and why a token was placed upon him so that no one should kill him, a parricide. A provision was made to protect a person against the slaying of an innocent man. Besides the five bodily senses, man has the power of speech and the ability to propagate. He also has an eighth power, the power of reason. The other powers are subject to death unless they are subject to the control of reason. Wherefore, the man who is without reason in exercising these faculties incurs danger to himself. A loss of reason, therefore, bring with it an ineffectual use of these seven bodily gifts. They have no efficacy without the saving bonds of reason. The number seven of which we speak has better uses. It conveys ideas of rest and remission. (Cf. Gen. 2.3) The person, therefore, who has not spared the life of a sinner has begrudged him the opportunity for the remission of his sins and at the same time deprived him of all hopes of remission. As regards the token God placed on Cain with the purpose of protecting him from death at the hands of another, this may be said. He wanted the wanderer to have time for reflection and by such kindness inspire him to change his ways. It generally happens that we entrust ourselves more readily to those persons to whom we are indebted. The favor granted to him was not great. Yet it was enough to scotch the foolish actions of a stupid man. This man, although liable to eternal punishment, did not demand that the punishment be remitted. He believed that he should plead for his life on this earth where there is more anxiety than pleasure. Death consists in the severance of the body from the soul and is at the same time the termination of our life here. With the coming of death, man's bodily sufferings are ready to cease, not to increase. The fears, in fact, which frequently haunt us in this present life the griefs, pains, lamentations, and tortures of varied sort, the mutilations provoked by exposure to illness and disease all these for mankind are more often the equivalent of death. Death under such circumstances truly appears to be a mercy, not a penalty which has the character of finality. By a sentence such as this our life is not taken away. We experience a life that is far better. When the wicked who are unwilling to quit the paths of sin leave this life, they reach, without their knowing it, not a goal set by nature, but a terminus for their wrong-doing. Those men who are indentured to sin are thus pre- vented from doing other deeds of wickedness. If, again, men are seen to have fulfilled life's expectations, they are believed to have migrated to another world and not to have foundered here below. [On Cain and Abel]

AMBROSIASTER. He, he adds, who will kill Cain will be punished seven times. This sentence proves the justice of Cain's condemnation. When he saw this law given with that threatening sanction which forbade imitation of his criminal conduct, he knew the whole extent of the crime he had committed, and his fears increased. God threatens to punish seven times as great a punishment, so that by understanding how great the crime of Cain was before the promulgation of a positive law, he knew that he was incurring punishment seven times more severe if he was guilty of it, that is to say that knowledge of the law would add six degrees more to the punishment which Cain had deserved, and that this punishment would be literally sevenfold. This same number also represents the reward of those who have left everything to follow the Lord, and who, in addition, will receive eternal life in the other world. This is the sign that the Lord put on Cain, so that whoever would find him would not do so (Ibid. 15). By virtue of this law which has been brought against the murder, every man who has committed a murder, because all murder is a homicide, would be seven times more guilty than Cain. God wanted the fear of such severe punishment to stop those who would be tempted to commit such a crime. [Questions on the Old and New Testaments]

AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO. The Jews nevertheless remain with a mark; nor in such sort conquered have they been, as that by the conquerors they have been swallowed up. Not without reason is there that Cain, on whom, when he had slain his brother, God set a mark in order that no one should slay him. This is the mark which the Jews have: they hold fast by the remnant of their law, they are circumcised, they keep Sabbaths, they sacrifice the Passover; they eat unleavened bread. These are therefore Jews, they have not been slain, they are necessary to believing nations. Why so? In order that He may show to us among our enemies His mercy. “My God has shown to me in mine enemies.” He shows His mercy to the wild-olive grafted on branches that have been cut off because of pride. [Exposition on Psalm 59.18, s.1 vol.8]

JEROME OF STRIDON. 4:15 WHOEVER WILL KILL CAIN WILL PAY SEVEN PUNISHMENTS. Instead of seven punishments, Aquila says: sevenfold; Symmachus, for the seventh time; Theodotion, for seven days. On this point, consult our letter to Bishop Damasus. [Hebrew Questions on Genesis]

JOHN CHRYSOSTOM OF CONSTANTINOPLE. (Gen. 4:15) What does the merciful and good Master answer? And the Lord God said to him, It will not be so. Do not think it's like that. No one will be allowed to kill you, if you will; but I will prolong your life to increase your pain, I will leave you to instruct future generations as a living example; your aspect will make you wise, and nobody, seeing you, will have the desire to imitate your conduct. And the Lord says, No, it will not be so, whoever will kill Cain will be responsible for seven vengeance.

Perhaps I am long, perhaps I have tired you, materially at least? But what do you want? Your keen attention, the kind of greed with which you receive the nourishment of the holy word, are the cause; this is what encourages me to continue my explanation to the end according to my strength. What does this word mean: will he be responsible for seven vengeances? But here I am still held back by the fear of piling up so many things in your memories, that the last born make you forget the first ones; I would not, however, be fastidious. But if you still have a little courage, take patience, I finish the explanation of the verses I recited, and I finish. And the Lord God said to him, It will not be so. Whoever will kill Cain will be responsible for seven revenges. And the Lord God put a sign on Cain lest anyone kill him, coming to meet him. Are you afraid that you will be killed? Trust, it will not be. And whoever does it will draw on his head seven punishments. That's why I'm marking you with a sign, lest anyone who kills without knowing you should be caught up in this terrible punishment.

