The greatest atrocity has happened. Abel and Cain - the story of the first murder. At that time, the newly created world was still young, but by no means innocent. Human nature was damaged by original sin, and a person born in the image and likeness of the Creator crossed out his likeness in himself.

Human vices are the culprits of all crimes

Cain and Abel is a story that has since been repeated countless times, in a variety of ways. A long line will stretch endless strings of murderers and their victims. If you think about it, then the victims can be called those who fell from a criminal hand, and those who went to this atrocity. The latter, as a rule, are victims of their dark spiritual passions. Greed, malice, envy and other creations of Satan, boiling in them, are the true culprits of crimes.

Expelled from Paradise

But let's return to the pages of the Bible, on which the story of Cain and Abel appears before us. After Adam and Eve were expelled from paradise, they found themselves in a world that was very similar to the one where we all live. The similarity lay in the fact that, like us, its inhabitants became mortal, subject to disease and old age, and for the first time learned what suffering is. In addition, there was nothing free in this world, everything had to be earned through hard work. Soon they had sons - Cain and Abel.

The story told in the Bible begins with the fact that each of them chose his career in life. The eldest - Cain - became a farmer, and his younger brother Abel - a shepherd. The brothers had no doubts in matters of faith, since the existence of God seemed to them an obvious reality, and when the time came for the sacrifice, each of them approached it with a sincere desire to please the Almighty. Both laid on the altar the fruits of their labors: Cain - the firstfruits of the harvest, and Abel - the firstborn lamb from his flock.

Abel and Cain: the story of a rejected victim

It is not given to us to comprehend the motives for which the Lord preferred the sacrifice of Abel to the sacrifice made by his elder brother, but that is exactly what happened. Cain, instead of humbly bowing before the will of God, was filled with envy and a sense of wounded pride. He even darkened his face and changed outwardly. It says that the Lord tried to reason with him and turn away evil thoughts. He literally warns him that sin awaits a person who does not do good, but even in this case, he must find the strength in himself to refrain from it.

Abel and Cain - the story of a person's responsibility for his actions. Temptations lie in wait for each of us at some point in our lives, but it is one thing to desire something, and quite another to give free rein to our desires. Cain allowed the sin that was born in his soul to completely take possession of him. Choosing a moment when, in his opinion, there were no witnesses, he killed Abel.

Any murder is a sin, but shedding the blood of a sibling is doubly sinful. Apparently, the feeling of anger clouded Cain's mind so much that it never occurred to him that there was no place in the world where one could hide from the eyes of the all-seeing God. There were no people nearby at that terrible moment, but the Spirit of God was invisibly present.

Last chance to repent

The crime has been committed, but the all-merciful Lord does not deprive the unfortunate Cain of his last hope for forgiveness. With his question: "Where is Abel, your brother?" - it gives him the opportunity to confess his deed and repent. But sin has already completely taken possession of the murderer. Answering that he does not know where his brother is, he lies to God himself, thereby finally breaking with him. Abel and Cain is the story of two brothers, related by blood, but so different in their spiritual constitution. One-womb brothers who have become symbols of righteousness and sin. This storyline will find an endless continuation in the world.

Punishment is severe and inevitable

As a punishment, the Lord curses Cain and dooms him to eternal wanderings on earth and to eternal rejection. He even marks the killer with a special mark, which is called the Cain seal, so that everyone he meets knows who is in front of him and does not dare to take away his despicable life from him. The biblical story of Cain and Abel carries a deep philosophical meaning. Who killed whom is a vulgar simplification of the problem posed by this passage of Scripture. In this case, the motives that prompted the crime, the consciousness of responsibility for one's actions and the duty of resisting sin, as well as the inevitability of retribution for what one has done, are important.

Many people know that Adam and Eve had two sons, and the elder took the life of the younger, but why Cain killed Abel remains a mystery to many. This is the first example of fratricide in the history of mankind, which is often used by people in identical life situations. Despite the rather detailed description of what happened in the Bible, today there are many versions that differ from each other.

Why did Cain kill Abel?

