Topical Bible: Falsehood: Cain, in Denying Knowledge of his Brother

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In the biblical narrative, the account of Cain and Abel serves as a profound illustration of falsehood and its consequences. Cain, the firstborn son of Adam and Eve, is a central figure in this account, which is found in Genesis 4. The narrative highlights the destructive nature of sin, particularly through the act of deceit.

After both brothers presented offerings to the Lord, Abel's offering was accepted, while Cain's was not. This rejection led to Cain harboring anger and resentment towards his brother Abel. The Lord, perceiving Cain's inner turmoil, warned him, saying, "If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you refuse to do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires you, but you must master it" (Genesis 4:7). Despite this divine counsel, Cain allowed sin to take hold of him.

In a premeditated act of violence, Cain lured Abel into the field and killed him. This fratricide marked the first murder recorded in Scripture, a direct result of unchecked sin and jealousy. Following the murder, the Lord confronted Cain with a question that would reveal the deceit in his heart: "Where is your brother Abel?" (Genesis 4:9). Cain's response was a blatant falsehood: "I do not know... Am I my brother’s keeper?" (Genesis 4:9).

Cain's denial of knowledge regarding Abel's whereabouts is a significant moment of falsehood in the biblical text. This lie not only reflects Cain's attempt to evade responsibility but also his defiance against God. The question "Am I my brother’s keeper?" underscores Cain's lack of accountability and disregard for the sanctity of life, as well as his failure to acknowledge the moral duty he had towards his brother.

The Lord's response to Cain's falsehood was swift and just. He declared, "What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground" (Genesis 4:10). This divine pronouncement highlights the gravity of Cain's sin and the futility of his deceit. The blood of Abel, though silenced by death, spoke volumes to God, testifying against Cain's actions and falsehood.

As a consequence of his sin and subsequent lie, Cain was cursed and became a restless wanderer on the earth. The Lord's judgment upon Cain serves as a sobering reminder of the seriousness with which God views falsehood and the moral decay it represents. Cain's account is a cautionary tale about the perils of allowing sin to fester and the inevitable judgment that follows deceit and unrepentance.

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Genesis 4:9
And the LORD said to Cain, Where is Abel your brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?
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Library

2 Timothy iii. 7-Jan
... Having a form of godliness, but denying the power ... Cain despised his brother, and
so, immediately after ... envy, slander, arrogance, perjury, and falsehood are done ...
/.../homily vii 2 timothy iii.htm

Treatise i. On the Unity of the Church.
... By a falsehood they are born, and they do not ... to God: for God had not respect unto
Cain's offerings; for ... sort of form [3143] of religion, but denying the power ...
/.../cyprian/the treatises of cyprian/treatise i on the unity.htm

Of Faith. The Definition of It. Its Peculiar Properties.
... die," (Gen.2:17); and to Cain, "The voice ... for vanity, so many lurking places for
falsehood, is so ... are unjustly and calumniously charged with denying that faith ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 2 of faith the.htm

Reprobation Asserted: Or, the Doctrine of Eternal Election and ...
... the world, not without, but by the knowledge of God ... did without his liking: God suffered
also Cain to kill ... Or what falsehood doth it command thee to receive for ...
/.../the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/reprobation asserted or the doctrine.htm

John Bunyan on the Terms of Communion and Fellowship of Christians ...
... I trust, in despite of slander and falsehood, discover myself ... the policy of Satan,
the children of Cain, and the ... the church have first the knowledge and liking ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/john bunyan on the terms.htm

The Pharisee and the Publican
... of them upon their brethren with much cruelty, falsehood, and extortion ... And this
knowledge, that the things of the Spirit of God ... by a free gift of God in his Son ...
/.../bunyan/the pharisee and publican/the pharisee and the publican.htm

Extracts No. vii.
... are spurious, we have no interest in denying, but we ... real, were as easily detected
as any falsehood whatever, was ... We read Genesis 4:22, that Tubal-cain was an ...
/.../ballou/a series of letters in defence of divine revelation/extracts no vii.htm

An Exposition on the First Ten Chapters of Genesis, and Part of ...
... The tree of the knowledge of good and evil, was a ... See it again in Cain, who while
he continued in the ... a busy sacrificer, as busy as Abel his brother; but when ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/an exposition on the first.htm

The Life and Death of Mr. Badman,
... my brother. ... But it was otherwise with Mr. Badman, for to my knowledge this his way
of lying was a great grief to his parents, for their hearts were much ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the life and death of.htm

A Defence of the Doctrine of Justification, by Faith in Jesus ...
... in all human acquirements, by an unlettered mechanic, whose knowledge was drawn ...
imprisonment of Bunyan; and of Philpot, for dragging his brother, Shore, from ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a defence of the doctrine.htm