But I should show you more clearly how the murderer of Cain will be punished by seven punishments. Be attentive, please. As I have often said to your charity these past days, if, now that the time of fasting brings us so much tranquility, and it removes from our minds thoughts that would be likely to disturb them, we Let us not study with much care the teachings included in the divine Scriptures, in what other time can we do it? I beg you, I entreat you, and, ready to throw myself on your knees, I beseech you to listen to what I say to you with an attentive mind, so that you do not retire to your houses without carrying away here is something that elevates your souls and brings them to God.

What does this word mean: will he be responsible for seven vengeances? Let us first observe that in Holy Scripture the number seven is often used indeterminately and means many or many; for example, one reads in the first book of Kings (II, 5): The one who was sterile has become a mother of seven, that is to say a large number of children. There are many examples of such a meaning. Here the Scripture gives us a glimpse of the enormity of Cain's package, since it does not consider it a single sin, but as constituting seven sins, for each of which severe punishment is intended. Let's try to list these sins. First of all, he envied his brother because of the benevolence God showed him, and he would not have needed more to lose him; secondly, it is his own brother that he envies; third, it tends to be a trap; fourth, he commits murder; fifthly, it is his own brother that he kills; sixth, he is the author of the first murder that was committed; seventh, he lies to God. Have you followed this enumeration, or must I resume it by showing you that each of these aggravating circumstances deserves a serious torture? To envy the one whom God favors is this excusable? This is already an unforgivable mistake. It gets even worse when it is to a brother, from whom one has suffered no injustice, that one envies. So this is still a sin that is not the smallest. It is a third fault to lay a trap, to deceive, to lead into the country, to trample on nature. Murder forms the fourth sin. The fifth results from the fact that it is a brother who is put to death, a brother born of the same breast. Introducing a new kind of sin into the world is the sixth sin. The seventh sin: the murderer dares to lie to God who deigns to question him. This is why God says: He who tries to kill him will take the burden of seven vengeance upon himself. So, do not be afraid of that; for behold, I put on you a sign that will make you recognize whoever will meet you. Your infirmity will be useful to future generations, and this crime which you have committed without witness, all will learn by seeing you tremble and groan; This trembling of your whole body will be like a voice heard by all, which will say: Let no one do what I have done, lest, if he dares, he be struck by such a punishment.

 May these teachings be engraved in your minds, my dear brothers; and that they do not just do that, brush them by the way. To come here every day to feed on the nourishment of the holy word is very good, but that is not enough, it will be of no use to you to hear the law of God if you do not practice it. Having always present to the thought the sin of Cain, its causes and unforgivable enormity, of Cain become homicide for envy, homicide of a brother who had done him no harm, let us fear much less to suffer ourselves from harm than to cause others. Evil truly strikes only one who tries to harm his neighbor. So that you are convinced, look here with me which of the two is the most unfortunate, who kills or who is killed. Is it not obvious that he is the murderer? Why? because here the praise of him who has been slain is still in every mouth, because his name is always pronounced with admiration, like that of the first martyr of truth, as Blessed Paul says: All dead that he is, Abel still speaks. (Heb XI, 4.) But the murderer, besides having lived more miserably than all men, has remained odious to all mankind, and the Holy Scripture continually offers it to all ages as a terrible example of divine vengeance and curse. Such is the parallel for this present and perishable life; but if we wished to pursue it to the other life where the righteous Judge will render to each according to his works, what speech could express all that there will be happiness on the one hand, misfortune on the other. For Abel, the kingdom of heaven, the eternal tabernacles, the choruses of the patriarchs, prophets and apostles, and the great assembly of saints, where he will reign for ever and ever in the company of the King Jesus Christ, unique of God and God himself; for Cain, the hell of fire, and thousands of other torments that will torment him forever; he will be there with all the murderers like himself; However, divine vengeance will be more rigorous against those who, under the rule of the law of grace, have become slaves of the most vile passions. Listen, indeed, what St. Paul says: All who have sinned without the law, shall perish without the law (Romans II, 12); that is to say, will suffer a lighter penalty because they have not had a law to keep them in good by a threatening sanction, but all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law; that is to say, all other conditions being equal, those who have benefited from the help of the law will endure more rigorous punishment. And nothing is more just, since neither the law nor the example of the misfortunes of others will have made them more temperate and virtuous. I conjure you therefore, take advantage at least, from now on, of the teachings of others to become wiser; Let us finally lead our lives according to the law of the Lord, obey his commandments. Let neither envy, nor jealousy, nor carnal love, nor glory, nor the other miserable benefits of this life, nor the gross pleasures of the table, nor any other bad passion, reign over the thoughts of our hearts. Let us be rid of all obscenity and worldly pleasure; let us say goodbye to all our shameful and illicit attachments, and strive with all our strength for that blessed life, for those ineffable goods which God has prepared for those who love him; May we be found worthy by the grace and charity of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom glory, power, honor, be to the Father and to the Holy Spirit, now and forever, and for ever and ever. Amen. [Homilies on Genesis]

4:16-17 So Cain went forth from the presence of God and dwelt in the land of Nod over against Edem. 17 And Cain knew his wife, and having conceived she bore Enoch; and he built a city; and he named the city after the name of his son, Enoch.