To understand this issue, you must first remember the history itself. Adam and Eve were the first people to be expelled from paradise after committing sin. They had two sons: Cain and Abel. The first devoted his life to agriculture, and the second became a cattle breeder. When they decided to give sacrifice to God, the brothers brought the fruits of their labor. Cain offered grain as a gift to God, and Abel a lamb. As a result, the sacrifice of the younger brother was accepted into heaven, and the elder was left without. All this angered Cain, and he killed his brother Abel. This is the story of the sacred book.

In general, there are several different explanations presented by Christians, Jews and Muslims. One version says that it was a kind of test for the older brother. He had to understand that a person cannot get everything at once. Cain had to humble himself and continue to live without any resentment or disappointment. Muslims are sure that Abel has the heart of a righteous man and this was the reason for accepting the sacrifice.

Other versions of why Cain killed Abel

Although the holy book indicates that at the time of the incident only 4 people lived on earth, there is another version. There were also sisters, one of whom, Avan, became a dispute between two brothers. As you know, many conflicts between men over women end in bloodshed. This version arose on the basis of the fact that it was Avan Cain who married and they had a son.

There is a version that Cain deliberately could not kill anyone, because at that time it was not known what death was. Muslims have an opinion that everything happened purely by chance. Angry at his brother, Cain grabbed him and asked God what to do next. It was at this moment that the Devil appeared and set him up to kill. As a result, Cain killed his brother, not wanting it at all.

Christian theologians supplement the version given in the Bible. According to her, God did not want to accept Cain's sacrifice, because it was not from a pure heart. The Jewish philosopher Yosef Albo had a different opinion, who believed that for an older brother, killing an animal was an unacceptable phenomenon, which is why he took revenge on his relative for his actions. This version has some contradiction: on the basis of what such thoughts could arise, if the concept of death did not yet exist.

There is information in the Talmudic literature that the brothers fought on equal terms, and Cain was defeated, but he managed to beg for forgiveness. As a result, Abel let the unfortunate man go, but the fratricide from the Bible, taking advantage of the chance, dealt with a relative. According to another version, the brothers are the personification of the confrontation between agricultural and pastoral life principles.

What happened next?

After Cain killed his own brother, he married Avan and founded the city. He continued to engage in agriculture, which became the basis for the development of a new society. As for Eve, she learned about the death of her son thanks to the Devil, who told her what had happened in the most terrible colors. Mother experienced the bitterness of loss and cried for days on end. This can be called the first manifestation of human pain. Since then, this topic has been present on the pages of the Bible quite often.

Adin Steinsaltz answers questions from Mikhail Gorelik Steinsaltz Adin

Why did Cain kill Abel?

The Bible talks a lot about the Most High, about love, about sin, about suffering; about weapons - little and without any interest.

Adin Steinsaltz answers questions from Mikhail Gorelik

- Is the stone used by Cain to kill Abel the first weapon mentioned in the Bible?

Where did you get the idea that Cain killed Abel with a stone?

- Isn't it written that way?

Let's see. Here you are: "Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him." Only. Just a statement of the fact of the murder.

- Well, how did Cain kill Abel? If not stone, then what?

It must be assumed that he had some problems. He was the first killer, the case was new, and no technology existed yet. He must have experimented with different items and technologies and worked through trial and error before he succeeded.

- If so, then it is natural to assume that Cain also involved intangible means. Maybe he killed his brother with a word?

He must have tried with a word. This is a very effective weapon.

- Or look?

Why not? Why is a look worse than a stone? But women usually kill with a look. They are very good at it. In any case, specialized murder weapons did not yet exist. The first weapon is the work of the descendant of Cain, the son of Lemekh - Tubal Cain.

“Wait, but the mention of him doesn’t even mention a weapon at all. It turns out something like the stone of Cain. The text simply says that Tubal Cain made tools from copper and iron. Maybe we are talking only about agricultural implements?

We are talking about fundamentally new, complex and expensive materials and technologies. Obviously, in ancient times, as in our days, they were used primarily for military purposes. Please note that Tubal Cain's name is not accidental: "cain" is its integral part. By the way, in Hebrew there is a word with the same root as the word "tuval", and it means "seasoning". That is, the first gunsmith was a kind of seasoning for Cain.

- So, the weapon is mentioned for the first time only in connection with this craftsman?

