Adam and Eve is one of the most infamous couples from the Bible. According to the Book of Genesis, they were the first man and woman that God created. In this article, you will learn about the start of the couple, as well as the sons they produced together.
How Adam and Eve Came to Be
In Genesis 2, God creates man from dust and breathes life into his nostrils. He plants a garden (the Garden of Eden) and places man there to work and watch over it. Adam is allowed to eat from all of the trees in the garden except for the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. God creates animals, but none of them are a match for Adam to become his mate. When Adam is sleeping, God creates a woman from his rib. She is later known as Eve.
Cain and Abel
While Adam and Eve had three sons, there were two that become well known in the Bible and have often been used in history to teach a lesson. In the book of Genesis, Cain is described as a tiller of the soil who offers fruits of the earth to God, who frowns upon this gesture. Nothing is mentioned as to why Cain’s offerings are rejected. Some believe that it must have been the method of his sacrifice that was not accepted by ancient Hebrews.
Cain’s brother Abel, is the keeper of flocks, and makes offerings of his best firstlings. God is pleased with this offering. Cain is jealous of his brother and one day, he tempts his brother into a field so that he can kill him. When God asks him where Abel is, Cain answers, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”
Cain has desecrated the soil with his brother’s blood. God is vengeful because of this and deems that the ground will no longer be able to bear fruit for him. He also condemns Cain to live the life of a nomad. Cain is fearful that his wandering ways will make him easy pickings for those who are afraid of anything that is different from themselves. He believes that anyone will kill him in an instant. God places a mark on Cain (most likely similar to a tattoo), which warns off any potential attackers. This mark was not originally intended to identify him as a murderer, but was meant to protect him from others who could cause harm to him.
Cain starts to wander and eventually settles to the east of Eden in a land called Nod , which refers to “the land of the nomads.”
Cain’s fears pose questions to those under the impression that the only people in the world at the time are Adam, Eve and Cain. He later becomes the father of Enoch, which meant that he would have had to mate with another. However, at the time, many unnamed daughters and sons have appeared in Genesis 5:4. The land of Nod will later become the home of other figures in the Bible: Jubal (the first musician), Tubalcain (the first metalworker), and Lamech.
The third son of Adam and Eve is Seth (or Sheth). Adam sires him when he is 130 years old to take the place of Abel. The genealogy of Christ is often traced back to Seth and not Abel, who many believe would have been the perfect candidate for the honor due to his unjust death. In some circles, Seth is considered the first-born son of Adam and Eve. However, Seth does not have a colorful story told in the Bible.
Seth goes on to sire a son named Enosh (or Enos) at the age of 105 and lived to reach 912. The entire human race is traced back to Seth , yet not much is known about him.