AMBROSE OF MILAN. It was, rather, an occasion for punishment, inasmuch as he lived in the midst of fears and spent his extended period of time in fruitless labors. There is no penalty more grievous than that which conscious guilt imposes. Behold, then, the perpetuity of life which the just enjoy an enjoyment in which the wicked have no share!  The blood of the just man who has suffered death cries out to God, whereas the sinner’s life is like that of a fugitive from justice. [On Cain and Abel 2.9.27]

AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO. (Gen. 4:16-17) HOW DID CAIN BUILD A CITY? — We may wonder how Cain could found a city, if a city is made up of a certain number of men, and instead it is said in Scripture that there were only two fathers and two sons, that one brother killed the other, and then adds that another son was born to occupy the place of the one that had been assassinated. Perhaps the problem arises precisely because the readers of the text think that at that time there were only those two men who Holy Scripture recalls and do not notice that the two who were born first or even those whom they begot lived so long that they begot many others. Indeed, Adam himself did not beget only those whose names we read in Scripture. For the Scripture, when it speaks of him, ends by saying that he begot sons and daughters (Cf. Gen. 5:4). Therefore, since these men lived many more years than the Israelites did when they were in Egypt, who does not see the great number of men who could be born to fill that city, if the Hebrews could multiply so much in a much shorter time? [Question 1]

EUSEBIUS OF PAMPHILIA. Naid. Land where Cain dwelled. (Properly) interpreted "restlessness," (i.e., in motion or fluctuation). [Onomasticon]

JEROME OF STRIDON. 4:16 AND HE DWELT ON THE LAND NAÏD. Where the Septuagint writes Naid, the Hebrew carries NOD, which is interpreted by σαλευμενος, that is, unstable and irresolute, and without a fixed abode. So it is not a land of Naid, as is commonly believed here; the sentence of God was fulfilled in that he wandered about it and as a wanderer and fugitive. [Hebrew Questions on Genesis]

JOHN CHRYSOSTOM OF CONSTANTINOPLE. (Gen. 4:16) Let us now see what is going on, and consider what the blessed prophet is saying today through the virtue of the Holy Spirit. After he heard his sentence, Cain went out from before the face of God. What does this word mean: went out from before the face of God? It means that he was deprived of divine assistance because of his abominable action. And he dwelt in the land of Naid, opposite Eden. The sacred writer tells us the place where Cain made his home, and he teaches us that he lived not far from paradise, so that he would perpetually remember and what had happened to his father after his prevarication and the enormity of his own crime, and the punishment inflicted on him, because he had not been able to take advantage of his father's example to behave wisely. The place he himself inhabited, reminded him continually by his name of his and his descendants, the agitation and the trembling, the torment of his terrestrial life, for the name of Naid is a Hebrew word which signifies agitation. So God established it there, so that the place itself would not cease to reproach it for its crime, as if it were engraved on a column of brass.

(Gen. 4:17) The Holy Scripture continues: And Cain knew his wife, and having conceived, she bore Enoch. Since men had become mortal, they were right to perpetuate themselves through the procreation of children. But, perhaps someone will tell me, where Cain had a wife, since at this age, does not the Scripture mention any other than Eve? Do not be surprised, my dear listener; nowhere does Scripture give exactly the genealogy of women; always careful to avoid the superfluous, she mentions only men and not all men, because she often says in an abbreviative form that such a father begot sons and daughters. We must therefore believe that Eve gave birth, after Cain and Abel, to a girl whom Cain took for a wife. In these early beginnings of the world, the necessity of propagating the race made it possible for men to marry their sisters. So leaving us to make these conjectures, besides some, the holy Scripture itself. It is hard to tell that Cain knew his wife, who conceived, gave birth to Enoch. And he built a city named after his son Enoch. See how they become little by little ingenious and wise. Mortals, they want to at least immortalize their memory, either by generating children, or by building cities to which they give the names of their children. One could rightly say that all these things were so many monuments to their sins and their decay of that primitive glory which Adam and Eve enjoyed, in which they had no need of all these precautions, since then they were in a state where could not. to reach them none of the accidents against which they were now guarding themselves. [Homilies on Genesis]

4:18-24 And to Enoch was born Gaidad; and Gaidad begot Maleleel; and Maleleel begot Mathusala; and Mathusala begot Lamech. 19 And Lamech took to himself two wives; the name of the one was Ada, and the name of the second Sella. 20 And Ada bore Jobel; he was the father of those that dwell in tents, feeding cattle. 21 And the name of his brother was Jubal; he it was who invented the psaltery and harp. 22 And Sella also bore Thobel; he was a smith, a manufacturer both of brass and iron; and the sister of Thobel was Noahma. 4:23 And Lamech said to his wives, Ada and Sella, Hear my voice, ye wives of Lamech, consider my words, because I have slain a man to my sorrow and a youth to my grief. 24 Because vengeance has been exacted seven times on Cain’s behalf, on Lamech’s it shall be seventy times seven.

