One of the most controversial issues that arises among people who read the Bible is the children of Adam and Eve, as well as their number. Where did Cain's wife come from, how was everything arranged, etc.
To answer these questions, we need to look at the entire history of the Bible, not just one part of it. So, first, let's look at God's plan, it follows throughout the entire Bible.
Imagine that you come to a gallery where an excellent canvas is displayed across the entire wall.
It depicts the history of various events. If you stand in front of the canvas, your gaze will catch only that fragment of the picture that will be in front of you and how much your gaze can cover.
But if you manage to move away, you will see the entire canvas, the whole picture of what is happening will open to your eyes - what the artist wanted to show and tell.
And if we focus on one story of events, questions will arise. There will be no consistency or meaning in this. So let's look at the whole canvas of the biblical picture as a whole.
Don't look at the past with the eyes of the present
And there is one more “but” - looking into the past, we look through the prism of today and think that all the laws, views, that way of life were the same as now. This is far from true. Nowadays, life expectancy has decreased significantly, the number of children born is reduced to a minimum, due to health or material wealth. Today there are laws, codes, and various rules that define the framework for managing society.
In Old Testament times, from Adam to Moses, man had only conscience and free will. Due to the lack of rules and laws, there was neither crime nor punishment. So it is not difficult to imagine the events of those days.
Where to look for answers
The answers to the question of the origin of humanity are contained in ancient Christian texts, which include the following texts:
- Bible;
- gospel;
- apocryphal texts.
By comparing all these sources, a complete history of the origins of mankind can be compiled.
Interesting: the Old Testament contains only brief references to ancient events of the origin of people, so the main Christian book is supplemented with the interpretation of its text by the Fathers of the Church and the works of ancient authors.
Source of creation
God's plan was to create man like Himself (just as children who are born are like their parents). Man was created for communication with God, eternal life without suffering and tears, disease and evil.
Adam was alone in the garden (Genesis 2:18). The Bible says: “IT IS NOT GOOD FOR MAN TO BE ALONE.”
And the man gave names to all the livestock, and to the birds of the air, and to every beast of the field; but for man there was no helper like him. (Gen.2:20)
Next, the Creator speaks about a helper for man, similar to him, a wife created from a part (rib) of Adam. God does not create another person, He creates him from Adam.
After disobedience to God, the fall of all mankind occurred. Since, for example, the seed of an apple contains all the information about a tree (what it looks like, what is its height and volume, the size of the tree and fruit, etc.), so Adam contained all the information about humanity inside himself. After leaving the Garden of Eden, Adam continued to live, but already changed - sin entered his life, communication with God was lost, which changed the entire history of mankind. Man has learned what evil and death are.
Lilith, Adam's first wife, is not described in any way in Orthodoxy
Another character you can’t ignore is Lilith.
If Adam is the son of God, then Lilith can well be called His daughter (this is in no way the role of Eve’s older sister, because they have different origins). She was created equal to her husband - from clay.
There is no mention of this character in the Bible. But a number of researchers point to the following verse:
Genesis 1:27
And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female he created them.
John Collier's painting "Lilith", 1892, which depicts Adam's first wife according to non-Orthodox sources.
There is an opinion that the verse is not talking about Eve, since she was created from Adam's rib, but here someone equal to a man is described.
Lilith is an ancient character, older than Christianity and Judaism. It dates back to the times when matriarchy still reigned in the world. Her name is rooted somewhere in the lost roots of human history. However, we know about it from some sources:
- Apocrypha;
- Kabbalistic works;
- Jewish traditions;
- Esoteric treatises.
According to various legends, Lilith was punished by God and became either an evil demon or the mother of various evil spirits. According to another version, she was punished with infertility, for which Lilith is now taking revenge on humanity.
A number of sources mention Lilith as the wife or mistress of Cain. The Orthodox tradition is indifferent to this woman and does not seriously explore her role and possibility of existence.
Children of Adam and Eve
Man continues to fulfill the Creator’s command to be fruitful and multiply to this day, creating others like himself.
Adam had his first son, Cain, and his second, Abel (Gen. 4:1-2). They both worked: Cain was engaged in agriculture, and Abel was engaged in cattle breeding.