A conclusion that seems obvious, but is wrong (this happens quite often). Weapons appear in the Bible much earlier than the resourceful Tubal Cain. When Adam and Eve left paradise, an angel with a fiery sword appears at its gates. This sword is the first weapon mentioned in the Bible. And what's important: it's not a murder weapon.

- In the synodal translation, the sword of this protective angel is called "turning". What does it mean?

Just spinning, spinning - it was impossible to get through.

- How in martial arts?

Something like that.

- And could you somehow comment on the exceptional restraint, even the dryness of the Bible in the description of weapons. What a contrast with the Iliad: the description of Achilles' shield is a poem! Meanwhile, there is nothing like it in the Bible.

It's pretty easy to explain. Here, for example, people left the restaurant. One will say: “tasty” or “tasteless”, or even shrug his shoulders. Another will sing a song about dinner, or make an indignant speech, or tell with pleasure how he was fed a week ago. Ask a man what such and such a woman looks like, and he will tell you about her eyes, hair, smile, voice.

- You forgot about the figure.

I just didn't have time - you react very quickly. And if you ask how she is dressed? Most likely, the man's answer will be stingy - after all, he paid attention to something completely different. Meanwhile, the woman will tell you about it in detail. My mother was a dressmaker, and since childhood I heard talk about clothes. These were detailed and eminently interested conversations. In ancient times, Jews fought a lot and did it very successfully, the reputation of Jewish warriors was quite high. And yet, despite this, the Jews did not like to fight - they treated the war as a necessity.

The Bible talks in detail about many things: about the Most High, about love, about sin, about suffering, about the organization of the sanctuary, about the clothes of priests, about a fair (and unfair) court - weapons clearly do not belong to the sphere of interest. The exception is the relatively detailed description of Goliath's weapons. It is said about the composition of weapons, about its size, weight, material, about armor it is said: “scaly”. It can be seen that both the giant himself and his weapons struck the imagination of the Jews. By the way, the growth of Goliath is far beyond the norm. Usually this is due to hormonal imbalances, and despite the imposing impression that such people make (and Goliath made just an intimidating impression), they are usually not very strong and not very well coordinated. It is unlikely that David's stone killed Goliath - most likely, he simply lost consciousness. The Philistines loved weapons - not without reason they belonged to a common cultural circle with the Greeks. And the Philistines were much better armed than the Jews.

- Prophet Isaiah predicts the time when swords will be beaten into plowshares. It just occurred to me that Peter the Great, having ordered the bells to be poured into cannons, responded in a peculiar way to the call of Isaiah.

Or the prophet Joel, who, obviously referring to the formula of his great predecessor, called for plowshares to be reforged into swords.

- In different languages, eroticism and enmity, war, violence are verbally close. Many examples could be given. Let's say "fuck". Or here in Hebrew: "neshek" (weapon) and "neshika" (kiss).

Well, the kiss is an ancient and tried weapon. No wonder: the relationship of the sexes is often a relationship of confrontation, struggle. This is not about the erotic image of weapons, but about the militaristic image of erotica, about the universal correlation of Eros and Thanatos.

From the book Book 16. Kabbalistic forum (old edition) author Laitman Michael

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2. And she gave birth to his brother, Abel. And Abel was the shepherd of the sheep, and Cain was the farmer "Abel" - the name of the second, known from the Bible, the son of Adam, is interpreted and translated differently: "breath, nothingness, vanity" or, as Josephus Flavius ​​thinks - "weeping". Like the previous name, and it is, throughout

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4. And Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord looked on Abel and on his gift, 5. but on Cain and on his gift he did not look. Cain was very upset, and his face drooped.

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8. And Cain said to Abel his brother: (Let's go into the field). And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him "And when they were in the field, Cannes rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him ..." Like death itself, appearing in the world as the dues of sin, was an act of some

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25. And Adam also knew (Eve) his wife, and she gave birth to a son, and called his name: Seth, because, (she said,) God put another seed for me, instead of Abel, whom Cain killed "And Adam knew yet wife ... and she gave birth to a son and called his name: Seth ... "In place of the two older children of Adam and

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The Man Who Killed the Devil There are many ways to ward off evil spirits and protect themselves from them, the Taoists believe. When a Taoist walks through the forest, he either sings or whistles because he believes that his music will prevent the evil forest spirits from approaching him, because they don't like

