Protos

Who was Cain in the Bible?

Lived before the flood

Cain was the firstborn son of Adam and Eve, and he is known for killing his brother Abel (Gen. 4; Heb. 11:4; 1Jn.3.12; Jud.1.11). Cain appears in 15 verses across 4 books of the Bible.

Cain leads Abel to death
Cain leads Abel to death · James Tissot, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

What does the Bible say about Cain?

Cain was the firstborn son of Adam and Eve, and he is known for killing his brother Abel (Gen. 4; Heb. 11:4; 1Jn.3.12; Jud.1.11). Cain was a farmer, while Abel was a shepherd. When both brothers brought offerings to God, the Lord accepted Abel's offering but rejected Cain's, which led to Cain's anger and jealousy. Despite God's warning to master his sinful desires, Cain lured Abel into the field and murdered him. As a result, God cursed Cain to be a restless wanderer on the earth and banished him from His presence. Cain's descendants, known as the Cainites, are mentioned in the genealogy of Genesis 4, which highlights the spread of sin and the development of civilization apart from God. The New Testament references to Cain portray him as an example of unbelief, wickedness, and rebellion against God (Heb. Jud.11.4; 1Jn.3.12; Jud.1.11). Cain's story serves as a warning about the consequences of sin, jealousy, and disobedience to God.

Definition text: STEPBible · Tyndale House Cambridge. Licensed CC BY 4.0. Lightly edited for length and formatting.

Compiled by Protos: the verse list on this page. Where one name belongs to more than one person or place, each of them gets a separate entry.

Where does Cain appear in the Bible?

Cain is referenced in 15 verses across 4 books. Every passage below is about this one, not just every verse the word turns up in.

Genesis 121 John 1Hebrews 1Jude 1

What else appears in these passages?

These turn up in the same passages as Cain.

AbelBrotherAdamEveSheepFruit

Common questions

How many times does the Bible mention Cain?

Cain appears in 15 verses across 4 books, most often in Genesis, which accounts for 12 of them.

Which books of the Bible mention Cain?

Genesis, 1 John, Hebrews, Jude.

Where can I read every verse about Cain?

This page lists 15 of them. Protos carries all 15, and opens this entry on the verse you are reading rather than in a separate tab.

Read it in context

Read Genesis with Cain explained on the verse.

Tap any name, place, or word you do not recognize and the background opens on the verse you are reading. No second tab, no search, no losing your place.

The Protos reader open on Genesis 1 with the How to Read Genesis background sheet raised over it
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Fabio Jonathan ArifinFabio JonathanFounder of Protos · Portland Bible College graduate

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