One day they brought gifts to God. Both one and the other wanted to please God, but the Creator liked Abel’s gift more. This upset Cain greatly and sin showed its work. Cain is overcome by envy, which he could not cope with, and the result of this was the decision to kill his brother.
God intervenes in the situation, telling Cain that sin wants to enslave him and he must dominate it. Cain had free will and he chose to follow the path of evil (Gen. 4:7). He kills Abel, his brother, out of envy and resentment. This was the first murder in history.
alquran.ru
According to some legends and tafsirs, the modern human race comes not from Cain or Abel, but from another son of Adam - Seth. As for who they married, Muslim theologians disagree on this issue, and each of them brings his own arguments from the Koran and traditions. Let's list them in order.
1. Brothers married sisters. Because at that time there was no ban on this type of marriage, and there was no other way to continue the human race. Therefore, there was nothing reprehensible in this.
2. Adam's children were forbidden to marry each other. So they created families with people from other human races, and when they had children, cousins began to marry each other. This opinion is confirmed by some legends. According to them, Adam was not the first man on earth. There were people of a different kind before him.
It should be noted that, according to the outer meaning of the Qur'an, the first version seems more plausible. Tabatabai adhered to precisely this point of view.
Detailed answer
Islamic scholars disagree about who Adam's children married and how the human race began to reproduce. The main reason for this lies in the fact that numerous legends on this subject partly contradict each other. Let's give a few examples.
Continuation of the human race and the spouses of the children of Adam according to legend
1. The legend that the children of Adam first married the Gurias of paradise, and then the genies. Imam Baqir said: “Adam begat four sons. And Allah gave each of them one heavenly houri. They got married and children were born from these marriages. Then Allah took the houris and married the sons of Adam to four jinn, who also gave birth to children. Therefore, the descendants of Adam inherited meekness and patience from him, beauty and splendor from the houris, and bad temper and bad behavior from the jinn.”[1] Another legend, similar in meaning, says that one son of Adam married a houri, and another - on the genie[2]. And the third legend is slightly different in form, although the meaning is identical to the first two[3].
2. When Imam Rida was asked about how the race of Adam began to multiply, he replied: “First, Eve gave birth to Abel along with one girl, and then Cain along with another girl. Abel married the one who was born with Cain, and Cain married the one who was born with Abel. And after that, marriages between brothers and sisters became forbidden.”[4]
3. A number of traditions say that the children of Adam never married each other. All his sons married the Gurias of Paradise. Imam Sadiq was once asked: “How did the children of Adam have offspring? Some say that Allah commanded Adam to marry his sons to his daughters, and that the human race came from these marriages of brothers and sisters.” In response, he said: “Allah is greater than what is attributed to Him. Would He create prophets and messengers, Muslims and Muslim women, believing men and women as a result of a forbidden act? Couldn’t He have created them in a permitted way, if He Himself took a vow from people to do only what is permitted?” Then he began to talk about how the human race began to multiply: “When Cain killed Abel, Adam prayed to the Lord to ease his loss. Then Allah gave him a third son, Seth, who was born without a sister. Seth means “gift of God.” He was the first person to become the vicegerent and executor of the prophet - his father. Then Allah gave Adam another son - Japheth, who was also born without a twin. When they matured, God was pleased to multiply the human race, which we now see, and marriage with sisters was forbidden. Therefore, on Thursday evening, the Almighty God sent a paradise guria named Nazala to earth, and ordered Adam to marry her to Seth. Then in the evening of the next day, Allah sent another paradise houri named Manzila to earth so that Adam would marry Japheth to her. After this, Seth had a son, and Japheth a daughter. When they grew up, the Lord commanded Adam to marry the daughter of Japheth to the son of Seth. He fulfilled the command of the Almighty, and from this marriage, prophets and messengers, God’s chosen ones and their descendants were born in subsequent generations.”[5].
