Cain married a sister — one of the daughters of Adam and Eve.
Les Feldick teaches that the common question 'Where did Cain get his wife?' is answered by the fact that no other people existed. Only Adam and Eve were created, so Cain's wife had to come from that growing family. In the first generations, brothers married sisters, and this was no problem because the human race was genetically pure.
Genesis 5:4 — Shows Adam had sons and daughters besides Cain and Seth, identifying the only source of Cain's wife.
Genesis 4:17 — The first mention of Cain's wife, the verse that raises this question.
Genesis 3:20 — Eve is called 'the mother of all living,' confirming all humans descend from her.
Genesis 4:17 introduces Cain's wife in passing: 'And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.' The text does not name her, describe her, or explain where she came from. Genesis 3:20 declares that Adam named his wife Eve 'because she was the mother of all living.' Genesis 5:4 notes that Adam 'begat sons and daughters' after Seth's birth. Taken together, the Bible reveals that the entire human race descended from Adam and Eve alone; no other human beings are ever mentioned as being created.
Les Feldick addresses the question directly in his teaching: 'Where did Cain get his wife? Well there certainly weren't other people, because only Adam and Eve were created.' He points out that 'it only follows that brothers married sisters for the first generation or two, and that was no problem, because the human race was so pure genetically that there wasn't any problem.' Les also shows that close-relative marriage did not end with the first generations. In Abraham's time the Middle Eastern families were 'all interrelated' — 'they're blood relatives.' Abraham sent his servant to his own kindred to find a wife for Isaac (Genesis 24), and Les reads how Nahor married Milcah, the daughter of his brother Haran, and how Esau married Mehalath, the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son. The point is that Cain did not need a wife from any other group of people — no such group existed. His wife came from Adam and Eve's family, most naturally a sister.
Les Feldick teaches that in the early generations this caused no problem because 'the human race was so pure genetically that there wasn't any problem.' With only Adam and Eve as the parents of the human race, brothers and sisters were the only possible marriage partners in the first generation or two.
According to the Bible, no. Genesis 3:20 calls Eve 'the mother of all living,' and Genesis 5:4 records Adam 'begat sons and daughters.' Les Feldick states plainly, 'there certainly weren't other people, because only Adam and Eve were created.' So Cain's wife had to come from Adam and Eve's descendants.
Les shows that marriage between relatives continued well beyond the first generations. In Genesis 24, Abraham sends his servant to his own kindred to take a wife for Isaac. Les also reads that Nahor married Milcah, the daughter of his brother Haran, and that Esau, in an attempt to please Isaac, married Mehalath, the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son. All these are marriages among blood relatives.
Who Did Cain Marry? & The Mystery of Enoch (Genesis 4-5 Bible Study)
Hello, and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick. An Oklahoma rancher and farmer, Les Feldick has taught home-style Bible classes for twenty years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting, people say, the time seems to fly by. And now, here's Les Feldick.
Understanding Cain and Abel: Faith, Sin, and Civilization Explained
It's just like two young men who have probably had a controversy, and finally the more macho of the two says, well, let's just go outside and we'll what? We'll settle it. All right, that's basically what Cain says to Abel. His envy has come now to such a crescendo that he says to Abel, all right, brother, let's just go out into the field and we'll settle it.
Understanding Cain and Abel: Faith, Sin, and Civilization Explained
Once we get down into that road of sin, another sin just follows so naturally, automatically. Sin begets sin. All right, that's what happened here. What was Abel's first sin? A lack of faith. He could not believe that what God said was true. All right, after that sin, what followed? Envy, jealousy.
The Direct Answer — Cain Married a Sister
Les directly answers the question by saying no other people existed besides Adam and Eve, so Cain's wife could only come from Adam and Eve's family — brothers married sisters in the first generations.
Intermarriage Among Kindred in Abraham's Time
Les shows that Abraham sent his servant to his own kindred to get a wife for Isaac rather than from the Canaanites, illustrating that marriage among close relatives was still the pattern.
Nahor Married His Niece Milcah
Les reads the genealogy that says Nahor married Milcah, the daughter of his brother Haran, showing the first family lines intermarried among themselves.
Esau Married Ishmael's Daughter
Les shows that Esau married Mehalath, the daughter of Ishmael (Abraham's son), another example of close-relative marriage in the family of Abraham.
Understanding Cain and Abel: Faith, Sin, and Civilization Explained
Remember that Abel brought a blood sacrifice, as God had instructed, and God accepted it, and Abel went away back in right relationship with his Creator, or with his God, rather. But Cain brings a bloodless sacrifice, that which was of self-will.
Genesis 3:20: And Adam called his wife's name Eve; because she was the mother of all living.
Establishes that all humans trace back to Eve, so no other human line exists.
Genesis 4:17: And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.
The verse that mentions Cain's wife without naming her, prompting the question of her origin.
Genesis 5:4: And the days of Adam after he had begotten Seth were eight hundred years: and he begat sons and daughters:
Shows Adam had daughters, one of whom Cain could have married.
Genesis 11:29: And Abram and Nahor took them wives: the name of Abram's wife was Sarai; and the name of Nahor's wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran, the father of Milcah, and the father of Iscah.
Illustrates that Nahor married Milcah, the daughter of his brother Haran — a close relative.
Genesis 24:4: But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac.
Shows Abraham instructed that Isaac's wife be taken from among his own relatives.
Genesis 28:9: Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mehalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.
An example of close-relative marriage in later generations — Esau married his cousin.
Yes. Les Feldick explains that because Adam and Eve were the only people created, Cain's wife could only have come from Adam and Eve's family — most naturally a sister.
Les Feldick teaches that in the first generations the human race was so pure genetically that there wasn't any problem. The genetic concerns that make close-relative marriage unwise today did not exist then.
The Bible does not name her, but Genesis 4:17 says 'Cain knew his wife.' Genesis 3:20 calls Eve 'the mother of all living,' and Genesis 5:4 says Adam 'begat sons and daughters,' pointing to Adam and Eve's family as the only source.
Yes. Les notes that in Abraham's day the families of the Middle East were all interrelated. Isaac married from Abraham's kindred, and Esau married the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son.
Watch the Teaching: Who Did Cain Marry? & The Mystery of Enoch (Genesis 4-5 Bible Study)