Cain and Abel
God accepted the offering of Abel, but rejected Cain’s. This rejection made Cain jealous and angry so he killed his brother for which he was subjected to a double curse by God: The ground would no longer yield to him which was his wealth, and he was condemned to be a fugitive and a vagabond for the rest of his life.
God put a mark on Cain so that no one would come upon him and kill him. Cain settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. He established a city and named it after his son Enoch (Gen 4:1-17).
In the New Testament, Abel is called righteous (Matt 23:35) and is named by Jesus as a just and innocent man who suffers and is killed (Lk 11:51). Abel’s sacrifice is judged greater than Cain’s because of his faith and this faith speaks beyond the grave (Heb 11:4). Cain is seen as the opponent of Abel (Heb 11:4) as a symbol for an evil way of living (Jude 11) and as someone whose works were wicked (1 Jn 3:12).
The famous saying, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” is said by Cain when the Lord asked him “Where is your brother Abel?” (Gen 4:9).
The story of Cain and Abel is found in Genesis 4.