kutz@cis.ohio-state.edu (Kenneth J. Kutz) (03/25/91)
In article <Mar.18.23.53.15.1991.29096@athos.rutgers.edu>, emory!dragon!cms@gatech.edu writes: > [In a discussion of the plausibility of early accounts in Gen, > Alan Murray mentioned the fact that Cain would have had to > marry his sister. --clh] > For what it's worth, I remember from my Sunday School class that Cain > obtained a wife in the same way that Adam did -- from his rib. God > caused a deep sleep to come up on Cain, removed his rib, and created > Cain's wife, who dwelt with him in the land of Nod. This is a > tradition of the Church and seems to me to be the most plausible > explanation. Where did Cain get his wife? We see this thread over and over and over and over and over again, both here and in talk.origins. Please turn to Genesis 4 with me. Answer these questions from the text: Does the text require that Cain be Eve's *first* child? (Gen 4:1) Does the text require that Abel be Eve's *second* child? (Gen 4:2) How much time may have passed between Gen 4:1 and Gen 4:2? Before you answer that, how much time passed between Gen 4:2a (the first sentence of 4:2) and Gen 4:2b (the second sentence of 4:2). What does the first phrase of Gen 4:3 indicate? If Cain and Abel were only children, who is Cain worried about in Gen 4:14-16? Might Eve's first recorded words after Cain was born indicate her joy in having her first *male* child? (Gen 4:1) The answer to the question of "who did Cain marry" is simple. He married a female from the offspring of Adam and Eve! The command against incest did not come until later. The Bible assumes this is who Cain married, we are left with no other options (except our imaginations - a highly fallible source of truth :-) -- Kenneth J. Kutz Internet kutz@andy.bgsu.edu Systems Programmer BITNET KUTZ@ANDY University Computer Services UUCP ...!osu-cis!bgsuvax!kutz Bowling Green State Univ. US Mail 238 Math Science, BG OH 43403