Cain and Abel

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Cain said to his brother Abel … and when they were in the field, Cain set upon his brother Abel and killed him. יהוה said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” “What have you done? Hark, your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground! Therefore, you shall be more cursed than the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.

If you till the soil, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. You shall become a ceaseless wanderer on earth.” Cain said to יהוה, “My punishment is too great to bear! Since You have banished me this day from the soil, and I must avoid Your presence and become a restless wanderer on earth—anyone who meets me may kill me!” יהוה said to him, “I promise, if anyone kills Cain, sevenfold vengeance shall be exacted.” And יהוה put a mark on Cain, lest anyone who met him should kill him.

Genesis 4:12-15

Now the Human knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gained a person with the help of יהוה.” She then bore his brother Abel. Abel became a keeper of sheep, and Cain became a tiller of the soil.

Cain left the presence of יהוה and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he then founded a city, and named the city after his son Enoch. To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad begot Mehujael, and Mehujael begot Methusael, and Methusael begot Lamech. Lamech took to himself two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other was Zillah. Adah bore Jabal; he was the ancestor of those who dwell in tents and amidst herds. And the name of his brother was Jubal; he was the ancestor of all who play the lyre and the pipe…

Genesis 4:16-26

ויאמר קין אל הבל AND CAIN SPAKE TO ABEL — He began an argument, striving and contending with him, to seek a pretext to kill him. There are Midrashic explanations of these words, but this is the plain sense of the text. איה הבל אחיך WHERE IS ABEL THY BROTHER — thus entering into a friendly conversation with him: perhaps he might repent and say, “I have killed him, and sinned against You” (Genesis Rabbah 19:11). לא ידעתי I KNOW NOT — He became a deceiver of the Most High (i. e. he persuaded himself that he could deceive Him) (Numbers Rabbah 20:6).

Rashi on Genesis 4:8:1-9:2

“Cain said to Abel his brother. It was when they were in the field. Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him” (Genesis 4:8).
“Cain said to Abel his brother. It was when they were…” – about what were they quarreling? They said: ‘Let us divide the world between us.’ One took the land and one took the movable property. This one said: ‘The land on which you are standing is mine.’ That one said: ‘What you are wearing is mine.’ That one said: ‘Take it off.’ This one said: ‘Fly.’ As a result: “Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him…

Bereshit Rabbah 22:7-9

“The Lord said to him: Therefore, anyone who kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold. The Lord placed a sign for Cain, so that anyone who would find him would not smite him” (Genesis 4:15).
“The Lord said to him: Therefore, anyone who kills Cain” – Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Yehuda says: The animals, the beasts, and the birds all gathered to demand justice for Abel’s blood. He [God] said to them: “Therefore” I am saying: “Anyone who kills Cain” will be killed.
Rabbi Levi said: The primeval serpent came to demand justice for Abel…

Bereshit Rabbah 22:12-13

“Cain said to Abel his brother. It was when they were in the field. Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him” (Genesis 4:8).
“Cain said to Abel his brother. It was when they were…” – about what were they quarreling? They said: ‘Let us divide the world between us.’ One took the land and one took the movable property. This one said: ‘The land on which you are standing is mine.’ That one said: ‘What you are wearing is mine.’ That one said: ‘Take it off.’ This one said: ‘Fly.’ As a result: “Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him…

Bereshit Rabbah 22:7

ויקם קין, Kayin arose without any previous quarrel, similar to Deuteronomy 19,11 וארב לו וקם עליו, “he ambushed him and attacked him.”

Sforno on Genesis 4:8:3

ויאמר קין, Kayin accused his brother of being the cause that G’d had rebuked him. As a result his anger had intensified. He did not attack Hevel physically at that time as he was afraid of the reaction of his father. He kept his fury under control until the two of them were alone together in the field. This is when he killed him out of jealousy.