ALCUIN OF YORK. (Gen. 4:24). HOW WILL THE ONE WHO KILLS CAIN BE PUNISHED SEVENFOLD? — Answer. The number seven is often used in the holy Scriptures to signify the fullness of any given thing: it is as if he had said that a person should be punished with the most severe vengeance if even after being warned by the bitterness of such a condemnation they would not stop their hands from spilling blood. [Question 91]

WHAT IS MEANT BY WHAT WE READ THAT LAMECH SAID WHEN HE KILLED CAIN, "SEVENFOLD VENGEANCE SHALL BE TAKEN FOR CAIN: BUT FOR LAMECH SEVENTY TIMES SEVENFOLD"? — Answer. It is because we read that the sin of murder was avenged with the flood in the seventh generation, whereas the crime of adultery, which Lamech was the first of all to commit with his two wives, would be expiated only with the blood of Christ, who came into the world in the seventy-seventh generation. [Questions and Answers on Genesis, 92]

AMBROSIASTER. (Gen. 4:23) DID LAMECH KILL CAIN, AS SOME THINK? — It is a false opinion based on what Lamech says of Cain, I killed a man who hurt me, a young man who covered me with wounds. For Lamech was born of the fifth generation after Cain, that is, of Methuselah, the great grandson of Cain. Lamech recalls this fact to show that a much more rigorous punishment was reserved for those who would bound since the promulgation of the law. If, then, after Cain, the punishment has been sevenfold for the imitator of his crime, how much more severe will this chastisement be for that which neither the crime of Cain nor the severe reproaches addressed to him, nor the sentence pronounced against him may have diverted from a crime in which impiety is joined to cruelty. Lamech has committed this homicide after Cain, and without a doubt, from what we have said. His punishment was seven times more severe. Now what will happen to him who, after Lamech, will follow his example? He tells us by saying, I will avenge the death of Lamech seventy times seven times (Gen. 4:24). If this criminal action is not followed by repentance, it will be punished with a punishment seventy times seven times more terrible. That is why Our Lord commands to forgive him who has sinned this same number of times, if he regrets his faults. (Matt. 18:22) But it must not be believed that another homicide was committed before that of Lamech and after that of Cain, because Lamech says, The murder of Cain was avenged (Gen. 4:24 LXX), as if this vengeance was done. As for Lamech, how could he have said that he had already been the object of this vengeance, whereas the murder he confessed to have committed was still recent? It may therefore be said that every crime carries with it its condemnation. For when there is no other hope, besides that one knows what is worth an act which is consummated, one considers as already done a thing which is yet to be done. Finally, it was said to Adam and Eve: The day that you eat of this fruit, you shall die of death (Gen. 2:17), and yet they did not die immediately, but after a long interval of time. However, since they had already lost the hope of immortality, death, which was not to strike them until later, was, so to speak, present to them, because it was then the object of their fears. When, therefore, Lamech confesses to having killed a young man, since it is certain that Cain could not live until that time, or that if his life has been prolonged until then, what seems impossible is then an old man, it is not him that Lamech killed. [Questions on the Old and New Testaments]

BASIL OF CAESAREA. Some suppose that Cain was slain by Lamech, and that he survived to this generation that he might suffer a longer punishment. But this is not the case. Lamech evidently committed two murders, from what he says himself, “I have slain a man and a young man,” the man to his wounding, and the young man to his hurt. There is a difference between wounding and hurt. And there is a difference between a man and a young man. “If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.” It is right that I should undergo four hundred and ninety punishments, if God’s judgment on Cain was just, that his punishments should be seven. Cain had not learned to murder from another, and had never seen a murderer undergoing punishment. But I, who had before my eyes Cain groaning and trembling, and the mightiness of the wrath of God, was not made wiser by the example before me. Wherefore I deserve to suffer four hundred and ninety punishments. There are, however, some who have gone so far as the following explanation, which does not jar with the doctrine of the Church; from Cain to the flood, they say, seven generations passed by, and the punishment was brought on the whole earth, because sin was everywhere spread abroad. But the sin of Lamech requires for its cure not a Flood, but Him Who Himself takes away the sin of the world. Jn. 1:29 Count the generations from Adam to the coming of Christ, and you will find, according to the genealogy of Luke, that the Lord was born in the seventy-seventh. [Letter 260.5 NPNF s.2 v.8]

JEROME OF STRIDON. But God not wishing to do away with him by a quick torturous death, nor handing down a punishment like the same act for which Cain was condemned, said, “Not so!” That is not as you think, that you will die and receive death as a relief, but instead, you will live until the seventh generation and your conscience will torment you with fire, so that whenever someone does kill you according to the double interpretation, either at the seventh generation or by seven means he will free you from torture” not because the one who murders Cain has been subjected to seven vengeances, but because the murderer who kills him releases seven punishments which would converge on Cain at such a time as he had become forsaken of life as his punishment. [Letter to Damascus 36]

JOHN CHRYSOSTOM OF CONSTANTINOPLE. (Gen. 4:18-24) Enoch himself was born Gaidad, and Gaidad begot Maleleal, and Maleleael begat Mathusala, and Mathusala begat Lamech. You see how the sacred writer passes by on genealogies, mentioning only men, and leaving women without naming them. Likewise, concerning Cain, he said that he knew his wife, without telling us where he had been from; in the same way, concerning Lamech, he says: and Lamech married two women; the first was named Ada, and the second (121) was named Sella. And Ada bore Jobel; he was the father of those who live in tents and feed herds. And the name of his brother was Jubal: he invented the psaltery and the zither.

