cgb2 wrote:but yet from this Cain could very well have been the first inventor of a stinking religion ;^)
Chapter 4
3-5Cain brought the fruit (pari - harvest) of the ground (`adamah - earth) as an offering (minhah) to Yahuweh and then Abel arrived with (bow' – brought with) the best (cheleb - most perfect) firstborn (bakor - first male offspring) from his flock of sheep (tso'n). Yahuweh was attentive to and accepted (sa'ah - was interested in and favorably regarded) Abel and his offering. But He ignored and rejected (lo' sa'ah) Cain and his offering. So Cain became awesomely (ma'od) enraged (harah - very angry and zealous, furious and incensed) and fell down (napal - bowed down, prostrating himself) on his face (paneh).
6-7Yahuweh said to Cain, `Why are you enraged and zealous (harah)? Why is your face fallen (lamah napal paneh `atah - why is your head down)?‟
„Why not (ha lo')?‟
„If (`im - whenever) you are good and do good (yatab - are pleasant, pleasing, and joyful) you'll find forgiveness and a high status (sa'et - the removal of guilt, raising up, standing up, dignity, splendor, honor, and majesty). And if (`im) you aren't (lo') good and don't do good (yatab - aren't pleasant, pleasing, and joyful) sin (hatta' - guilt upon missing the way) is crouching down (rabas) in the opening (petah - doorway). You are into (`atah `el) yourself, and your intense desires and impulses (tasuqah - uncontrollable emotions and feelings, strong cravings, the overwhelming urge for sex and dominance) are things you must learn to govern (masal - understand how to control).
8And Cain (qayin – spear) spoke (`amar - spoke with a focus on the content to follow) to Abel (Hebel – breath) his brother (ach – male sibling). And it came to exist (hayah) them being in (bihayahotam) the field (sadeh – cultivated area for growing), and Cain (qayin – spear) stood up (qum – rose up, when in a negative context like this, it conveys rose in opposition to, or was a foe to) towards Abel (Hebel – breath) his brother (ach – male sibling), and he killed (harag – put to death, usually implies intention, thus murdered) him.
Thanks for amplification cgb2...
There's not doubt in my mind that Cain did with Yah's Towrah (teachings, instructions, guidance, direction, and prescription for living), with its terms and conditions (mitswah) exactly like the nation Yisra'el repeatedly does: turning opportunity to engage Yahowah in a family covenant relationship into a religious ritual (having no more desire to have a serious relationship with God, than Christians [all religions] today want, and this with their errant biblos promoting Paul above all - from Gn to Rev.) I realize they didn't have golf nor NFL football back then, but nonetheless, every generation has its preoccupations/priorities that just so happens to be the reasons they can't prioritize Yah first - unless as people tend to want it these days: it comes in the form of a 'Happy Meal' - thus another 'stinking religion'...all religions stink and I'm working my way out of two of the worst: RCC and Pentacostal Evangelicalism; not to mention these two religions do tend to lean social secular humanistic when it seems convenient, just as their founder Paul went about doing things.
Insofar as Qayin and Hebel - yasaph means added to and increased, can also mean continue, continued; and the "And she..." of verse 2 seems to speak that the birth of Qayin and Hebel were happening back-to-back, as in "during the sametime/ during the same event", as in giving birth to twins - fraternal twins? They could have been identical twins for all I know the difference being how they approached Yah relationally/familiarly or only as a religion-religiously...reading through YY's Tarowah Yowm Kippurym and Sukah chapters most resently, I recall there being a distinction made between the adam adamah and the ha-Adam and the realms in which the adversary operates (but I can't find the specifics, perhaps someone knows? and can find it before I do?...I'll keep looking), there being a compelling distinctions/classifications of mankind/humankind - and in the same verse depicting Hebel's birth is as you cited: "...and Cain (qayin – spear) existed (hayah) as a worker of (abad – servant of) the soil (`adamah - ground)." 'adamah' being the realm in which helel ben shachar among mankind/humankind as a kind of 'base of operations' is what I recall reading from those chapters of YY regarding the upcoming Fall Feasts...again, I hope I can find that area in YY's Taruwah Yowm Kippurym and Sukah chapters, wherever it is, that makes a distinction between the three states of man's existence...if push comes to shove, I'll check my notebook since I recall taking notes too.
Also, we know/heard/read about the nephilim and sons (ben) of God (elohym) with bath/daughters...and skeletal remains of individuals over 10' tall - and grapes clusters being carried between two men hanging from a branch Num 13...etc - so as I said before, I've been curious about Qayin being Sargon I establishing a religion using his parents and Yah as the models of his pantheon gods before the adam, male & female formed without a neshamah being very susceptible to such bamboozelings.