跟读创世记第四章的音频：https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/dramatized/niv/Gen.4。 无法打开网页需翻录的音频，请用下面的翻录音频。听了几遍后，可以查你的圣经，我也会贴一份中英文对照的在朋友圈（供本群和已经加我微信的可以看到）。
大家听一遍，仔细想想或独自写一下你对下面的预习题的想法：
1）上面的两张图中的雕塑人物是谁？2）你知道这章书有关的成语吗？3）用上面的的图对照听力原文尝试记笔记；4）换位思考，在对话中想象自己是该隐、上帝或作者，从他们的角度思想每一句。
课程学习
背景：第4章取自于《創世記》(Genesis) ，Out from the Eden, first family, first worship, first murder
体裁： Epic, Narrative
名词
Adam, Eve, Lord
Cain, Abel, Enoch, Irad, Mehujael, Methushael, Lamech, Adah, Zilah, Jabal, Jubal, Tubal-Cain, Seth
Offering, fruit, flock, fat portion, wanderer, punishment, vengeance
In the field, land of Nod
Made love, gave birth, became pregnant, brought forth, kept flocks, work the soil, rule over, attached, killed, yield its crops, live in the tents and raise livestock, suffer vengeance, avenged, granted, put a mark on Cain
形容词/副词
pregnant, angry, downcast, crouching, under a curse, restless, more than I can bear
In the course of time, now, later, at that time
连词/介词
And, with, in, but, so, then, if, at, while, when, from, on, to
语调
Disappointed, angry
连接、对比和举例说明图表
-Offering to the Lord:
1) some of the fruits of the soil;2) fat portions from some of the firstborn of
his flock
- Looked with favor on/not looked with
favor
-Anyone who kills Cain will suffer
vengeance seven times over/If Cain is avenged seven times, then Lamech
seventy-seven times
- Family tree (see next diagram)
重复/样式
-Gave birth/father of
-Punishment
-A restless wanderer on the earth
关键字
Vengeance，Crouching，My brother’s keeper，A mark on Cain
常见疑问
How old was Cain when he killed Abel?
Did they have families i.e. wives, kids when happened?
If Cain was the first Child, who was Cain’s wife?
Did Adam and Eve have daughters after Cain and Abel were born?
作者目的：To tell us the life of the first family, with the first offering, followed by the first killing of
man and more; (and make us think)
First family: Birth of Cain (1), Birth of Abel and their roles (2)
First offering to the Lord: Lord looked favored on Abel and Abel’s offering (3-4)
Cain’s anger (5)
God’s reaction and reminder (6-7)
Cain killed Abel in the field (8)
Lord’s judgement on Cain (9-15)
Cain’s family growth (16-24) – not called on the Lord, culture development
Seith’s born to replace Abel (25)
Began to call on the name of the Lord (26)
Act 1: First family: Birth of Cain (1), Birth of Abel and their roles (2)
Act 2: First offering to the Lord: Lord looked favored on Abel and Abel’s offering (3-4)
Act 2: Cain’s anger (5)
Act 3: God’s reaction and reminder (6-7) [为什么该隐不表达对上帝偏心的不满?]
Act 4: Cain killed Abel in the field (8)
Act 5:Lord’s judgement on Cain (9-15)
Act 6: Cain’s family growth (16-24) – not called on the Lord, culture development
Act 7: Seith’s born to replace Abel (25)
Act 8: Began to call on the name of the Lord (26)
小结
God’s mercy on Cain for not killing Cain
Hope from Seith
“If you what’s right, will you not be accepted? But if you donot do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it. “ Gen 4:7你若行得好，岂不蒙悦纳，你若行得不好，罪就伏在门前。它必恋慕你，你却要制伏它。
预习和课中问题讨论【音频】
Land of Nod: To “go off to the land of Nod” plays with the phrase to “nod off”, meaning to go to sleep.睡觉
the mark （or brand）of Cain谋杀罪
the curse of Cain流离漂泊
raise Cain over sth.因某事惹恼人
Cain slew Abel谋杀亲手足
Cain-coloured beard微黄色胡须 指反叛之人
my brother's keeper守护者
换位思考
God favor Abel: reality or perception? How would you handle this differently if you were Cain?
