So where DID Cain get his wife?

Sisyphus · Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 4:00 pm Post subject: So where DID Cain get his wife?

A little over 30 years ago, shortly after coming to the Lord, I remember asking a question of one of the elders of the Brethren assembly I was in at the time. My question was, “Whom did Cain marry?” “Where did the woman come from?”
His answer was, “Oh, there were other people on the earth at that time”, which I accepted, if for no other reason than it was obvious I wasn’t going to get anything else from him then.

This question has popped into my mind on and off over the intervening years and I have never done anything about it, until today. This morning the question came to mind again and I set about trying to find the answer. I believe I have.

(Genesis 4:16-17).
"And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch."

So… Where did Cain get his wife?

The Bible does tell us regarding Adam that, "after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years," and it also tells us that "he begat sons and daughters." (Genesis 5:4 ).
So Adam had a long life and one assumes a fruitful life in terms of children.

In fact, the genealogy in Genesis 5 records that every descendant of Adam down to Lamech had "other sons and daughters," some born to men who were over 180 years old. People up to this point in Biblical history had very long life spans thereby substantially increasing their childbearing years, which means I suppose there could have been a population explosion in a relatively short period of time.

Had Cain waited to marry until he was about 200 years old, he probably had more than a few women to choose from and by that time the relationship family wise would/could have been quite distant.

So there it is I think, the answer to my question.
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Talitha Tetelestai · Guest

Ever listend to Ken Ham speak?..he talks about this quite a lot..the question he gets asked the most he says.

Sisyphus · Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 4:28 pm Post subject:

Talitha Tetelestai · Guest

Ken Ham is wonderful Sisyphus, truly, you should have a listen when you have the leisure to do so:

[url]http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?SpeakerOnly=true&currSection=sermonsspeaker&Keyword=Ken^Ham[/url]

I must be a lot less deep than you, because questions such as that never bothered me..I was more concerned to be sure God really did love me and that kind of thing.

Icon_hugginsmileys_753

Sisyphus · Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 4:42 pm Post subject:

Talitha Tetelestai · Guest

I can understand that. Icon_biggrin

Talitha Tetelestai · Guest

I can understand that. Icon_biggrin

Camberwick Green · Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 5:24 pm Post subject:

One theory which I heard was that Adam and Eves other children inter-married or there was a form of surrogocy

Now that to our western ears in 2007 is appaulling to say the least but if you remember - sin had entered the world and maybe a necessary evil to happen

Same with Noah and his sons and wives - the same question arises

Its a thought
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Sisyphus · Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2007 6:10 pm Post subject:

I don't think it was an evil entering the world, I think it is as you say, CG, today it sound terrible, but then it was different.

The incest problem is generally understood as centered around the blending of identical genes...as weaker genes get amplified during incestuous breeding, so families produce weaker and less thriving offspring...the 'incest' that is allowed in the opening generations of the bible would not have had to deal with this...the gene pool would have been TOTALLY pure at the beginning, and genetic flaws were likely to have been negligible if any at all.

To emphasis the difference in standards from then to today, one only has to remember that Abraham married his half sister and even Moses' father Amram married an aunt.

I think you are right Faith, at some point someone married within the sister/brother area but because of the genetics mentioned above, I don't believe it mattered physically.
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".... love thy neighbour as thyself." is the hardest thing I have ever done....

Talitha Tetelestai · Guest

I agree.

Eddie c · Joined: 16 Sep 2006 Posts: 685 Location: Manchester

Me too

Eddie
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Elaine · Joined: 20 Jun 2006 Posts: 1712 Location: Derbyshire

Just a quick word.

It's good to remember that the laws on incest were brought in with the rest of the law (given to Moses), until then, people regularly married close relatives.
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Covenanter · Joined: 28 Aug 2006 Posts: 1446

Nancy · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 1097 Location: Illinois, U.S.A.

I have a N.T. commentary, but not a O.T. one. I have to do some serious hunting for one.
Much to my delight late last night, I discovered we have a bible study thread here at KTF. Thank you so much Icon_happythumbsup

I'm not at all versed in O.T. scripture, but I'm willing to learn with your help.

I can accept where the N.T. books come from during + after the time of Christ. My question is this. How did the O.T. come about? I don't know when the written word came into existence, but isn't the O.T. handed down by word of mouth? There is more than one translation of scripture, + you well know how sentences can change meaning with just a different word.

(I would be looking for a non-denominational O.T. commentary,BTW)
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Covenanter · Joined: 28 Aug 2006 Posts: 1446