” And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bore Enoch: and he built a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.” We read after Cain kills Abel and resides in Nod (Gen 4:17). Cain and Abel, according to the book of Genesis, were Adam and Eve’s sons. One would ask where Cain’s wife came from.

This question has been one of contention in the Christian community. There are many assumptions when it comes to this topic. A few are;

  1. God created a wife for Cain as He did for Adam
  2. There were other human beings in existence aside from Adam, Eve, Abel, and Cain.
  3. Cain married his sister

We can all agree that Cain had a wife. The major question is where did she come from? Well, there were other people aside from Adam, Eve, Cain, and Abel, however, the bible does not explicitly make mention them. In Genesis 4:14-15 when God banished Cain, Cain was worried about people killing him, making known the fact that there could be more people.

Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me.” And the Lord said to him, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him – Genesis 4:14-15

God further acknowledges this remark by stating that He will put a mark on Cain so that no one would kill him. God also did not question who Cain would have feared hence no direct denial. So who could these be?

Genesis 5:3 makes it clear that Adam and Eve had other sons and daughters besides Cain, Abel, and Seth. The people Cain referred to were sons and daughters of Adam and Eve.

And Adam lived one hundred and thirty years, and begot a son in his likeness, after his image, and named him Seth – Genesis 5:3

Therefore, Cain could have possibly married one of those people, which would be one of the daughters of Adam and Eve. Important to mention that Genesis covers events and personalities over thousands of years, and often delves into the lives of people who significantly contributed to the story of the Messiah.

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