Rejection
In the dawn of humanity, Adam and Eve were blessed with children, their firstborn Cain believed to be a divine gift. As Cain toiled the soil and his brother Abel tended sheep, the seeds of jealousy and conflict were sown when the Lord favored Abel's offering over Cain's. Consumed by rage and ignoring divine warnings, Cain struck Abel down in a violent, fateful act, forever marking him as the world's first murderer.
The aftermath of this fratricide saw Cain cursed by the Lord, condemned to wander the earth as a fugitive. His pleas for mercy were met with a protective mark, ensuring vengeance sevenfold against any who dared harm him. Meanwhile, Adam and Eve mourned the loss of Abel for many years, their sorrow tempered only by the birth of Seth, a new hope in the wake of tragedy. Seth, in Adam's likeness, continued their lineage, bringing a semblance of restoration to their fractured family as he fathered Enos, ensuring the saga of humanity would endure.
Major Characters
Minor Characters
Insignificant Characters
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Genesis
44%
Jasher
34%
Jubilees
22%
Exposition
Jubilee: 2
Year: 64-70
Cain is born
Genesis 4:1
Jasher 1:12b-13a
Jubilees 3:34, 4:1a
Year: 71-77
Abel is born
Genesis 4:2
Jasher 1:13b-14
Jubilees 4:1b
Year: 78*84
Awan is born
Jubilees 4:1c
Rising Action
Jubilee: 3
Year: 99
Offerings are presented to YHWH
Genesis 4:3-5
Jasher 1:15-16
YHWH confronts Cain about his offering
Genesis 4:6-7
Climax
Cain approaches Abel in anger
Jasher 1:17-24
Cain kills Abel
Genesis 4:8
Jasher 1:25-27
Jubilees 4:2
Falling Action
YHWH talks with Cain
Genesis 4:9-15
Jasher 1:28-32
Jubilees 4:3-6
Resolution
Cain leaves and dwells in Nod
Genesis 4:16
Jasher 1:33
Year: 99-127
Adam and Eve mourn the death of Abel
Jubilees 4:7a
Year: 130
Seth is born
Genesis 4:25, 5:3
Jasher 2:1
Jubilees 4:7b
Year: 134-140
Azura is born
Jubilees 4:8
Jubilee: 2
Year: 64-70
Cain is born i, ii
Jubilees 3:34
34 And they had no son till the first jubilee, [8 A.M.] and after this he knew her.
Genesis 4:1
1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.
Jasher 1:12b-13a
12b and Adam knew his wife Eve and she bore two sons and three daughters.
13a And she called the name of the first born Cain, saying, I have obtained a man from the Lord,
Jubilees 4:1a
1a And in the third week in the second jubilee [64-70 A.M.] she gave birth to Cain,
Year: 71-77
Abel is born
Genesis 4:2
2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
Jasher 1:13b-14
13b and the name of the other she called Abel, for she said, In vanity we came into the earth, and in vanity we shall be taken from it.
14 And the boys grew up and their father gave them a possession in the land; and Cain was a tiller of the ground, and Abel a keeper of sheep.
Jubilees 4:1b
1b and in the fourth [71-77 A.M.] she gave birth to Abel,
Year: 78-84
Awan is born
Jubilees 4:1c
1c and in the fifth [78-84 A.M.] she gave birth to her daughter Âwân.
Jubilee: 3
Year: 99
Offerings are presented to YHWH
Genesis 4:3-5
3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
Jasher 1:15-16
15 And it was at the expiration of a few years, that they brought an approximating offering to the Lord, and Cain brought from the fruit of the ground, and Abel brought from the firstlings of his flock from the fat thereof, and God turned and inclined to Abel and his offering, and a fire came down from the Lord from heaven and consumed it.
16 And unto Cain and his offering the Lord did not turn, and he did not incline to it, for he had brought from the inferior fruit of the ground before the Lord, and Cain was jealous against his brother Abel on account of this, and he sought a pretext to slay him.
YHWH confronts Cain about his offering
Genesis 4:6-7
6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? And why is thy countenance fallen?
7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
Cain approaches Abel in anger
Jasher 1:17-24
17 And in some time after, Cain and Abel his brother, went one day into the field to do their work; and they were both in the field, Cain tilling and ploughing his ground, and Abel feeding his flock; and the flock passed that part which Cain had ploughed in the ground, and it sorely grieved Cain on this account.
18 And Cain approached his brother Abel in anger, and he said unto him, What is there between me and thee, that thou comest to dwell and bring thy flock to feed in my land?
19 And Abel answered his brother Cain and said unto him, What is there between me and thee, that thou shalt eat the flesh of my flock and clothe thyself with their wool?
20 And now therefore, put off the wool of my sheep with which thou hast clothed thyself, and recompense me for their fruit and flesh which thou hast eaten, and when thou shalt have done this, I will then go from thy land as thou hast said?
