Cain and Abel Trivia Quiz

Answer: True

The word "sin" appears over 4,000 times in the Bible, first cropping up--not as one might expect, in the story of the Fall--but in the tale of Cain and Abel. God tells Cain that if he does not do well, "sin lieth at the door." (Gen. 4:7)

Answer: False

There is no indication in the text that these were sin offerings, and thus a harvest offering would probably normally have been acceptable. Genesis does not tell us explicitly why God rejects Cain's offering, but most scholars have speculated that the fault lies with Cain himself.

They argue that Cain did not give willingly, or that he withheld his best from God, giving only some fruit, while Abel gave the "firstlings" of his flock. (Gen. 4:4)

Answer: Seth

Seth means, roughly, "appointed one." Noah descended from him.

Answer: False

The quote comes from later in Genesis, in chapter 9 verse 6, after the flood. But God does not require Cain's life. Rather, he takes mercy upon him, banishing him, and even setting a mark upon him so that those he encounters will not slay him. Some scholars speculate God's mercy may have been because Cain was unaware that his blows could actually kill his brother, since no human had died prior to the event. Thus, it would have been an act of manslaughter, not murder.

Answer: Abel's blood cries to him from the ground

"And he said, What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground." (Gen. 4:10).

Answer: keeper

God does not answer Cain's question, but one of the major themes of the Bible is that we must love our neighbors as ourselves; thus, the implied answer is yes, we are our brothers' keepers.

Answer: false

Cain has a wife (Gen. 4:17). Arguably, she could have been a descendant of Adam and Eve. However, there is some indication that people other than Adam and Eve's descendants existed on earth at the time. When God threatens to banish Cain, Cain cries, "every one that findeth me shall slay me," thus indicating that he expects to encounter other people in the land to which he is banished (Gen. 4:14). God seems to acknowledge this fear, because he sets a mark upon Cain.

Answer: All of These

Rabbi Joseph suggested that Cain was given a horn growing out of his forehead. Racists have claimed that the mark of Cain was black skin. (Were such a preposterous conclusion true, such racists also should have taken note of Gen. 4:15, that "whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him seven-fold.") Most modern scholars, however, assert that the mark was not a physical one, but rather some kind of special sign from God that would prevent his being slain.

Answer: Nod

Genesis 4:16: "And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden." John Steinbeck likely took from this verse the title of his book "East of Eden." "Nod" means "wandering," and may not be an actual physical place, but rather a nomadic state.

Answer: Vanity or breath

Some scholars have also translated this word as "vapor," and it can be seen as expressing the fleeting quality of Abel's life.

Answer: Talked with him

"And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him" (Gen. 4:8). It is interesting to speculate about the subject of that conversation. What might have transpired to ignite Cain's wrath?

Answer: Enoch

Zilah was the name of one of Lamech's wives. Enoch was the great-great grandfather of Methusael, who was the father of Lamech. Enoch's name means "consecration." This is not the same Enoch who was translated; he was a descendant of Seth.

Answer: Lamech

See Genesis 4:23-24. Lamech was the first bigamist in the Bible, having taken two wives: Zillah and Adah.

Answer: Jubal

See Genesis 4:21. One of Cain's other descendants, Tubalcain, was "an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron" (Gen. 4:22).

Answer: Lord Byron

Byron's work was called "Cain: A Mystery," and focused on the slayer himself and the inner struggles he faced.