And Adam knew Eve his wife
An euphemism, or modest expression of the act of coition. Jarchi
interprets it, "had known", even before he sinned, and was drove
out of the garden; and so other Jewish writers, who think he
otherwise would not have observed the command, "be fruitful and
multiply": but if Adam had begotten children in a state of
innocence, they would have been free from sin, and not tainted
with the corruption of nature after contracted; but others more
probably think it was some considerable time after; according to
Mer Thudiusi, or Theodosius F20, it was thirty years after
he was driven out of paradise:
and she conceived and bare Cain;
in the ordinary way and manner, as women ever since have usually
done, going the same time with her burden. Whether this name was
given to her first born by her, or by her husband, or both, is
not said: it seems to have been given by her, from the reason of
it after assigned. His name, in Philo Byblius F21, is
Genos, which no doubt was Cain, in Sanchoniatho, whom he
translated; and his wife, or the twin born with him, is said to
be Genea, that is, (hnyq)
, "Cainah": the Arabs call her Climiah F22 and
the Jewish writers Kalmenah F23; who are generally of
opinion, that with Cain and Abel were born twin sisters, which
became their wives.
And said,
that is, Eve said upon the birth of her firstborn,
I have gotten a man from the Lord;
as a gift and blessing from him, as children are; or by him, by
his favour and good will; and through his blessing upon her,
causing her to conceive and bear and bring forth a son: some
render it, "I have gotten a man, the Lord" F24; that
promised seed that should break the serpents head; by which it
would appear, that she took that seed to be a divine person, the
true God, even Jehovah, that should become man; though she must
have been ignorant of the mystery of his incarnation, or of his
taking flesh of a virgin, since she conceived and bare Cain
through her husband's knowledge of her: however, having imbibed
this notion, it is no wonder she should call him Cain, a
possession or inheritance; since had this been the case, she had
got a goodly one indeed: but in this she was sadly mistaken, he
proved not only to be a mere man, but to be a very bad man: the
Targum of Jonathan favours this sense, rendering the words,
``I have gotten a man, the angel of the Lord.''
F20 Apud Abulpharag. Hist. Dynast. p. 6.
F21 Apud Euseb. Praepar. Evangel. l. 1. c. 10. p. 34.
F22 Abulpharag. ib.
F23 Shalshaleth Hakabala, fol. 74. 2.
F24 (hwhy ta vya) "virum Dominum", Fagius, Helvicus, Forster, Schindler, Luther, Pellican, Cocceius; "virum qui Jehovah est", Schmidt.
