Texts in Conversation
Genesis 4 describes Eve naming Cain with a declaration that she has created a man like God creates. The Greek Septuagint softens this to say she merely “acquired” a man with God's help, removing the claim of divine creative power.
Share:
2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Genesis 4:1
Hebrew Bible
1 Now the man was intimate with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. Then she said, “I have created a man just as the Lord did!” 2 Then she gave birth to his brother Abel. Abel took care of the flocks, while Cain cultivated the ground.
LXX Genesis 4:1
Septuagint
1 Now Adam knew his wife Heua, and after she had conceived she bore Kain and said, “I have acquired a man through God.” 2 And she proceeded to bear his brother Habel. And Habel became a herder of sheep, but Kain was tilling the earth.
Search:
Notes and References
"... Qanah is used elsewhere for the creative activity of God. Wisdom states in Proverbs 8:22: "Yahweh created me (qaniti) first of his ways." El Elyon ("God Most High" in many translations) is identified as "creator (qoneh) of heaven and earth" by Melchizedek in blessing Abram in Genesis 14:19. Linking this usage of qanah with what Eve says, we may hear echoes of a divine mode of creation that involves giving birth (creation through pro-creation)."
Humphreys, W. Lee
The Character of God in the Book of Genesis: A Narrative Appraisal
(pp. 59-60) Westminster John Knox Press, 2001
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
Your Feedback:
Leave a Comment
Anonymous comments are welcome. All comments are subject to moderation.