Radak on Genesis 4:8:2

And Kain said to Habel his brother, Come, and let us two go forth into the field. And it was that when they two had gone forth into the field, Kain answered and said to Habel, I perceive that the world was created in goodness, but it is not governed (or conducted) according to the fruit of good works, for there is respect to persons in judgment; therefore it is that thy offering was accepted, and mine not accepted with good will. Habel answered and said to Kain, In goodness was the world created, and according to the fruit of good works is it governed…

Targum Jonathan on Genesis 4:8

AND CAIN SPOKE TO ABEL HIS BROTHER. He began a conversation of argument and contention with him in order to seek a pretext against him and so kill him. This is the language of Rashi. Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that the interpretation that appears most likely to him is that Cain related to Abel all the chastisements with which G-d had reprimanded him [and Cain accused Abel of having brought them upon him].
But in my opinion it is connected with the following words of Scripture: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, meaning that Cain said to Abel…

Ramban on Genesis 4:8:1

Cain spake before the Holy One, blessed be He: Sovereign of all the worlds ! "My sin is too great to be borne" (Gen. 4:13), for it has no atonement. This utterance was reckoned to him as repentance, as it is said, "And Cain said unto the Lord, My sin is too great to be borne" (ibid.); further, Cain said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Now will a certain righteous one arise on the earth and mention Thy great Name against me and slay me. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He took one letter from the twenty-two letters, and put (it) upon Cain's arm that he should not be killed…

Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 21:10

Another matter, “if you lend money to My people,” that is what is written: “A greedy man rushes after wealth” (Proverbs 28:22); this is Cain, who hastened himself to take the world. How so? When he was with his brother, as it is stated: “It was when they were in the field” (Genesis 4:8), they said one to the other: ‘Come, let us divide the world.’ Cain said: ‘You take the movable property, and I [will take] the land.’ They divided it between them. Abel took the movable property and Cain [took] the land. [Cain] plotted to oust [Abel] from the world…

Shemot Rabbah 31:17

Thereupon Cain cried out: “O Lord of the universe, do You have informers who denounce men to You? My father and mother are the only living human beings on earth, and they do not know that I slew him; how do You, who abidest in heaven, know?” The Holy One, blessed be He, answered: “Fool! I bear the entire world as it is said: I have made and I will bear; yea, I will carry and will deliver (Isa. 46:4).” Forthwith, Cain cried out: “You bear the entire world, yet my sin You are unable to bear. My sin is greater than I can bear (Gen. 4:13)…

Midrash Tanchuma, Bereshit 9:8

Cain was jealous of Abel because he thought that Abel's existence was the cause that he himself had been degraded. He thought that his own shortcomings had come to light only by comparing him to his brother. Once his brother would be out of the way G'd would have to turn to him seeing there was no one else to turn to. This is why he planned to kill Abel. He realised that the stench of Abel's decaying body would rise heavenwards. Inasmuch as man had been forbidden to murder, Cain sought a way of killing Abel without laying a hand on him…

Or HaChaim on Genesis 4:8:3

רעה צאן A FEEDER OF FLOCKS — Because the earth had been cursed he refrained from cultivating it.

Rashi on Genesis 4:2:1

In the course of time, Cain brought an offering to יהוה from the fruit of the soil; and Abel, for his part, brought the choicest of the firstlings of his flock. יהוה paid heed to Abel and his offering, but to Cain and his offering [God] paid no heed. Cain was much distressed and his face fell.

R. Jose said: ‘This view is borne out by the language of the text, which in regard to the birth of Cain says, “And Adam knew his wife and she conceived and she bore Cain”, and so of Abel, “and she again bore his brother Abel”, but of Seth it says, “and he bore in his likeness after his image”.’

Zohar, Bereshit 94:350

And יהוה said to Cain,
“Why are you distressed,
And why is your face fallen?
Surely, if you do right,
There is uplift.
But if you do not do right
Sin couches at the door;
Its urge is toward you,
Yet you can be its master.”

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