Abel and Cain - a story of hard fratricide that many have heard of. But it tends to repeat itself over and over again. In a figurative sense, in our country, too, there was brother against brother, and often in the direct sense, when there was a civil war after the revolution.

bible story

The first children of Adam and Eve, when they were expelled from Paradise, were Cain and Abel. The Bible in the fourth chapter of Genesis speaks sparingly of two brothers. Cain was born first. His name probably comes from the Hebrew verb "kana" (to bring into being). Eve then said, "I brought forth man." Or maybe this name is associated with the word "kain", which means "blacksmith", or "kana" - "jealous". The name Abel can go back to the word "hevel" - "breath". Abel was the younger brother.

Both of them, as expected, led a life on earth. She gave vegetable food to Cain, Abel shepherded the flocks. The time has come to offer sacrifice to God. Abel and Cain, the story tells, brought the gifts they had. But Abel did it from the heart. He brought, as Scripture says, the most selective sheep, and the Lord gratefully accepted his sacrifice: the smoke from it went up like a column.

Cain could, but did not want, theologians believe, to sacrifice animals and birds, for which he had no shortage. However, out of negligence, he brought only the fruits of the earth, and the first that came across to him. Cain's sacrifice bore only signs of external ritualism, arrogance, vanity and pride. The Lord saw his inner motives. She was rejected: the smoke from her spread on the ground. Cain did not expect this and was very upset.

A crime

What happened next? Abel and Cain, whose history will continue tragically, could not live as they lived before because of the deceit and malice of their elder brother. Cain's face drooped. He planned evil, his conscience was unclean, and he lowered his gaze. He did not muster his strength to ward off sinful temptation. Cain killed his brother.

Why did Cain kill Abel? Because the pure sacrifice of that was pleasing to God. Why did Cain kill Abel? The reason was jealousy. Here for the first time in the Bible the word "sin" appears and the theme of moral responsibility for one's actions is considered. To whom does Cain answer? Before the Creator, of course.

When God, already knowing everything and wanting to lead the sinner to repentance, and then to forgiveness, asked him where his brother was, Cain lied with fear that he did not know, because he was not his brother's keeper. But God knows everything: Abel and Cain, whose history will continue, will live in the memory of people for thousands of years. One as an innocent victim of envy, the third deadly sin, the other as a vengeful, envious, vicious killer.

Face print

After the murder, the Creator cursed his elder brother, banished Cain to the land of Nod, where he was to wander forever. But anyone who kills him will be avenged seven times more. So that everyone, even animals, would recognize the killer, God placed a seal on his forehead. It consisted of one letter of the name of God. The “seal of Cain” is the “seal of crime”. This is how it became established in the modern language.

Where did the word "cursed" come from?

The root in this word comes from the name of Cain. The Old Russian verb "okayati" meant "curse". This colloquial word means "damned", full of sin. That was the name of the Russian prince Svyatopolk.

Svyatopolk the Cursed

He and the brothers Boris and Gleb, who were ruined by him, were compared with biblical characters. Svyatopolk is the murderer Cain. Abel, an innocent victim, becomes half-children at the hands of the chronicler, teenagers Boris and Gleb, who experienced a terrible bloody death at the hands of a brother who did not spare them in the internecine struggle. In the annals, Svyatopolk is directly called truly the second Cain.

In the head of Prince Yaroslav, a desire grows to punish Svyatopolk for the blood of his brothers. In the same chronicle, another murderer is mentioned who raised his hand against the brothers - Gleb Ryazansky. So in Russia they well remembered who Cain and Abel were. The biblical legend found a completely earthly reflection in the history of pre-Mongol Rus. But even later, relatives under the Mongols hated each other so much that the prince of Tver killed the prince of Moscow right at the khan's headquarters. Between them there was a struggle for the Great reign in Vladimir.

In distant India

They did not hear and did not know who Abel and Cain were. The story about them was unknown to the Indians. But they knew well that they should be afraid of their brother. He is a traitor, and nothing good can be expected from him. Their old legend about the "Eyes of the Eternal Brother" was retold, or perhaps invented and stylized by S. Zweig. In it, a brother, at night, in the darkness of battle, kills his own brother, who has gone over to the camp of enemies. After this murder, his well-established, prosperous and respected life gradually collapses and he dies alone, and only dogs howl over his grave.