4. Talking to one Quraysh, Imam Sajjad said: “Abel married Luza, the twin sister of Cain, and Cain married Iklim, the twin sister of Abel.” His interlocutor was surprised: “Did Cain and Abel marry their sisters?” The Imam answered in the affirmative. Then that Quraysh said that fire worshipers do the same, to which the Imam replied: “We condemn them because they do this after the Lord forbade such marriages.” And he added: “You shouldn’t be surprised by this. Because the permissibility of such marriages at that time and the impermissibility in ours is God’s will. Didn't He create Adam's wife from himself? But Eve was allowed to him. Marriage between brothers and sisters was allowed only to the children of Adam. Then Allah Almighty forbade it.”[6]
5. According to some legends, the human race originates from the third son of Adam - Seth, who was the governor and executor of his father. Because after the murder of Abel, who then had no children, Qabil was expelled. He indulged in sins and vices, and his descendants followed him. As a result, they were all punished for their deeds and died during the flood of the prophet Nuh[7].
In general, the story of the marriage of Adam's children is not known for certain, because the legends on this matter are very contradictory.
Opinions of commentators on the Qur'an
Based on the verse “O people! Fear your Lord, Who created you from one man, created a mate from him, and scattered many men and women descended from both of them."[8] Some commentators of the Qur'an claim that the human race descended from Adam and Eve, and that no other the creation did not take part in this[9]. This means that their sons married their own daughters, since if they married other creatures, then the above verse would not have said “from both of them.”
This opinion is also based on many legends, and this is not surprising. Because at that time, marriage between brother and sister was not prohibited. As you know, the decision on the permissibility or impermissibility of a particular action is made only by God, and He knows better when to permit and when to prohibit something. In fact, what is wrong with allowing something for a certain time due to special circumstances and then prohibiting it, as stated in the above saying of Imam Sajjad?
However, other commentators[10] believe that Adam's children never married each other. His sons married the houris of heaven, as stated in the above saying of Imam Sadiq.
It should be noted that there is a third opinion on this matter. Adam's children married representatives of the previous human race. After all, some legends say that Adam was not the first man on earth, and that other people lived before him[11]. Modern research also allows for the possibility that many millions of years ago another human race lived on earth, and Adam, as we know, lived relatively not so long ago. Based on this, we can assume that in the time of Adam there was a different kind of people that was on the verge of extinction. Was it not possible for his children to marry girls of that kind? However, in fairness it must be said that this version does not correspond to the external meaning of the above verse[12].
In general, the first version of the commentators of the Qur'an, among whom Tabatabai can be distinguished, is most consistent with the external meaning of the Qur'an[13].
[1] Majlisi, Muhammad Bakir. Bihar al-anwar. T. 11. P. 24. Beirut. "Dar ihya' at-turas al-'arabi." Second edition. 1403 g.l.h.
[2] Sheikh Saduq. Man la yahduruhu al-faqih. T. 3. P. 382. Kum. Bureau of Islamic Publications. Second edition. 1413 g.l.h.
[3] 'Ayyashi, Muhammad ibn Mas'ud. at-Tafsir. T. 1. P. 215. Tehran. "al-Matba'at al-'ilmiya." First edition. 1380 h.l.h.
[4] Bihar al-anwar. T. 11. P. 226.
[5] Sheikh Saduq. 'Ilal ash-shara'i'. Godfather
[6] Tabrasi, Ahman ibn 'Ali. al-Ikhtijaj 'ala ahl al-lajaj. T. 2. pp. 314-315. Mashhad. "Murtaza". First edition. 1403 g.l.h.
[7] Salim ibn Abi al-Ja'd said: “After Abel was killed, Adam was sad for a whole year and never smiled. Then someone appeared to him and said: “May Allah grant you a long life.” That is, “I will give you a smile.” And when Adam was 130 years old, and this was five years after the murder of Abel, Eve gave birth to him Seth, which means “God’s gift.” He replaced Abel and became Adam's executor and heir. As for Cain, he was told: “Go away exiled, wandering, fearful and overcome with fear.” He went to Aden in Yemen. There Iblis appeared to him and said: “The fire began to consume the sacrifice made by Abel because he worshiped it. Light a fire that will belong to you and your descendants.” And then he erected a temple of fire and became the first to worship fire, and his children took instruments of entertainment - pipes, lutes, pipes, and began to have fun, drink intoxicating drinks, worship fire and commit adultery until Allah drowned them in time Nuha. And then only the descendants of Seth remained.” Bihar al-anwar. T. 11. P. 220.