Note here the accuracy of Scripture. She teaches us the names of the children (the wife of Lamech and their occupations: one was grazing herds, the other invented the psaltery and the zither Sella gave birth to Tobel, who worked metals, copper Here again, the Holy Scripture makes us aware of the kind of occupation of the son of Sella, he was a blacksmith, and notice in what way the arts that are useful to the life of men are gradually being born.First, Cain gives the name from his son to the city he founded, then the sons of Lamech, one to feed herds, the other to work the metals, the third discovers the psaltery and the zither, and the sister of Tobel was Noema, here is the name of a girl in a genealogy, it is a new thing, but it has its reason, secret and mysterious reason that we reserve for another time, so as not to interrupt the thread of our history The passage which follows is indeed very important, it requires all no s efforts and the most serious review to be well explained and to provide us with the most valuable lessons.

Lamech said to his wives, Ada and Sella listen to my voice, women of Lamech, listen to my words: I killed a man who wounded me, and a young man who wounded me. Cain's death seven times, and Lamech's seventy-seven times. Lend me, I pray you, all your attention, and rejecting all secular thought and distraction, scrutinize these words carefully; we must descend to the full depth we can, so that we may collect, without losing anything, all the treasure that is buried in this narrow space. And Lamech said to his wives Ada and Sella listen to my voice, Lamech women, lend an ear to my words. And first notice how useful Cain's punishment was to Lamech. He does not wait for another to convince him of his crime, but, without anyone accusing him or reproaching him, he reveals himself, he confesses what he did, he reveals to his wives the greatness of his crime, he almost fulfills the word of the Prophet: The righteous himself is his accuser in the first place. (Prov. xviii, 17.) For the correction of sins, there is no better remedy than confession. It is something more serious than sin itself, than to deny it after it has been committed: the fratricide Cain has experienced it, he who, questioned by the good God, not only He did not admit his crime, but dared to lie to God, and was therefore condemned to drag a long and miserable life on earth. Falling into the same sin, Lamech understood that what had aggravated Cain's punishment was to have denied his fault; that is why he calls his wives, and, without any one compelling him or testifying against him, he himself makes his own confession of his sins, and comparing his crime with that of Cain, he determines himself his sentence.

Do you see the solicitude of God, as he spares occasions to show his mercy, even in the punishments he inflicts, as the effects of this mercy do not stop at the one who receives punishment, but extend, as salutary remedies, to all those who have the good will to enjoy it? What other motive could have led Lamech to make this confession, except the memory that he had of the evils suffered by Cain, a memory which upset his soul? And he said, Hear my voice, and listen to my words. It is like a tribunal which he draws against himself, and the thing seems so serious to him that he wants to be listened to with a great deal of attention. For these words: Listen to my voice, lend ear to my speeches, equivalent to these: Make your mind attentive, apply yourself, listen carefully what I am about to say. It is not indifferent things that I have to talk to you about; I have to reveal to you hidden facts, facts that no one knows except me, and that eye that never closes; it is the fear that this witness gives me, which presses me and forces me today to. to discover what I had the misfortune to do, and to tell you to what revenge I exposed myself by my criminal works; for I killed a man who hurt me, and a young man who wounded me. And if seven revenges of Cain have been fired, Lamech will be fired seven times seven. Great, and even very great, and denoting in this man a soul of the best disposition. Not only does he confess (122) what he did, and reveal the murder he committed, but he imposes a penalty by comparing his crime to that of Cain. What pardon does he seem to say is worthy of him who has not profited from the example of others to become better, he who has constantly in mind the memory of the punishment inflicted on the first murderer, not left nevertheless that to commit two murders? I killed, said he, a man who wounded me, and a young man who wounded me. It is as if he said: I did less harm to those whom I killed than I did to myself. Because I incurred an inevitable punishment, since I committed crimes that were too big to be forgiven. If Cain, for one murder, deserved seven revenges, I incurred seventy-seven times. Why, by what reason? In fact, although he was homicidal and even fratricidal, however, he did not have before his eyes the example of a man who would have dared such a crime, which would have been punished, which would have attracted him the weight of God's wrath; two aggravating circumstances for me, since I had before me the double example of crime and punishment, and that I have not been better. That is why, even if I had seven revenges seven times, I would not have paid enough for what I did.

