Editing Cain (section)

== Motives ==

[[File:Glasgow Botanic Gardens. Kibble Palace. Edwin Roscoe Mullins - 'Cain' (c. 1899).jpg|thumb|[[Glasgow Botanic Gardens]]. Kibble Palace. [[Edwin Roscoe Mullins]] – ''Cain'' or ''My Punishment is Greater than I can Bear'' (Genesis 4:13), about 1899.]]
The Book of Genesis does not give a specific reason for the murder of Abel. Modern commentators typically assume that the motives were jealousy and anger due to God rejecting Cain's offering, while accepting Abel's.<ref name="Kim,20012">{{harvnb|Byron|2011|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=NnnVmbnE-TcC&q=Cain+envy+Abel+Kim+first+murderer&pg=PA11 11]}}: Anglea Y. Kim, "Cain and Abel in the Light of Envy: A Study of the History of the Interpretation of Envy in Genesis 4:1–16," ''JSP'' (2001), pp. 65–84</ref> The [[First Epistle of John]] says the following:
{{blockquote|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."|{{bibleref2|1 John| 3:12|NIV}}}}

Ancient [[exegesis|exegetes]], such as the [[Midrash]] and the ''[[Conflict of Adam and Eve with Satan]]'', tell that the motive involved a desire for the most beautiful woman. According to Midrashic tradition, Cain and Abel each had twin sisters; each was to marry the other's. The Midrash states that Abel's promised wife, [[Luluwa|Aclima]], was more beautiful than [[Awan (religious figure)|Awan]], Cain's promised wife. And so, after Cain would not consent to this arrangement, Adam suggested seeking God's blessing by means of a sacrifice. Whoever God blessed would marry Aclima. When God openly rejected Cain's sacrifice, Cain slew his brother in a fit of jealousy and anger.<ref name="Kim,20012"/><ref name="brewer">{{cite book|last=Brewer|first=E. Cobham|title=The Dictionary of Phrase and Fable|publisher=Avenel Books|year=1978 |edition=reprint of 1894 |location=Edwinstowe, England|page=3|isbn=978-0-517-25921-4}}</ref> Rabbinical exegetes have discussed whether Cain's incestuous relationship with his sister was in violation of ''[[halakha]]''.{{sfn|Byron|2011|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=NnnVmbnE-TcC&q=incestuous&pg=PA27 27]}}