Life is full of injustices – in reality or perception 生活中的不公平（真实或感觉上的）
When you feel your boss favour your co-worker...当你觉得老板偏心你的同事
When you feel your parents favour your sibling…当你觉得父母偏心弟妹
When you feel a race is favoured by the government…当你觉得政府偏心某个族裔
When you feel you were misunderstood…当你觉得自己被误解
What should you do? How would you communicate this to your boss/parents/government?
你该怎么办？你如何沟通？
为什么该隐不表达对上帝偏心的不满? 你可以告诉上帝，因为上帝对亚伯的FAVOR，伤了他的心。上帝则应该会与他解释，下次可能就不会有这个情况发生。
冲突管理（Conflict Management)原则：
对事不对人（1) Voice Tone and Inflection (音调和声调）
（2）use words effectively （如何有效选择措辞）: 不要用论断的口吻说话，避免使用一些容易引起其他的敏感和情绪反应大的措辞。
（3) Being Specify in your communication（沟通中的具体化）
Mary is arrogant.
In the last 3 meetings I attended with Mary, she interrupted my contributions and made no reference to them.
不积压不满，及时解决问题
找直接当事人，控制情绪
生气却不要犯罪。不可含怒到日落。也不可给魔鬼留地步
人物分析：
亚伯：没有过错，只是因为全力讨好上帝，遭来杀身之祸
该隐：被妒忌和愤怒掩盖，不是和上帝理论，相反把怨气发泄在无辜的亚伯身上，杀害亚伯
上帝：对该隐的请求予以适当同意，惩罚该隐但也给了他机会
该隐的家族：似乎生活不错，但拉麦的话语透出他们处在一个互相敌对的环境下。
结语/Take Home Message
“If you what’s right, will you not be accepted? But if you donot do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it. “你若行得好，岂不蒙悦纳，你若行得不好，罪就伏在门前。它必恋慕你，你却要制伏它。Gen 4:7
In your anger do not sin“: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. 生气却不要犯罪。不可含怒到日落。也不可给魔鬼留地步。(以弗所书 4:26-27)
结语/Take Home Message
“If you what’s right, will you not be accepted? But if you donot do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it. “你若行得好，岂不蒙悦纳，你若行得不好，罪就伏在门前。它必恋慕你，你却要制伏它。Gen 4:7
In your anger do not sin“: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. 生气却不要犯罪。不可含怒到日落。也不可给魔鬼留地步。(以弗所书 4:26-27)
课后延伸讨论：(from Bible Query) - 下面是许多人问过的问题
Q: In Gen 4:3-6, why did God reject Cain’s offering?
A: The Wycliffe Bible Commentary p.284 says that while perhaps Abel brought his best and Cain did not, there is no indication of that in Genesis.
Hebrews 11:4 says that Abel offered in faith. Besides Cain having a bad attitude (as his subsequent actions showed), it could also be that God wanted blood offerings, not vegetables, as a foreshadowing of Christ’s death. See The Complete Book of Bible Answers p.45-46, When Critics Ask p.36, Today’s Handbook for Solving Bible Difficulties p.201-202, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.76, and 735 Baffling Bible Questions Answered p.26 for more info.
Hard Sayings of the Bible p.99-101 also mentions that this might be a contrast between Abel’s genuine worship and Cain’s formalistic worship. Abel’s offerings of the "fat portions" of the "firstborn" were the choicest parts of the firstborn. Cain merely brought "some" vegetables, not the first fruits.
Q: In Gen 4:10, how could Abel’s blood cry out?
A: This is a metaphor of the injustice against Abel and Cain’s guilt. Taking the Bible literally means reading it as the writers intended. Not recognizing metaphors and allegories in the Bible is called taking the Bible hyper-literally. See the Introduction for more discussion on hyper-literalness versus taking the Bible as it was intended, and as Jesus took it.
Q: In Gen 4:12, why was Cain not executed for murder?
