Meaning of the Name Cain
From the Hebrew name Qayin (Cain), usually explained as 'acquired' or 'gotten', though its origin is debated. At his birth Eve makes a wordplay with the verb qanah, 'to acquire'. Linguists more often connect the name with a Semitic root meaning 'smith' or 'metalworker'. The Turkish form Kabil comes from the Arabic Qabil.
Origin
The name Cain is of Hebrew origin.
Who is Cain in the Bible?
Cain is the firstborn son of Adam and Eve, a farmer who works the ground. When his brother Abel's offering is accepted, he kills him out of jealousy, the first murder in the Bible. God punishes him, yet places a mark on him so that no one will kill him.
The story of Cain in the Bible
Cain's story is told in the fourth chapter of Genesis. The firstborn of Adam and Eve, Cain works the soil while his brother Abel keeps sheep. When both bring offerings to God, God looks with favor on Abel's but not on Cain's. Cain becomes very angry and his face falls. God warns him that sin is crouching at the door, yet he must master it. Cain does not listen; he takes his brother out into the field and kills him. When God asks where his brother is, Cain evades responsibility by claiming he is not his brother's keeper. The punishment is heavy: the ground will no longer yield its strength to him, and he will be a wanderer on the earth. Still, God hears Cain's complaint and places a mark on him so that no one will kill him. Cain settles in the land of Nod, east of Eden, and builds a city named after his son Enoch. The New Testament recalls Cain as the example of one who killed his brother because his own deeds were evil, and calls believers to love one another instead.
Is Cain mentioned in the Quran?
The name Cain (Qabil) does not appear in the Quran; it tells the story of Adam's two sons without naming them, and the name Qabil became established in Islamic tradition and commentary. In the Bible he is named in Genesis and recalled in several New Testament letters.
Verses where Cain appears
- Genesis 4:1 —
The man knew Eve his wife. She conceived, and gave birth to Cain, and said, “I have gotten a man with Yahweh’s help.”
- Genesis 4:8 —
Cain said to Abel, his brother, “Let’s go into the field.” While they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him.
- Genesis 4:15 —
Yahweh said to him, “Therefore whoever slays Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” Yahweh appointed a sign for Cain, so that anyone finding him would not strike him.