See, my dear listener, how God has created our free will and mistress of his determinations; how, when we fall, it is our negligence that is the cause, and how, when we want to be vigilant, we clearly distinguish between the duty? Who, tell me, pushed this man to make such a confession? Nobody, if not conscience, this incorruptible judge. After, according to the inclination of bad nature, he executed a culpable design, immediately the conscience rose in him raising his voice against the enormity of the crimes committed and denouncing to him how many punishments he had rendered punishable. Such is the sin before it is done and done, it obscures the reasoning and deceives the mind. But when it is consumed, it is then that we clearly see its absurdity; and this rapid and absurd pleasure flies away, leaving us with a lasting pain; he flies away, taking with him that noble assurance which was the joy of conscience, after having substituted for it the shame in which the unfortunate sinner remains. The good God has attached to us this intimate accuser, with orders never to leave us, to shout incessantly, asking us for our prevarications. To convince oneself of this, one must only consult the experience. The fornicator, adultery, may well have not been surprised, they are no more tranquil; thanks to this energetic and indefatigable accuser, they are afraid of suspicion, they tremble for a shadow, they fear those who know, those who do not know, it is in their soul an incessant storm, waves succeeding the waves. Sleep, for such a man, has no more sweetness, he has only fears and terrors. There is nothing to restore it, nothing calms its inner turmoil: neither the sweetness of the food, nor the charm of a friendly conversation. After this bad action, however, made without witness, it is as if he carried everywhere in himself an executioner who would always flog him. Such are the pains he endures without any other judge, without any other accuser than himself.

If, however, the guilty party wishes to profit by the warnings of his conscience, resort to the confession of his faults, show his wound to the spiritual doctor who awaits him to heal him, and not to reproach him, if he wishes to receive his remedies, to maintain alone with him without witness and to say everything without dissimulating anything, he will obtain quickly and easily the absolution of his sins. The confession of the evil we have done is the abolition of the sins committed. If Lamech did not refuse to accuse his women of the murders committed by him; What pardon will we be worthy of ourselves, if we do not want to accuse our sins before Him who knows exactly the least of our faults? Because he knows nothing and it is not for education that he wants us to confess, since he knows all things before they even arrive. He commands the confession so that we ourselves have the feeling of our faults, and so that we show good will towards him. Is it a question of great expenses to be made, long journeys to undertake? Is the treatment to undergo painful and painful? On the contrary, healing takes place at no cost, without pain and promptly. The Divine Physician appropriates his remedies to the degree of good will of him who comes to him to be healed of his wounds. Let the man who wants to recover his health quickly and heal the wounds of his soul, come to the doctor, the sober and vigilant soul, and free from all the secular preoccupations, let it shed many tears, he gives marks of great assiduity, that he brings a firm faith and a complete confidence in the science of the doctor, and he will not be long in recovering his health. O doctor whose goodness erases that of the most tender father! Is it nothing less painful and less harsh than the conditions he demands of us, the contrition of the heart, the compunction of the soul, the admission of the fault, a constant assiduity? And he not only gives us the grace to heal our wounds, but he erases them to the slightest trace. We were previously overwhelmed with the weight of a thousand sins and He makes us righteous. O infinite mercy, incomparable goodness! A sinner comes, he confesses his sins, he asks for forgiveness, he shows a firm resolve not to sin in the future, and here he is. And so that you do not doubt this miracle, listen to this word of the prophet: Say your sins first, that you may be justified. (Isaiah XLIII, 26.) He does not simply say, say your sins, but he adds: the first; that is to say, do not wait for another to accuse you and convince you; warn the prosecution, hasten to speak, close that strange mouth that will speak against you.

Do you see the clemency of the judge? Before the human courts, if an accused followed this conduct; if, warning the proofs, he confessed all that he had done, he might save himself the question with his trials and his tortures, if, however, he had to deal with a lenient judge; but the sentence which condemns the last punishment, he certainly would not avoid it. As for our God, this charitable physician of our souls, his goodness is infinite, and his mercy ineffable. If we take the lead on our adversary, on the devil who will make our accuser to. the last day and who is already in this life, if we make our confession before appearing before the tribunal, if we ourselves speak to accuse us, we will excite the mercy of the Sovereign Judge, to the point that no pleased to absolve us from our faults, he will still inscribe our name among those of the just.

Lamech was not instructed by any positive law; he had not heard of prophets, he did not obey any exhortation from the. Outside, he had only his conscience to make him feel the seriousness of his faults, and yet this inner voice is enough to snatch him the confession and condemnation of what he had done, and we would be excusable do not show our wounds carefully to the charitable doctor who only needs that to heal them! And this confession, if we did not do it now that the time of fasting offers us a favorable occasion, by the calm which he has put in our thoughts, by the exclusion which he has given to all kinds of voluptuousness, when, then, could we enter into ourselves in such a way as to bring order to the affairs of our conscience? Let us be sober and vigilant, I entreat you, let us devote ourselves entirely to this important matter, and by dint of diligence and care avoid a punishment that will be so severe, save us from the fire of hell. Now is the time to work, now that the time of fasting offers you more resources by the frequent instructions you receive. [Homilies on Genesis]

4:25 And Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore a son, and called his name Seth, saying, For God has raised up to me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.

