Interesting Facts

• Cainan grew up and became wise at the age of forty.
• He possessed knowledge and skill in all wisdom.
• Cainan reigned over all the sons of men.
• With his wisdom, Cainan ruled over spirits and demons.
• Cainan knew through his wisdom that God would destroy mankind with the flood due to their sins.
• Cainan wrote upon stone tablets what was to happen in the future and stored them in his treasures.
• Cainan reigned over the whole earth.
• Cainan turned some of the sons of men to the service of God.

Genealogy

• Cainan was the son of Enos.
• Enos was the son of Seth.
• Seth was the son of Adam and Eve.
• Enos was born in the fourth year of the sixth week [235 A.M.].
• Cainan was born ninety years after Enos [325 A.M.].
• Cainan married Mualeleth, his sister [386-392 A.M.].
• Cainan begat Mahalaleel [395 A.M.].
• Cainan also had other children: Enan, Mered, Adah, and Zillah.

Historical Context

Cainan’s life occurred in a period after the initial generations of humanity. According to the sources, during the days of his grandfather Enos, the sons of men began to multiply and rebel against God, serving other gods and making idols, which angered the Lord. This led to a partial destruction by the waters of the river Gihon and a great famine. Prior to Cainan’s rise to wisdom, a significant event was the descent of the Watchers, who took human wives and taught forbidden knowledge, such as the art of warfare. The widespread corruption and violence resulting from the Watchers’ influence set the stage for Cainan’s emergence as a wise ruler who sought to counter this trend by leading men to wisdom and the service of God. Cainan lived before the birth of Enoch of Seth’s line, who would later confront the fallen angels.

Narrative

The narrative concerning Cainan of Seth’s line highlights his attainment of great wisdom at the age of forty. This wisdom enabled him to rule over all the sons of men and guide them towards knowledge and understanding. Notably, Cainan’s wisdom extended to the spiritual realm, as he held dominion over spirits and demons. This detail suggests an awareness of, and perhaps an active engagement against, the malevolent spiritual forces that had been unleashed upon the earth through the actions of fallen angels and their offspring. Furthermore, Cainan possessed prophetic insight, knowing that God would bring a flood to destroy humanity due to their widespread sinfulness. In response to this knowledge, he inscribed future events on stone tablets, preserving them for posterity. His reign is characterized by an effort to restore righteousness, as he successfully turned some people back to the service of the Lord. Cainan’s reign can be seen as a divine response within humanity to the growing wickedness instigated by the fallen Watchers.