21 And Cain said to his brother Abel, Surely if I slay thee this day, who will require thy blood from me?
22 And Abel answered Cain, saying, Surely God who has made us in the earth, he will avenge my cause, and he will require my blood from thee shouldst thou slay me, for the Lord is the judge and arbiter, and it is he who will requite man according to his evil, and the wicked man according to the wickedness that he may do upon earth.
23 And now, if thou shouldst slay me here, surely God knoweth thy secret views, and will judge thee for the evil which thou didst declare to do unto me this day.
24 And when Cain heard the words which Abel his brother had spoken, behold the anger of Cain was kindled against his brother Abel for declaring this thing.
Cain kills Abel iii
Genesis 4:8
8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
Jasher 1:25
25 And Cain hastened and rose up, and took the iron part of his ploughing instrument, with which he suddenly smote his brother and he slew him, and Cain spilt the blood of his brother Abel upon the earth, and the blood of Abel streamed upon the earth before the flock.
Jubilees 4:2
2 And in the first (year) of the third jubilee [99-105 A.M.], Cain slew Abel because (God) accepted the sacrifice of Abel, and did not accept the offering of Cain.
Jasher 1:26-27
26 And after this Cain repented having slain his brother, and he was sadly grieved, and he wept over him and it vexed him exceedingly.
27 And Cain rose up and dug a hole in the field, wherein he put his brother’s body, and he turned the dust over it.
YHWH talks with Cain
Genesis 4:9-12
9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?
10 And he said, What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.
11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand;
12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.
Jasher 1:28-32
28 And the Lord knew what Cain had done to his brother, and the Lord appeared to Cain and said unto him, Where is Abel thy brother that was with thee?
29 And Cain dissembled, and said, I do not know, am I my brother’s keeper? And the Lord said unto him, What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground where thou hast slain him.
30 For thou hast slain thy brother and hast dissembled before me, and didst imagine in thy heart that I saw thee not, nor knew all thy actions.
31 But thou didst this thing and didst slay thy brother for naught and because he spoke rightly to thee, and now, therefore, cursed be thou from the ground which opened its mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand, and wherein thou didst bury him.
32 And it shall be when thou shalt till it, it shall no more give thee its strength as in the beginning, for thorns and thistles shall the ground produce, and thou shalt be moving and wandering in the earth until the day of thy death.
Jubilees 4:3-4
3 And he slew him in the field: and his blood cried from the ground to heaven, complaining because he had slain him.
4 And the Lord reproved Cain because of Abel, because he had slain him, and he made him a fugitive on the earth because of the blood of his brother, and he cursed him upon the earth.
Jubilees 4:5-6
5 And on this account it is written on the heavenly tables, ‘Cursed is he who smites his neighbour treacherously, and let all who have seen and heard say, So be it; and the man who has seen and not declared (it), let him be accursed as the other.’
6 And for this reason we announce when we come before the Lord our God all the sin which is committed in heaven and on earth, and in light and in darkness, and everywhere.
Genesis 4:13-15
13 And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.
14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.
15 And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
Cain leaves and dwells in Nod
Genesis 4:16
16 And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.
Jasher 1:33
33 And at that time Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, from the place where he was, and he went moving and wandering in the land toward the east of Eden, he and all belonging to him.
Year: 99-127
Adam and Eve mourn the death of Abel
Jubilees 4:7a
7a And Adam and his wife mourned for Abel four weeks of years, [99-127 A.M]
Year: 130
Seth is born
Genesis 4:25, 5:3
25 And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.
3 And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, and after his image; and called his name Seth:
Jasher 2:1
1 And it was in the hundred and thirtieth year of the life of Adam upon the earth, that he again knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bare a son in his likeness and in his image, and she called his name Seth, saying, Because God has appointed me another seed in the place of Abel, for Cain has slain him.
Jubilees 4:7b
7b and in the fourth year of the fifth week [130 A.M.] they became joyful, and Adam knew his wife again, and she bare him a son, and he called his name Seth; for he said ‘GOD has raised up a second seed unto us on the earth instead of Abel; for Cain slew him.’
Year: 134-140
Azura is born
Jubilees 4:8
8 And in the sixth week [134-40 A.M.] he begat his daughter Azûrâ.
Notes
i
Sometimes a specific year is not given but instead a range of years.
ii
Jubilees 3:34. It seems like this verse should indicate that Adam and Eve had their first son after the first jubilee.
iii
Jasher 1:25. This verse states that Cain killed Abel with the iron part of his plowing instrument. Jubilees 4:31 states that Abel was killed with a stone.
Exposition
Jubilee: 2
Year: 64-70
Cain is born
Genesis 4:1
Jasher 1:12b-13a
Jubilees 3:34, 4:1a
They had no son until the 1st jubilee. After that, Adam had relations with his wife.
In the 3rd week of the 2nd jubilee, Adam knew Eve his wife; she conceived and gave birth to Cain. She said, “I have obtained a man from the LORD.”
Year: 71-77
Abel is born
Genesis 4:2
Jasher 1:13b-14
Jubilees 4:1b
In the 4th jubilee, Eve gave birth to his brother Abel. She said, “In vanity we came into the earth, and in vanity we will be taken from it.”