JEROME ON STRIDON. 4:25 AND SHE CALLED HIS NAME SETH: FOR GOD HAS RAISED UP OTHER SEED FOR ME INSTEAD OF ABEL, WHOM CAIN SLEW. Seth is properly thesis, that is, 'placing'. Therefore, because God had placed him instead of Abel, he is called Seth, that is 'placing'. Finally, Aquila says: And she called his name Seth, saying, Because God has placed for me another seed. [Hebrew Questions on Genesis]

JOHN CHRYSOSTOM OF CONSTANTINOPLE. (Gen. 4:25) Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she, having conceived, bore a son, and she called him Seth, saying, God hath given me another seed in the place of Abel, whom Cain slew. Stopping the genealogical list at Lamech, the holy Scripture goes back to Adam and his wife, and says: Now Adam knew his wife, and the latter conceived, and bare a son, and she called him Seth, saying, God bless me. has created another posterity and the place of Abel killed by Cain. She bore, is it written, a son, and she named him Seth. Not content to have given a name to his newborn, the mother adds: God has given me another posterity and the place of Abel killed by Cain. Notice the care taken by this mother, by the name she gives to her son, of perpetuating the memory of this abominable crime; it is so that future generations learn the murder committed by Cain, which she says: instead of Abel killed by Cain. The word of a mother afflicted by grief, troubled by the memory of a sad event, a word of thanksgiving for the son whom God sends, but a word which, in the name of the newborn, imprints in a way . ineffaceable the crime of another son. And indeed, what bitter mourning Cain had not caused to his parents, when he had armed his hand against his brother, when he had made them see that child so tenderly loved, lying on the ground, dead, deprived of movement. Adam had of course pronounced his judgment: You are earth and you will return to the earth; and again: The day you eat it, you will die of death; but until then the sentence had remained in words, and our first parents had not yet seen what death was; Cain, driven by his hatred against his brother, and the envy that gnawed at him, threw himself upon Abel and killed him, and he showed his parents a horrible sight. That is why the mother, to whom the birth of a new child helped to lift a little the weight of her mourning, gives thanks to the Lord for the consolation he gives her, but at the same time she wants to perpetuate the memory of the fratricide, thus punishing in turn the culprit of a new and severe punishment.

Do you see what evil is sin? as it inflicts a public mark of shame and infamy on those who commit it; as after depriving Cain of help from above, he made it the toy of the world? Do you see how, by his detestable sin, he has become odious even to his parents, whom nature, however, inclines so much to tenderness for their children. Let us flee, I conjure you, that sin which surrounds us with so many evils, and embrace virtue, which will procure us celestial favor, and remove punishment from us. [Homilies on Genesis]

4:26 And Seth had a son, and he called his name Enosh: he hoped to call on the name of the Lord God.

AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO. Why then is this which is found to be common to all the godly specially attributed to Enosh, unless because it was fit that in him, who is mentioned as the first-born of the father of those generations which were separated to the better part of the heavenly city, there should be a type of the man, or society of men, who live not according to man in contentment with earthly felicity, but according to God in hope of everlasting felicity? And it was not said, “He hoped in the Lord God,” nor “He called on the name of the Lord God,” but “He hoped to call on the name of the Lord God.” And what does this “hoped to call” mean, unless it is a prophecy that a people should arise who, according to the election of grace, would call on the name of the Lord God? It is this which has been said by another prophet, and which the apostle interprets of the people who belong to the grace of God: “And it shall be that whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Rom. 10:13) For these two expressions, “And he called his name Enosh, which means man,” and “He hoped to call on the name of the Lord God,” are sufficient proof that man ought not to rest his hopes in himself; as it is elsewhere written, “Cursed is the man that trusts in man.” (Jer. 17:5) Consequently no one ought to trust in himself that he shall become a citizen of that other city which is not dedicated in the name of Cain’s son in this present time, that is to say, in the fleeting course of this mortal world, but in the immortality of perpetual blessedness. [City of God 15.18 NPNF s.1 v.2]

JEROME ON STRIDON. 4:26 AND BE CALLED HIS NAME ENOS: THIS MAN HOPED TO CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD GOD. Just as Adam is translated as 'man', so also Enos is to be taken as 'mankind' or 'man', in accordance with the diversity of the Hebrew language. And because he had this name, it is written appropriately concerning him: Then there was a beginning of calling on the Name of the Lord; although the majority of the Hebrews think something else, that then, for the first time, idols were constructed in the Name of the Lord and in His likeness. [Hebrew Questions on Genesis]

JOHN CHRYSOSTOM OF CONSTANTINOPLE. (Gen. 4:26) And there was born a son to Seth: and he gave him the name of Enos; he trusted to invoke the name of the Lord. Notice here how men are gradually becoming accustomed. to testify to God's gratitude in the names they give to their children. So Seth had a son and he named him Enos, tells the Holy Scripture; then, to interpret the meaning of this name, she adds: He trusted to invoke the name of the Lord. So it is through Seth, and by Enos and their descendants, that the blessed Prophet will establish his genealogy; now he leaves Cain and his offspring behind from Lamech. Cain lost his birth privilege, I mean his firstborn privilege: he lost it freely by his wickedness, and he and his posterity are excluded from the list. On the contrary, Seth obtains by virtue a prerogative that nature has refused him: primogeniture rights are transferred to him in spite of nature, because his will turned to good, and his descendants are called to honor to form the genealogy of the first ancestors of humanity. Enos was so called because of his confidence in invoking the name of the Lord God, and those born of him will bear the same name. Here our blessed Prophet suspends his narration, and goes back once again to begin another story.