[8] Koran, 4:1.
[9] Baydawi, 'Abd Allah ibn 'Umar. Anwar at-tanzil wa asrar at-ta'wil. T. 2. P. 58. Beirut. "Dar ihya' at-turas al-'arabi." First edition. 1418 g.l.h.; Faid Kashani, Mulla Muhsin. al-Asfa fi tafsir al-Qur'an. T. 1. P. 191. Kum. Publishing center of the Bureau of Islamic Agitation. First edition. 1418 g.l.h.; Makarim Shirazi, Nasir. Namuna. T. 3. P. 246. Tehran. "Dar al-kutub al-Islamiyya." First edition. 1374 a.s.
[10] Tayyib, Sayyid 'Abd al-Husayn. Atyab al-bayan fi tafsir al-Qur'an. T. 4. P. 342. Tehran. "Islam". Second edition. 1378 agricultural; Mousavi Sabzvari, Sayyid 'Abd al-'Ali. Mawahib ar-Rahman fi tafsir al-Qur'an. T. 7. pp. 249-250. Beirut. "Ahl al-bayt." Second edition. 1409 g.l.h.
[11] Sheikh Saduq. at-Tawhid. P. 277. Kum. Bureau of Islamic Publications. First edition. 1398 g.l.h.
[12] Namuna. T. 3. P. 247.
[13] Tabatabaei, Sayyid Muhammad Husain. al-Mizan fi tafsir al-Qur'an. T. 4. P. 135. Kum. Bureau of Islamic Publications. Fifth edition. 1417 g.l.h.
Cain
The Lord, as punishment, deprives Cain of joy and pleasure in the work in which he was engaged.
When you cultivate the land, it will no longer give its strength to you; you will be an exile and a wanderer on earth. (Gen.4:12)
Cain wanders for many years. In those days people lived 900 years or more, and Adam and Eve begat many more children who populated the earth.
Since there were no laws and regulations other than to be fruitful and multiply, people got married without any problems - this was the norm.
After many years of wandering, Cain finds a wife. This is where Cain's genealogy begins (Genesis 4:17-22). It is not indicated exactly how many children he had, only all the firstborn are listed (Enoch, Irad, Machiel, Methuselah, Lamech, Jabal, Tubal-Cain).
Descendants of Shem
Noah's eldest son Shem is the ancestor of the Semitic peoples. At the age of one hundred years, he becomes the father of Arphaxad (Gen. 11:10). Later - Assura, Elama, Lud, Arama. But along the line of Arphaxad the birth of Abraham occurs. His name means "father of multitudes." The New Testament, clarifying the genealogy of the Savior, refers to Abraham (Matthew 1:1).
And although Sarah, Abraham's wife, was barren, the Lord predicted a blessing for him and a great nation as descendants, numerous like sand that cannot be counted (Gen. 12:2; 13:16). From God, Abraham also knew about the oppression of his descendants for 400 years and the heavenly judgment of the enslavers.
As the years passed, Sarah remained childless. Abraham's first son was Ishmael, born to his maidservant Hagar. But the Lord assured that a son would appear from Sarah, “kings of the nations would come from her” (Gen. 17:16). Isaac was born to Sarah and Abraham in old age. Despite the long wait for the birth of his son, Abraham was ready to sacrifice Isaac at the command of the Lord. The need for sacrifice arose, as John Chrysostom writes, “not for the actual slaughter of a son, but for the discovery of all the virtue of the righteous.”
Isaac and his wife Rebekah also prayed for children for a long time. They waited for twins, named Esau and Isaac.
Isaac, blind over the years, who loved his son Esau, succumbed to deception . By posing as his older brother, Jacob received his father's blessing that was not intended for him.