The boys grew up, and their father gave them each a share of land. Cain worked the ground, and Abel took care of sheep.
Year: 78-84
Awan is born
Jubilees 4:1c
In the 5th jubilee, Eve gave birth to her daughter Âwân.
Rising Action
Jubilee: 3
Year: 99
Offerings are presented to YHWH
Genesis 4:3-5
Jasher 1:15-16
After several years had passed, they each brought an offering to the Lord. Cain brought some of the fruit of the ground, while Abel brought the firstborn of his flock and the fat portions. God accepted Abel and looked favorably on him and his offering, and fire came down from the Lord out of heaven and consumed it.
But the Lord did not accept Cain or his offering, nor did He look favorably on it, because Cain had offered inferior produce from the ground before the Lord. Cain grew jealous of his brother Abel because of this—his expression changed, and he began looking for an excuse to kill him.
YHWH confronts Cain about his offering
Genesis 4:6-7
Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your face fallen? If you do what is right, won’t you be accepted? But if you don’t do what’s right, sin is crouching at the door. It desires you, but you must rule over it.”
Climax
Cain approaches Abel in anger
Jasher 1:17-24
Sometime later, Cain and his brother Abel went out into the field to do their work. Cain was tilling and plowing his land, while Abel was tending his flock. As the flock passed through the part of the field Cain had plowed, it greatly upset him. Cain approached Abel in anger and said, “What do I have to do with you, that you come to live here and let your flock graze on my land?”
Abel replied, “What do I have to do with you, that you eat the meat of my flock and wear their wool? So now, take off the wool of my sheep that you’re wearing, and repay me for the meat and wool you’ve taken. After you do that, I’ll leave your land, as you’ve asked.”
Cain said to Abel, “If I kill you today, who will hold me accountable for your blood?”
Abel answered, “Surely God, who made us both from the earth, will seek justice for me. He will demand your life for my blood if you kill me. The Lord is judge and ruler, and He repays each person for their evil. He judges the wicked for the wrong they do on the earth. So if you kill me here, know that God sees your hidden intentions and will judge you for the evil you’re planning to do today.”
When Cain heard what his brother had said, his anger burned even more against Abel for speaking those words.
Cain kills Abel
Genesis 4:8
Jasher 1:25-27
Jubilees 4:2
In the 1st year of the 3rd jubilee, Cain quickly got up and took the iron part of his plowing tool. He struck Abel suddenly and killed him—because God had accepted Abel’s offering but had not accepted Cain’s. Cain spilled his brother’s blood on the ground, and Abel’s blood flowed across the earth in front of the flock.
Afterward, Cain regretted killing his brother. He was deeply troubled, wept over him, and was greatly distressed. Then Cain got up, dug a hole in the field, placed his brother’s body in it, and covered it with earth.
Falling Action
YHWH talks with Cain
Genesis 4:9-15
Jasher 1:28-32
Jubilees 4:3-6
The Lord knew what Cain had done to his brother, and He appeared to Cain and said, “Where is Abel, your brother, who was with you?”
Cain tried to hide the truth and replied, “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”
Then the Lord said, “What have you done? Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground where you killed him. You have murdered your brother and tried to deceive me, thinking I did not see or know your actions. But you did this thing, and you killed your brother without cause, simply because he spoke truthfully to you. Therefore, you are cursed by the very ground that opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand, where you buried him. From now on, when you till the soil, it will no longer yield its strength to you as it once did. The ground will bring forth thorns and thistles, and you will be a restless wanderer on the earth, a fugitive, until the day you die.”
Because of this, it is written on the heavenly tablets: “Cursed is the one who strikes down his neighbor in secret. Let all who see and hear say, ‘So be it.’ And the person who sees it but doesn’t report it will be cursed just like the one who committed the crime.”
That is why we declare all sin before the Lord our God—whether it happens in heaven or on earth, in the light or in the dark, or anywhere else.
Then Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can bear. Look, today you have driven me away from the face of the earth, and I will be hidden from your presence. I will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and anyone who finds me will kill me.”
The Lord replied, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him seven times over.”
And the Lord placed a mark on Cain to protect him, so that no one who found him would kill him.
Resolution
Cain leaves and dwells in Nod
Genesis 4:16
Jasher 1:33
At that time, Cain left the presence of the Lord and the place where he had been, and he wandered through the land toward the east of Eden, along with all who belonged to him. He settled in the land of Nod, which is east of Eden.
Year: 99-127
Adam and Eve mourn the death of Abel
Jubilees 4:7a
Adam and his wife mourned the death of Abel for 28 years.
Year: 130
Seth is born
Genesis 4:25, 5:3
Jasher 2:1
Jubilees 4:7b
In the 4th year of the 5th week, in the 130th year of Adam’s life, they rejoiced, and Adam had relations with his wife again. She gave birth to a son in his own likeness and image, and he named him Seth. Adam said, “GOD has given us another offspring on the earth in place of Abel, because Cain killed him.”
Year: 134-140
Azura is born
Jubilees 4:8
During the 6th week, Adam had a daughter named Azûrâ.