hat Cain told his brother how
severely he had been rebuked of the Lord. But who would believe
statements for which there is no authority in the Scriptures? We hold
therefore to an explanation which has the warrant of the Scriptures,
namely that Cain, finding himself rejected of God, indulged his anger,
and added to his former sins contempt of his parents and of the Word,
thinking within himself: "The promised seed of the woman belongs to me
as the first-born. But my brother, Abel, that contemptible,
good-for-nothing fellow, is evidently preferred to me by divine
authority, manifest in the fire consuming his sacrifice. What shall I
do, therefore? I will dissemble my wrath until an opportunity of
taking vengeance shall occur."

108. Therefore the words, "Cain told Abel his brother," I understand
to mean that Cain, dissembling his anger, conducted himself toward
Abel as a brother, and spoke to him and conversed with him, as if he
bore with good nature the sentence pronounced upon him by God. In this
manner also Saul simulated an attitude of kindness toward David. "I
know well," said Saul, "that thou shalt surely be king," 1 Sam 24, 20;
and yet he was all the while planning to prevent this by killing
David. Just so Cain now conversed with Abel his brother, and said: I
see that thou art chosen of the Lord; I envy thee not this divine
blessing, etc. This is just the manner of hypocrites. They pretend
friendship until an opportunity of doing the harm they intend presents
itself.

109. That such is the true sense of the passage, all the circumstances
clearly show. For if Adam and Eve could have gathered the least
suspicion of the intended murder, think you not that they would either
have restrained Cain or removed Abel, and placed the latter out of
danger? But as Cain had altered his countenance and his deportment
toward his brother, and had talked with him in a brotherly manner,
they thought all was safe, and the son bowed to and acquiesced in the
admonition of his father. The appearance deceived Abel also, who, if
he had feared anything like murder from his brother, would doubtless
have fled from him, as Jacob fled from Esau when he feared his
brother's wrath. What, therefore, could possibly have come into the
mind of Jerome when he believed the rabbins, who say Cain was
expostulating with his brother?

110. Accordingly, Cain is the image and picture of all hypocrites and
murderers, who kill under the show of godliness. C