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NASB | Ephesians 5:25 ¶ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Ephesians 5:25 ¶ Husbands, love your wives [seek the highest good for her and surround her with a caring, unselfish love], just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, |
Bible Question: Did Cain marry one of his sisters? |
Bible Answer: Well, Bibleman, I have a different answer, and one which will likely not be well-accepted here because it runs counter to traditional interpretations of Genesis. I also deal with non-believers on a frequent basis, as well as previous believers who have turned to paganism, wiccan, and other "old-time" religions because of questions such as these - the "unanswerable" questions. This is one that I have dealt with before. The answer can be found in Genesis 4:1-2 where the birth of Cain and Abel is described. Because no other mention of childbirth is mentioned, and this reads as though it were a "first time occurance" we agree that these two were their first children, though it is not specifically stated. There is no further mention of any additional childbirthing until v. 25, which we will come to in a moment. Fast forward to after Cain has killed Abel. In v. 14, Cain says, "I will be a restless wanderer on the earth; and whoever finds me will kill me." Who? There is no mention of any other births by Adam and Eve. Who would Cain have to worry about? It is adding to the written word of the Bible to presume that Adam and Eve had other children not mentioned here, especially in light of Gen 5:4, which will also be addressed in a moment. Cain went east to the land of Nod where he married his wife. If Cain leaving the place of his birth were noteworthy enough to mention in the Bible, why would his sisters and brothers leaving the place of their birth not be, if in fact Cain married his sister? It is my understanding that anytime a significant division of God's people happens, He tells us about it in His Word. This type of division would definitely have been significant! Finally, in v. 25, we return to Adam and Eve, who have another son to replace Abel. This clearly happened after Abel was killed. Again, no other children have been mentioned here, however in Gen 5:4, it specifically states "After Seth was born [which happened after the Cain and Abel incident], Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters." Childbirth is significant, and is mentioned when it happens. Here it seems very clear to me that Seth was the third child born to Adam and Eve, and that if no others existed on the earth but Adam and Eve's offspring, there simply would have been no one on earth for Cain to be fearful of, or to marry. It is my belief, based on my own careful reading and studying of Genesis, that God did in fact create other people, likely before he created Adam and Eve, and that these others are the ones Cain feared and married. I believe Genesis 1 and 2 support this idea, and will happily discuss with those who wish to debate the point. I recognize that since none of us were present, none of us can truly know anything outside of what we read or are given by the Spirit. No offense will be taken by anyone who disagrees with my position stated here. -Magellan |