Last session, we covered Genesis Chapter 4 at a high level. The story of Cain and Abel. This week we are looking at the same story but from more of an Eastern perspective. There are some good learnings to be found here, but there are also some traps, as we will try to point out. Discernment is an important factor here.

• Scripture Audio:

  Presented as dramatizations from The Bible Gateway.

  Genesis 4

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• BEMA Discipleship Podcast: Master the Beast

  We have heard from the BEMA podcast before and there are several of us in the group who really appreciate the teachings that come from this perspective. In this interpretation, fear and shame are the main drivers of the story. There are some good concepts in this podcast.

  Podcast Web Page:
  Podcast Download:

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• Ancient Hebrew Research Center: The Untold story of Cain and Abel

  This article presents a few subtly different interpretations of situations within the Cain and Abel story based on the meanings of the original Hebrew words. It also shows how the Western version of the story (often told from the King James Version translation) has been shaped by a translation from 400+ years ago that may not have carried the nuance of the Hebrew language.

  Article Web Page:

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• Rabbi David Zaslow: WHAT’S IN A NAME: A SECRET ABOUT CAIN AND ABEL

  This article focuses on the meaning of the names given to Cain and Abel and dives into even more detail about possible meanings of these anmes than we see in our previous tow resources.

  Article Web Page:

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• EXTRA CREDIT (Will not be part of our discussion): My Jewish Learning: What Midrash Teaches About the Rabbis

  This article gives examples of ‘filling in the gaps’ that Rabbis have told to explain or fill in the blanks of the Cain and Abel story. For Christians, I think it presents an opportunity to show why we need to be careful about adding to scripture. Please only read this with discernment and prayer. However, it does open a window on how some non-scriptural beliefs come into our societies vernacular about the Bible.

  Article Web Page:

Here are some questions to prompt your study and/or discussion time:

• What are your thoughts about fear and shame being driving factors within the Cain and Abel story?
• Given how important names are within the Eastern culture, what are your thoughts on interpreting the defined personalities of Cain and Abel based on their names?
• Inferences are made that the livelyhood of Cain and Abel, farming/working versus sheparding/nomading, are directly related to their reactions as well as God’s reactions to the situation; how far down this rabbit hole are you willing to go and does it influence your thoughts on the story?
• Most of our Western ideas on this story are baised on the interpretation found in the King James Version (and it’s influence on following translations). Do you think that some of the Eastern ideas you heard are relevant or should be discarded?