But let us not go into this new chapter, so as not to prolong our instruction beyond the bounds; on the example of the sacred author, let us stop here and, if God permits, give another explanation of the result. Now I would like to urge your charity to profit more and more from our teaching, to examine you every day, asking you for yourself what fruit you have derived from such instruction, what fruit of another; not to be content to receive our words in your ears without making them penetrate further, but to open their hearts to them so that they dwell there permanently, strengthened and strongly implanted by the meditation. I would also like that; Not content with teaching you for yourselves, you became masters for others, to warn and guide them in the path of virtue, not only by your words, but especially by your examples. Remember that if you wanted to come up with some fruit, to correct anything of the bad passions that torment you, think of how soon you could reach the very fact of virtue. Indeed, we never forget in our instructions to inculcate the principles of the perfect life, in order to lead you to extirpate from your souls those passions that give them death, such as anger, jealousy, envy. These suppressed ones, your disordered love of riches will be corrected more easily, and when you have finally extinguished it, it will be much easier for you to get rid of your dishonest thoughts, your impure imaginations.

The root of all evils is the love of money. (I Tim vii, 10.) If, then, we cut off the root, if we tear it out entirely, we will then easily come to the end of the twigs. Yes, I will say in my turn, the fortress of evils, the citadel of all sins, it is the rage of riches, and if we wanted to triumph, we would have nice game to get rid of all the fatalities passions that depend on it. And do not think that it is a very big and difficult thing to despise wealth. When I consider that so many men who, for a frivolous satisfaction to give to their vanity, sacrifice so much money for nothing, to win the favor of this vile multitude, this ragged populace that clutters the squares of a city a favor which ends with the evening, which does not even wait often for the evening to dissipate, a favor which sometimes produces so many disappointments even before the day ends; when I also consider those others who, among the Gentiles, conceive such a passion for glory that they renounce all they possess to acquire it, reserving for themselves only an old coat with a stick, which they resign themselves to spend all their lives in this way, to bear all this pain and misery because they hope to acquire a certain renown among men; when I think about these things, I do not know what excuse, what forgiveness we can count on, we who do not have the courage to impose the slightest sacrifices to fulfill the commandments of God, to acquire an immortal and imperishable glory. Yes, we do less than these men, and yet what a difference between the rewards to conquer! It is for the gain of a vain renown among men their fellow men that they make these great sacrifices, instead of us being for our Master, for Him from whom we hold everything, for Him who promises us. still ineffable goods, that we do not even want to give the smallest alms to a poor man!

And whose eyes will we look at our Judge after neglecting such an easy command? I am not asking you to give up all your belongings. Enjoy greatly your abundance, and when your needs are satisfied, use to a necessary use what you have superfluous and useless; distribute it, this superfluity, to those who suffer from hunger, to those who shiver with cold, and, by their means, send it to your country where you will soon find it. These unfortunates will serve you very well in transporting your wealth to the other world; and when you succeed, you will find them perfectly preserved, so that you will live in abundance, thanks to these goods thus transported, and even multiplied by the goodness of God. Is this a very difficult thing, very laborious, very thorny? This transport is done without a pack animal, without escort, without any device. No thief frequents this road and can not steal what you ship as well. What you put in the hands of the poor, you deposit it in a safe place; since you deposit it in the hand of God. It will keep your deposit intact, this divine hand and when you enter your homeland it will return it to you; it will reward you with praise, with crowns, with the fullness of a happiness without limit or decline. So pour, pour your riches and your savings into the bosom of the poor; sow while it is time for us to reap when the season is come; do not let the opportune time pass, our negligence would be followed by useless regrets.

If God has divested you of the goods of this world more than others, is it that, so that for your sole use part of what he gives you, you will pile the rest in your coffers and your attics? No, it is not so; but according to the word of the Apostle, he wants your abundance to be a source of indigence to your brothers. (II Corinthians vii., 14.) And perhaps you use these goods more than is permissible, spending your money on sensuality, clothing, luxuries of all kinds, slaves, animals of all kinds. species? The poor do not ask for anything of this; what he expects of you is that you appease his hunger, that you give him the daily bread, that you give him the other things necessary for him to live, that he does not perish, and you do not deign to do it! and yet you should think that most of the time, suddenly taken away, you abandon all that you have amassed, sometimes to strangers, to enemies; and you, what are you left of? your sins that you have committed to amass these goods, that's all you take with you. And what will you say on this terrible day? how will you excuse yourself for treating so negligently the business of your salvation? So listen to my advice, and while there is still time, distribute your superfluous wealth to the poor, it is the way to ensure your salvation in the other world and to obtain, in exchange for your perishable goods, immortal goods that I wish you all, by the grace and charity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, with whomsoever, to the Father and to the Holy Spirit, glory, power and honor, now and forever, and for centuries. Amen. [Homilies on Genesis]