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The Forgotten Books of Eden · 79 of 293

First Adam and Eve: Chapter LXXVI

Cain becomes jealous because of his sisters.

1.A ND the children began to wax stronger, and to grow in stature; but Cain was hardhearted, and ruled over his younger brother.

2.And oftentimes when his father made an offering, he would remain behind and not go with them, to offer up.

3.But, as to Abel, he had a meek heart, and was obedient to his father and mother, whom he often moved to make an offering, because he loved it; and prayed and fasted much.

4.Then came this sign to Abel. As he was coming into the Cave of Treasures, and saw the golden rods, the incense and the myrrh, he inquired of his parents Adam and Eve concerning them, and said unto them, “How did you come by these?”

5.Then Adam told him all that had befallen them. And Abel felt deeply about what his father told him.

6.Furthermore his father Adam, told him of the works of God, and of the garden; and after that, he remained behind his father the whole of that night in the Cave of Treasures.

7.And that night, while he was praying, Satan appeared unto him under the figure of a man, who said to him, “Thou hast oftentimes moved thy father to make an offering, to fast and to pray, therefore I will kill thee, and make thee perish from this world.”

8.But as for Abel, he prayed to God, and drove away Satan from him; and believed not the words of the devil. Then when it was day, an angel of God appeared unto him, who said to him, “Shorten neither fasting, prayer, nor offering up an oblation unto thy God. For, lo, the Lord has accepted thy prayer. Be not afraid of the figure which appeared unto thee in the night, and who cursed thee unto death.” And the angel departed from him.

9.Then when it was day, Abel came to Adam and Eve, and told them of the vision he had seen. But when they heard it, they grieved much over it, yet said nothing to him about it; they only comforted him.

10.But as to hard-hearted Cain, Satan came to him by night, showed himself and said unto him, “Since Adam and Eve love thy brother Abel much more than they love thee, and wish to join him in marriage to thy beautiful sister, because they love him; but wish to join thee in marriage to his ill-favoured sister, because they hate thee;

11.“Now, therefore, I counsel thee, when they do that, to kill thy brother; then thy sister will be left for thee; and his sister will be cast, away.”

12.And Satan departed from him. But the wicked One remained behind in the heart of Cain, who sought many a time, to kill his brother.

Asked of Guide

Why does Cain plot to kill Abel after hearing Satan's words about the sisters?

Cain plots murder because Satan tells him Adam and Eve prefer Abel and intend to marry their daughters to him, putting Cain with the “ill‑favoured” sister; Cain accepts this suggestion and his heart hardens into envy and cruelty. The chapter shows Cain already “hardhearted” and ruling Abel, so Satan’s lie exploits preexisting jealousy and fear of being slighted.

The narrative frames the murder as the fruit of deliberate temptation rather than sudden rage: Satan “counselled” Cain to kill so he would gain the sister, and Cain repeatedly “sought many a time, to kill his brother.” This connects to Genesis’ account of Cain’s envy and to later Midrashic expansions that give motive and demonic prompting for the first fratricide.

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