A serious crime by the standards of people should be punished with all severity. But when people cannot do it themselves, they call on God for help.

He chooses a punishment that exactly matches the sin. So he turned away his face from Cain (stopped helping) and made him an exile and a wanderer. Cain wanted to be killed, but the Creator decided that his conscience would forever torment him. Now Cain always saw his hands stained with the blood of his brother. This was the most severe punishment.

Everything in the world happens for the first time. The Bible Book of Genesis in the fourth chapter tells how for the first time in the history of mankind the greatest atrocity happened. Abel and Cain? story of the first murder. At that time, the newly created world was still young, but by no means innocent. Human nature was damaged by original sin, and a person born in the image and likeness of the Creator crossed out his likeness in himself.

Cain and Abel? a story that has since been repeated countless times, in a variety of ways. A long line will stretch endless strings of murderers and their victims. If you think about it, then the victims can be called those who fell from a criminal hand, and those who went to this atrocity. The latter, as a rule, are victims of their dark spiritual passions. Greed, malice, envy and other creatures of Satan boiling in them? Here are the real perpetrators of the crimes.

Expelled from Paradise

But let's return to the pages of the Bible, on which the story of Cain and Abel appears before us. After Adam and Eve were expelled from paradise, they found themselves in a world that was very similar to the one where we all live. The similarity lay in the fact that, like us, its inhabitants became mortal, subject to disease and old age, and for the first time learned what suffering is. In addition, there was nothing free in this world, everything had to be earned through hard work. Soon they had sons? Cain and Abel.

The story told in the Bible begins with the fact that each of them chose his career in life. Older? Cain became a farmer, and his younger brother Abel? shepherd. The brothers had no doubts in matters of faith, since the existence of God seemed to them an obvious reality, and when the time came for the sacrifice, each of them approached it with a sincere desire to please the Almighty. Both laid on the altar the fruits of their labors: Cain - the firstfruits of the harvest, and Abel - the firstborn lamb from his flock.

Abel and Cain: the story of a rejected victim

It is not given to us to comprehend the motives for which the Lord preferred the sacrifice of Abel to the sacrifice made by his elder brother, but that is exactly what happened. Cain, instead of humbly bowing before the will of God, was filled with envy and a sense of wounded pride. He even darkened his face and changed outwardly. The Holy Scripture says that the Lord tried to reason with him and turn away evil thoughts. He literally warns him that sin awaits a person who does not do good, but even in this case, he must find the strength in himself to refrain from it.

Abel and Cain? history of human responsibility for their actions. Temptations lie in wait for each of us at some point in our lives, but is it one thing to desire something, and quite another? give free rein to your desires. Cain allowed the sin that was born in his soul to completely take possession of him. Choosing a moment when, in his opinion, there were no witnesses, he killed Abel.

Any murder? sin, but shedding the blood of a brother is doubly sinful. Apparently, the feeling of anger clouded Cain's mind so much that it never occurred to him that there was no place in the world where one could hide from the eyes of the all-seeing God. There were no people nearby at that terrible moment, but the Spirit of God was invisibly present.

Last chance to repent

The crime has been committed, but the all-merciful Lord does not deprive the unfortunate Cain of his last hope for forgiveness. With his question: "Where is Abel, your brother?" ? it gives him the opportunity to confess his deed and repent. But sin has already completely taken possession of the murderer. Answering that he does not know where his brother is, he lies to God himself, thereby finally breaking with him. Abel and Cain? the story of two brothers, related by blood, but so different in their spiritual constitution. One-womb brothers who have become symbols of righteousness and sin. This storyline will find an endless continuation in the world.

Punishment? harsh and inevitable

As a punishment, the Lord curses Cain and dooms him to eternal wanderings on earth and to eternal rejection. He even marks the killer with a special mark, which is called the Cain seal, so that everyone he meets knows who is in front of him and does not dare to take away his despicable life from him. The biblical story of Cain and Abel carries a deep philosophical meaning. Who killed whom? a vulgar simplification of the problem posed in this passage of Scripture. In this case, the motives that prompted the crime, the consciousness of responsibility for one's actions and the duty of resisting sin, as well as the inevitability of retribution for what one has done, are important.