SILOAM SPRINGS — Question: Where do you suppose the wife for Cain came from?

Answer: “Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.” (Genesis 3:20)

Some people think there were “pre-Adamite men” or other humans in the world, but that does not agree with Scripture.

“Adam had sexual relations with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.” (Genesis 4:1) Later, “Cain went away from the LORD and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

He had sexual relations with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch.” (Genesis 4:16-17a) These verses don’t say Cain found a wife; rather that he had intimacy with her.

When Moses used the name “Nod” (wanderer) in Genesis 4, it was because Cain became a wanderer, or a nomad. (Genesis 4:12)

During Adam’s 930 years on earth (Genesis 5:5), Adam and Eve had a number of children.

The historian Josephus suggested that they had 33 sons and 23 daughters, but I think they had many more.

There was no scripture to disobey when Adam’s close relatives (sons and daughters) married each other, and the only folk around were Adam’s kids, grandkids, great-grandkids, etc.

The law forbidding marriage between close relatives was not given until the time of Moses (Leviticus 18:1-18). Even Abraham married his half-sister (Genesis 20:12). God blessed them, and God’s chosen people came through Jacob. It was not until some 400 years later that God forbade incestual marriages.

The Bible neither says nor infers that Cain’s wife came from Nod.

The text simply says that Cain “…dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden.

And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch.” (Genesis 4:16-17) Already married and possibly more than 70 years old, Cain took his wife (sister, niece, aunt, or cousin) with him.

— Gene Linzey is a former pastor in New Mexico who has moved to Siloam Springs. He can be contacted with questions or comments at masters.servant@cox.net.

Religion, Pages 8 on 10/14/2009

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