Who Was the Wife of Cain?
A closer look at one of the most enigmatic women in Genesis
This illustration shows Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, where God gave them the command to “be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28). Photo: From Charles Foster, The Story of the Bible (1897).
While there are many examples of strong and inspiring men and women in Genesis, the book is also packed with stories of dysfunctional families, which is evidenced from the very beginning with the first family—Adam, Eve and their two children, Cain and Abel. In no short amount of time—just 16 verses after announcing the birth of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4—Cain has murdered his younger brother and is consequently exiled from the land. In theory, this would have dropped the world’s population from four down to three. The narrative continues in Genesis 4 with Cain settling in the land of Nod and having children with his wife. Who did Cain marry? Where did she come from? Are there other people outside of Eden? In the November/December 2013 issue of BAR, Mary Joan Winn Leith addresses these questions and explores the identity of the wife of Cain in “Who Did Cain Marry?”
Given that the wife of Cain is only mentioned once in the Old Testament, she would not be counted among the famous women in Genesis. Nevertheless, her identity is still worth investigating. Who did Cain marry? Mary Joan Winn Leith first explores the traditional Jewish and Christian answers that contend that the wife of Cain was another daughter of Adam and Eve. According to this reasoning, Cain would have married his sister—one of Abel’s twin sisters no less, according to the Genesis Rabbah.
Mary Joan Winn Leith explores the identity of the wife of Cain.
A different answer emerges when Leith turns from the traditional responses about the wife of Cain and delves into modern scholarship. Looking at recent work done by sociologists and anthropologists, she notes that when forming a group identity, we tend to define ourselves by how we differ from other groups. In the ancient Near East, sometimes those outside of a particular group or society were considered less “human” by those inside of the group. An important factor that contributes to this mindset is geography. People in the ancient Near East typically stayed close to home, which affected their perception of the world. Surely they knew that other groups of people—potential enemies or allies—existed far away, but if they never came into contact with these groups, what did they matter?
Mary Joan Winn Leith suggests that while the Israelite storyteller knew that other men and women in Genesis existed outside of Eden, they did not matter to him or factor into his account. He was concerned with Adam and Eve and their progeny—not those outside of this group.
Who did Cain marry? There are many answers. For Leith’s explanation of the identity of the wife of Cain—one of the often-overlooked women in Genesis—read her full Biblical Views column “Who Did Cain Marry?”
BAS Library Members: Read the full Biblical Views column “Who Did Cain Marry?” by Mary Joan Winn Leith in the November/December 2013 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review.
Not a BAS Library or All-Access Member yet? Join today.
This Bible History Daily feature was originally published in 2013.
Related reading in Bible History Daily
All-Access members, read more in the BAS Library
Not a BAS Library or All-Access Member yet? Join today.
Related Posts
Must-Read Free eBooks
Unlock Unlimited Access to the Bible's Past
Unlock Unlimited Access to the Bible's Past
Become an All-Access Member to explore the Bible's rich history. Get Biblical Archaeology Review in print, full online access, and FREE online talks. Plus, enjoy special Travel/Study discounts. Don't miss out—begin your journey today!
The Bible was not meant to be taken literally. The stories of the OT were meant to teach the faith, they didn’t have to actually have happened or happened that way. As one who is finishing a Masters in Pastoral Theology, I find Leith’s question and possible answer, interesting and worth considering, but I would not lose sleep over the “right” answer.
TDH. If the Bible is not meant to be taken literally then I assume you also don’t believe in a literal God… Not sure why you bother becoming a Pastor if you start of with not believing the foundation of the Bible. Stop wasting your time and the time of others. You start off with being a false teacher. Stay away from pastoring.
TDH, another thing. How can a story teach faith if it did not actually happen? Does the figurative god that you serve think people are stupid? Do what I say, don’t do what I do…which is nothing but tell false stories? Believe the story, no matter if it is true or not. How is that building faith? How powerless is your god? You know that you are sweeping the whole OT off the table and you are making God and/or all is servants and prophets in the OT out to be liars?
Not sure why you mention your “Masters” in Pastoral Theology. It is meaningless and typical of people that think they are educated and now think they can question the Bible. As Jesus told the Pharisees. You don’t know the scriptures nor do you know the power of God. Again, why bother becoming a Pastor…
Man didn’t write the bible, God did, cain married one of his sisters, dont yall understand anything!
Some points to consider on “CAIN’S WIFE”. How do we know that Cain was not already married when he murdered Abel? It did not say they [Cain & Abel] emerged from the womb and immediately went out and offered their sacrifices. And It could be by that time because life was still quite pristine Adam & Even could have had several other children, daughters, perhaps, or even granddaughters that Cain might have married.
Also, concerning who could possibly be those who would confront Cain to kill him, Humans lived on for centuries and centuries at that time so eventually there would be relatives and relations and shirt tail relatives who having moved to other regions might for some reason or other plot to kill Cain in the decades, centuries to come and not necessarily have to be another ” people” or “race” outside of the one the Bible describes.
Adam and Eve weren’t the only ‘people’ existing in the Genesis story but they were the first parents of mankind, in my own understanding of the OT, there are others who weren’t mentioned in the narrative of the Genesis. For one reason, the author of the Genesis sought to trace the history of the ancestors of Israel; it is just that the Genesis stories were highlight on the lives of Adam and Eve as to the reference of the order and ancestors of Israel.
TDH writes, “The Bible was not meant to be taken literally.” Sez who? Also, By whom was it not “meant to be taken literally?”
The bible says that Adam & Eve had other sons and daughters. All of them are not recorded. Cain had to have married either a sister or a cousin. And, since the offspring was only the 2nd to 3rd generation of man then the DNA was much closer to perfect than it is today so “incest” was not a concern then. The same scenario was repeated after the flood since there were only 4 couples to repopulate the earth.
Reading carefully the Genesis in Hebrew, we have to point out that God says to the earth (aretz) to produce all the living creatures (1:24) which has to include mankind. Then God created Adam in His resemblance (1:26) from the ground (adama) which is quite a different raw material than aretz. Moreover, the Hebrew grammar shows that all the living creatures represent categories, while Adam is one only of his kind, evidently because he is the only one to receive God’ breath (2:7).
When Cain hears of his punishment, after the murder of Abel, he protests the severity, because “God has moved him from the adama and anybody meeting him in the aretz will kill him (4:14).” Therefore, Cain had no problem in finding a wife among the daughters of the aretz. Dr. Edoardo Shmuel Recanati
Asking about Cain’s wife is like asking about Cinderella’s hairdresser. This is the 21st century.