A: Capital punishment was commanded in the Old Testament, not only in the Ten Commandments, but right after the flood in Genesis 9:5-6 and in Deuteronomy 13:10,11. However, these are all after the time of Cain and Abel. Apart from that, God knows all circumstances, and God Himself is not constrained by His laws for us.
At the time Cain was not told of any law for execution for murder, and God dealt with him by driving him from the soil.
Q: In Gen 4:12, was the prophecy proven to be unfulfilled since Cain built a city in Gen 4:17?
A: No, this is not a proven unfulfilled prophecy for two reasons.
Physical: Genesis 4:12 simply says that Cain would be a restless wanderer; it does not when he would wander, how long he would be a wanderer, or if he would always be a wanderer. We know little about Cain's life after that. Genesis 4:17 says that Cain was building a city and named it after his son Enoch. Perhaps Cain was trying to build a city in defiance of God's prophecy, and after that he was driven out and wandered.
Spiritual: Cain was considered the "cursed" line, and there is no evidence he ever went back to following God. So this prophecy might have referred to Cain’s spiritual condition as well as his physical condition.
Q: In Gen 4:13, why did Cain think that anyone who found him would want to kill him?
A: It is very interesting that the Bible never says God or anyone told Cain this. For many moral wrongs, including murder, people have a conscience inside them that tells them this is wrong. Cain perhaps reasoned that if he killed a fellow person, who was made in the image of God, it would be just for him to be killed in return. In Genesis 4:15, God seemed to confirm this reasoning, and that is why God took extra care, putting a mark on Cain, so that others would know not to do this.
The video series, Growing Kids God’s Way, by Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo, session 6, has some insightful material on the human conscience.
Q: In Gen 4:13-16, what was the mark God placed on Cain?
A: Scripture does not say, except that it was something that others would recognize. However, Today’s Handbook for Solving Bible Difficulties p.202-203 observes that it was not a part of Cain’s curse. Rather, it was God’s grace in giving Cain a mark so that others would know not to kill him.
Q: In Gen 4:13, was anyone else on the earth besides Adam and Eve and Cain?
A: This refers not only to possible daughters from which Cain got his wife, but also people born after the murder. While all people came from Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:20; Acts 17:26; Romans 5:14-15), Adam and Eve had other sons and daughters according to Genesis 5:4.
Q: In Gen 4:16-22, where did Adam and Eve’s sons get their wives? Is incest not forbidden?
A: Genesis 5:4 it says that Adam and Eve had other sons and daughters. Incest was not forbidden back then: if our genes were pure of genetic flaws, incest would not manifest any of the 2,000+ human genetic diseases it does today.
As a historical note, Augustine of Hippo answered this basically the same way in City of God book 15 ch.16 p.297 (413-426 A.D.) See 1001 Bible Questions Answered p.327, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.77, When Critics Ask p.37-38, 735 Baffling Bible Questions Answered p.27, and Sword and Triumph, March 2013 (reprinted in Christian News March 11, 2013 p.14) for more info.
Q: In Gen 4:16-17, how did Cain get his wife from the land of Nod?
A: Two points to consider in the answer.
1. Even assuming Cain did get his wife from the land of Nod, she would still be the offspring of Adam and Eve, since all people came from Adam (Acts 17:26) and Eve was the mother of all living (Genesis 3:20).
2. The Bible never said that Cain met his wife in Nod. Cain very well might have been married, and his wife traveled with Cain to Nod.
See Difficulties in the Bible p.53-56, The Complete Book of Bible Answers p.46, and Hard Sayings of the Bible p.101 for more info.
Q: In Gen 4:22, how could metals be used so early?
A: Bronze has been found in: Thailand–4500 B.C., Yugoslavia–4000 B.C., Greece–3000 B.C., and Anatolia–before 3000 B.C. Egyptians used iron from meteorites as ornaments and daggers prior to 3000 B.C. Also at the city of Eshnunna, near Babylon, archaeologists found an iron blade from 2700 B.C..
Q: In Gen 4:22, is the name "Tubal-Cain" related to the region of "Tubal" in modern Turkey as Asimov’s Guide to the Bible p.33 says?