Jacob paid for his actions in some way. Wanting to marry Rachel, he served with her father Laban for several years. But he, dreaming of marrying off his eldest daughter first, brought Leah to Jacob. When the forgery was revealed, Jacob stayed with Laban for another seven years. It happened that Jacob received a new name. He happened to enter into a fight with “Someone” (Gen. 32:24). It turned out that Jacob with his stubbornness defeated God himself, and therefore called him Israel, capable of defeating many: “... from now on your name will not be Jacob, but Israel, for you have fought with God, and you will overcome men” (Gen. 32:28). Often the descendants of Jacob are identified as Israelites.
Jacob had 12 sons. The mothers of Reuben, Levi, Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, Judah, Benjamin, and Joseph were his wives Leah and Rachel. Naphtali, Dan, Asher and Gad were given to Jacob by their maidservants wives, whose names were Zilpah and Bilhah.
Israel had the most tender feelings for Joseph as the “son of old age.” For this alone his brothers disliked him. And when Joseph dared to tell more dreams about the sun, moon and 11 stars bowing to him, and about sheaves of brothers bowing to his sheaf, hatred filled his family. A terrible fratricide was being prepared. However, Judas offered to sell the “ dreamer ” into slavery, which was done. The name of Judas attracts attention not only in this story. It plays an important role in the genealogy of Jesus Christ.
Children of Seth
Seth is the forefather of a whole generation of righteous people, who lived 912 years. Here are the other firstborns: Cainan, Maleleel, Iradeth, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech.
Not all of them are described in the Bible as being special in any way. But the path of worshipers who love the Creator, who want to serve the Creator, and walk in holiness and purity of thoughts can be traced.
One of the prominent figures in the Bible is Noah (son of Lamech). Noah's descendants are his three sons: Shem, Ham, Japheth. This story reveals to us the lives of people who are able to remain faithful to God among the corrupted human race. Able to withstand the pressure of public opinion, to be different from others.
Let me remind you that all people except Noah’s family (his wife, sons and their wives) died in the greatest catastrophe of the world - the global flood. The earth was filled with atrocities, evil reigned and flourished, and only Noah alone found favor in the eyes of God.
And again history repeats itself. Humanity begins to develop again, to be fruitful and multiply, but this time from Noah and his family. Life goes on…
Nations descended from the sons of Noah
Noah and his children restored life on Earth. “From them the nations spread out on the earth after the flood” (Gen. 10:32). The Book of Acts specifies that each nation was assigned “predestinated times and bounds for their habitation” (Acts 17:26). Magog and Madai, Gomer, Meshech, Javan, Tufal and Tiras are called the sons of Japheth. But in ancient Greek the Septuagint mentions an eighth son - Elis.
Descendants of Japheth
The descendants of Japheth are called Japhetids. They settled throughout Europe.
Descendants of Ham
Ham, who told his brothers about his father's nakedness, paid for his shameless act. Noah punished his son Canaan by assigning him to be a slave to the followers of Japheth.
From the sons of Ham, Cush, Fut, Canaan and Mizraim, begins, as A. Lopukhin clarifies in his comments to the Bible, the settlement of Asia, or rather its south, and the upper reaches of the Nile. Ham acts as the ancestor of the four races living in the mentioned places.
The descendants of Ham were strong. Specifically, Genesis 10 states the power of Nimrod , the son of Cush. Assur, who came from the lands of Nimrod, built cities. “And Ressen between Nineveh and Calah; it is a great city” (Gen. 10:12).
Wife in the Land of Nod
After Cain killed his middle brother out of jealousy and envy, he was expelled from the family. For some time, the outcast was forced to wander until he found refuge in the mythical land of Nod. It was in connection with this event that Cain’s “other half” was first mentioned. Genesis 4:16-17 says that the fratricide came to the land of Nod, there he “knew a woman” and became the founder of a large family.
On the one hand, it is not entirely clear how people appeared in this area. On the other hand, the word “knew” itself does not indicate that Cain got married. “Knew” literally means having an intimate relationship, after which the wife conceived a boy named Enoch.
Cain could find himself a wife in the land of Nod or could settle in this region, being already a married man. If the first assumption is true, it means that there was some other generation of people. This is contrary to the Bible, but is of great interest to inquisitive students of the Holy Scriptures.
