God’s Word for You
Genesis 4:8 the first murder
by Pastor Timothy Smith on Friday, October 2, 2026
8 Cain spoke to his brother Abel, and while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
No Hebrew manuscript of Genesis records what Cain said to his brother. But from ancient times, translators and interpreters have inserted something like, “Let’s go out into the field,” and a lot of Bible translations have those words today often with a footnote that says that the Masoretic, or ancient Hebrew text, does not have those words. But one of the greatest Medieval Bible scholars, Nicholas of Lyra (who was born in Normandy, France, about 200 years before Luther) thought that Cain may have told his brother how severely he had been scolded by the Lord. Luther mentions this in his lectures on Genesis (which he gave and completed near the end of his life), but Luther thought that it was more likely that Cain behaved the way wicked King Saul behaved toward David. Saul (this is in 1 Samuel 24) said to David, “I know that after me, you will be the king,” but secretly thought that this wouldn’t happen if he could kill David, which he tried to do, many times. So Luther says, “Cain spoke in this manner: ‘I see that you have been chosen by the Lord; I do not envy you this blessing.’ This is the way hypocrites act. They feign friendship until an opportunity to inflict harm presents itself” (LW 1:271).
Cain becomes the image of all murderers and hypocrites; he foreshadows how men and women, under the disguise of innocence and piety, plot and scheme and kill. And this is the real meaning of this verse, that Cain’s sin, fratricide (killing one’s own brother), was premeditated murder.
In fact, this was a case of religious hatred. Cain knew that Abel was accepted by God. Deep in his heart, this became a twisting, gnawing, growing ache that turned into rage. Abel, Cain reasoned, was not just accepted by God, but was preferred, specially loved, by God. Cain set aside all thoughts of true faith over this and dove headfirst into the deep end of unbelief. “If God won’t love me, I’ll show him, and I’ll kill the one God loves.” John talks about this: “Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you” (1 John 3:12-13).
This is the same hatred we hear about with the death of any righteous man. Jesus says that Abel was the first martyr of the true faith (Luke 11:51). The Pharisees and the priests of Israel, all the way up to the high priest himself, Caiaphas, plotted to kill Jesus. They didn’t do this because Jesus was gentle, or that his words were true, or that he proved with his miracles and his preaching that he was the Son of God. They did this because the people loved him more than them, and they were afraid of him (Mark 11:18). But Jesus also put his finger on their unbelief, saying, “You are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word” (John 8:37).
Cain murdered his brother, killing him where he thought no one would discover the body. He had already sinned when he started to hate his brother. He sinned to a further degree when his hatred turned to plans and the final plot to kill Abel. Then the sin progressed again when he spoke to his brother to lead him away with false intentions and pretended innocence, piety, or repentance—whichever of these his words really entailed. Then, once the violence of the attack began, he justified the murder by reasoning that if, once he had begun the deed, he had to finish it, or else Abel would turn on him and kill him in revenge. And so the murderer justifies his deed in his heart, and lies to himself: it was at least partly a case of self-defense.
Our Confession (the Large Catechism) teaches us that “It is God’s real intention that we should allow no man to suffer harm, but show to everyone all kindness and love. And this kindness is directed especially toward our enemies. To show kindness to our friends is but an ordinary heathen virtue, as Christ says in Matthew 5:46-47” (Fifth Commandment, I:193). And of course, Jesus said, “Anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment” (Matthew 5:22). Luther explains the Fifth Commandment by saying, “We should fear and love God that we do not hurt or harm our neighbor in his body, but help and befriend him in every bodily need.”
When we find that we are guilty of sinning this way, hating, plotting, hurting (all of which fall under the sin of killing), we take these sins to the cross. Even when Jesus was being nailed to the instrument of his death, he prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). And Peter teaches us: “Jesus committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats” (1 Peter 2:22-23). Jesus kept the whole law, including the Fifth Commandment, in our place. He saved us by caring for God’s gift of body and life in all mankind, and by dying on the cross to pay the price for each and every one of our sins.
Pray that he will move you to love one another as he commanded us, and that we will forgive as our Lord forgave us.
In Christ,
Pastor Timothy Smith
Pastor Smith serves St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in New Ulm, Minnesota. To receive God’s Word for You via e-mail, please visit the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church website.