A: While it cannot be proven either way, it probably is not related. Tubal was also the name of a son of Japheth, and the Tubal people likely were related to him. The "Tubal" people were mentioned in Assyrian records during the time of Shalmaneser III (859-824 B.C. and Sargon around 732 B.C. See the Wycliffe Bible Dictionary p.1751 for more info.
Q: In Gen 4:23-24, why did the man wound Lamech?
A: Three speculations about the man are:
A vigilante thought he was doing what was right by trying to kill Cain’s offspring. However, God specifically showed that no one was to get vengeance on Cain in Genesis 4:15, so it is implied that they should not take revenge on his sons either.
An excuse for a robber trying to take Lamech’s goods was that Lamech was Cain’s offspring.
It was not relevant whose descendant Lamech was; the man was simply trying to rob and/or kill Lamech.
However, scripture attaches no importance to why this particular man was trying to wound Lamech. The point of Genesis 4:23-24 was to demonstrate that after the first murder, Cain and his descendants lived in hostility towards others.
Q: In Gen 4:23-24, what was the ancestry of the man who wounded Lamech, and when was Seth born?
A: Scripture does not say, so there are three equally probable possibilities.
Abel had children before he was murdered.
Seth was his ancestor. Nothing says that Genesis 4:23-24 happened chronologically before Genesis 4:25-26.
Cain was the ancestor of the young man.
Q: In Gen 4:3-6, why did God reject Cain’s offering?
A: The Wycliffe Bible Commentary p.284 says that while perhaps Abel brought his best and Cain did not, there is no indication of that in Genesis.
Hebrews 11:4 says that Abel offered in faith. Besides Cain having a bad attitude (as his subsequent actions showed), it could also be that God wanted blood offerings, not vegetables, as a foreshadowing of Christ’s death. See The Complete Book of Bible Answers p.45-46, When Critics Ask p.36, Today’s Handbook for Solving Bible Difficulties p.201-202, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.76, and 735 Baffling Bible Questions Answered p.26 for more info.
Hard Sayings of the Bible p.99-101 also mentions that this might be a contrast between Abel’s genuine worship and Cain’s formalistic worship. Abel’s offerings of the "fat portions" of the "firstborn" were the choicest parts of the firstborn. Cain merely brought "some" vegetables, not the first fruits.
Q: In Gen 4:10, how could Abel’s blood cry out?
A: This is a metaphor of the injustice against Abel and Cain’s guilt. Taking the Bible literally means reading it as the writers intended. Not recognizing metaphors and allegories in the Bible is called taking the Bible hyper-literally. See the Introduction for more discussion on hyper-literalness versus taking the Bible as it was intended, and as Jesus took it.
Q: In Gen 4:12, why was Cain not executed for murder?
A: Capital punishment was commanded in the Old Testament, not only in the Ten Commandments, but right after the flood in Genesis 9:5-6 and in Deuteronomy 13:10,11. However, these are all after the time of Cain and Abel. Apart from that, God knows all circumstances, and God Himself is not constrained by His laws for us.
At the time Cain was not told of any law for execution for murder, and God dealt with him by driving him from the soil.
Q: In Gen 4:12, was the prophecy proven to be unfulfilled since Cain built a city in Gen 4:17?
A: No, this is not a proven unfulfilled prophecy for two reasons.
Physical: Genesis 4:12 simply says that Cain would be a restless wanderer; it does not when he would wander, how long he would be a wanderer, or if he would always be a wanderer. We know little about Cain's life after that. Genesis 4:17 says that Cain was building a city and named it after his son Enoch. Perhaps Cain was trying to build a city in defiance of God's prophecy, and after that he was driven out and wandered.
Spiritual: Cain was considered the "cursed" line, and there is no evidence he ever went back to following God. So this prophecy might have referred to Cain’s spiritual condition as well as his physical condition.
Q: In Gen 4:13, why did Cain think that anyone who found him would want to kill him?
A: It is very interesting that the Bible never says God or anyone told Cain this. For many moral wrongs, including murder, people have a conscience inside them that tells them this is wrong. Cain perhaps reasoned that if he killed a fellow person, who was made in the image of God, it would be just for him to be killed in return. In Genesis 4:15, God seemed to confirm this reasoning, and that is why God took extra care, putting a mark on Cain, so that others would know not to do this.
