Bible Study #1 Explicit vs. Implicit Parentage

(1)

In the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible, the maternity and paternity of Cain are explained explicitly in Genesis 4:1: “And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.”

This verse directly states that Adam (the father) had sexual relations with Eve (the mother), resulting in her conception and the birth of Cain. No other parentage is mentioned or suggested in the text. 0

(2)

In the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible, the parentage of Abel is not mentioned as explicitly as that of Cain. Genesis 4:1 directly states: “And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.” However, Genesis 4:2 continues: “And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.” Here, “she” refers to Eve as the mother, making her maternity explicit, but the paternity is implied through the narrative context (Eve being Adam’s wife and no other father mentioned) rather than restated directly. 1

(3)

In the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible, the parentage of Seth is explicitly mentioned in Genesis 4:25: “And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.” This verse directly states that Adam (the father) had sexual relations with his wife (the mother, referring to Eve as established in prior verses like Genesis 3:20 and 4:1), resulting in her giving birth to Seth. 1

It is also referenced in Genesis 5:3: “And Adam lived an hundred and thirty years, and begat a son in his own likeness, and after his image; and called his name Seth.” Here, Adam’s paternity is restated explicitly, though maternity is not mentioned in this specific verse. 6

(4) <~~~ Remember, 4 is the key

No, it is not possible according to the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible or standard biblical interpretations that Abel had parents other than Adam and Eve, or that Eve agreed to raise him as another woman’s son. Genesis 4:1-2 explicitly describes Eve conceiving and bearing both Cain and Abel after Adam “knew” her (a biblical euphemism for sexual relations), with no mention or implication of adoption, other parents, or additional women involved at that point in the narrative. Eve is referred to as “the mother of all living” in Genesis 3:20, underscoring her role as the progenitor of humanity alongside Adam.

Alternative theories and interpretations found in various sources, such as the “serpent seed” doctrine or discussions involving figures like Lilith, typically speculate about Cain’s parentage (e.g., suggesting he was the offspring of Eve and the serpent/Satan rather than Adam), while affirming Abel as the biological son of Adam and Eve. No credible biblical scholarship, apocryphal texts, or common theological debates propose that Abel was adopted or born to another woman. 1 9 12 16 20 27