The video series, Growing Kids God’s Way, by Gary and Anne Marie Ezzo, session 6, has some insightful material on the human conscience.
Q: In Gen 4:13-16, what was the mark God placed on Cain?
A: Scripture does not say, except that it was something that others would recognize. However, Today’s Handbook for Solving Bible Difficulties p.202-203 observes that it was not a part of Cain’s curse. Rather, it was God’s grace in giving Cain a mark so that others would know not to kill him.
Q: In Gen 4:13, was anyone else on the earth besides Adam and Eve and Cain?
A: This refers not only to possible daughters from which Cain got his wife, but also people born after the murder. While all people came from Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:20; Acts 17:26; Romans 5:14-15), Adam and Eve had other sons and daughters according to Genesis 5:4.
Q: In Gen 4:16-22, where did Adam and Eve’s sons get their wives? Is incest not forbidden?
A: Genesis 5:4 it says that Adam and Eve had other sons and daughters. Incest was not forbidden back then: if our genes were pure of genetic flaws, incest would not manifest any of the 2,000+ human genetic diseases it does today.
As a historical note, Augustine of Hippo answered this basically the same way in City of God book 15 ch.16 p.297 (413-426 A.D.) See 1001 Bible Questions Answered p.327, Encyclopedia of Bible Difficulties p.77, When Critics Ask p.37-38, 735 Baffling Bible Questions Answered p.27, and Sword and Triumph, March 2013 (reprinted in Christian News March 11, 2013 p.14) for more info.
Q: In Gen 4:16-17, how did Cain get his wife from the land of Nod?
A: Two points to consider in the answer.
1. Even assuming Cain did get his wife from the land of Nod, she would still be the offspring of Adam and Eve, since all people came from Adam (Acts 17:26) and Eve was the mother of all living (Genesis 3:20).
2. The Bible never said that Cain met his wife in Nod. Cain very well might have been married, and his wife traveled with Cain to Nod.
See Difficulties in the Bible p.53-56, The Complete Book of Bible Answers p.46, and Hard Sayings of the Bible p.101 for more info.
Q: In Gen 4:22, how could metals be used so early?
A: Bronze has been found in: Thailand–4500 B.C., Yugoslavia–4000 B.C., Greece–3000 B.C., and Anatolia–before 3000 B.C. Egyptians used iron from meteorites as ornaments and daggers prior to 3000 B.C. Also at the city of Eshnunna, near Babylon, archaeologists found an iron blade from 2700 B.C..
Q: In Gen 4:22, is the name "Tubal-Cain" related to the region of "Tubal" in modern Turkey as Asimov’s Guide to the Bible p.33 says?
A: While it cannot be proven either way, it probably is not related. Tubal was also the name of a son of Japheth, and the Tubal people likely were related to him. The "Tubal" people were mentioned in Assyrian records during the time of Shalmaneser III (859-824 B.C. and Sargon around 732 B.C. See the Wycliffe Bible Dictionary p.1751 for more info.
Q: In Gen 4:23-24, why did the man wound Lamech?
A: Three speculations about the man are:
A vigilante thought he was doing what was right by trying to kill Cain’s offspring. However, God specifically showed that no one was to get vengeance on Cain in Genesis 4:15, so it is implied that they should not take revenge on his sons either.
An excuse for a robber trying to take Lamech’s goods was that Lamech was Cain’s offspring.
It was not relevant whose descendant Lamech was; the man was simply trying to rob and/or kill Lamech.
However, scripture attaches no importance to why this particular man was trying to wound Lamech. The point of Genesis 4:23-24 was to demonstrate that after the first murder, Cain and his descendants lived in hostility towards others.
Q: In Gen 4:23-24, what was the ancestry of the man who wounded Lamech, and when was Seth born?
A: Scripture does not say, so there are three equally probable possibilities.
Abel had children before he was murdered.
Seth was his ancestor. Nothing says that Genesis 4:23-24 happened chronologically before Genesis 4:25-26.
Cain was the ancestor of the young man.
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