What was the mark on Cain?

[Anchorite]

I see you are focused on what you can see, touch, taste and smell.....the sensual.
The battle raging is greater and more insidious than the sensual.

Focus in on the sensual and the rabbit hole one goes down is turning the elements of the eucharist into the physical blood and body of Jesus; the conclusion of darkened minds......even looking for tattoos.

I am not focused on the sensual, I am interpreting words according to how they are used.

In the Bible, there are literal items and other things are spiritual. You err by trying to turn literal, physical items into metaphors and symbols.

Jesus fed the 5,000 with literal bread and fish.

You may be one of those who want to take whatever biometric implant the government wants to impose on you.

I understand your fear of starving to death because of not being able to buy and sell without the chip or RFID tattoo.

I sympathize with your desire to ignore the beast system technology that is developing at an alarming rate of speed.

But fantasizing about the mark of the beast being merely an attitude that you assume you can mentally resist and reject — this delusion will lead you to the lake of fire, and I do not want that to happen to you.

 

[Wick Stick]

Genesis 4:15



And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.


———————


What mark on a human being would make you afraid to kill him?

I have never seen any good speculation on this question. Except this one…

In the ancient Mediterranean world, marking the forehead with a hot iron brand or a forced tattoo (stigma) was a severe method used by Greeks and Romans to punish runaway slaves, signal ownership, and deter flight. Romans called heavily marked slaves frontes litterati ("lettered foreheads").

Putting a "mark" on a person tells everyone that no one is allowed to harm this person or kill them without answering to the person who has literally put their brand on them. In Adonai's case, it would be an overwhelming sensation to get away from Cain.

The name of Yahweh was tattooed on Cain’s forehead, meaning he was branded as belonging to God, is a possibility. Because it would scare people. They would be afraid to kill Cain because he was God’s property and God would get revenge on you.

Looking at Hebrew, the word for Cain's mark is a different word than the one elsewhere used prohibiting tattoos (Lev 19).

The word used is similar to one used several times designating circumcision as a 'mark' of the covenant.

Speculatively, it may have something to do with the prohibition on farming that was part of Cain's punishment.

 

[Anchorite]

Looking at Hebrew, the word for Cain's mark is a different word than the one elsewhere used prohibiting tattoos (Lev 19).

The word used is similar to one used several times designating circumcision as a 'mark' of the covenant.

Speculatively, it may have something to do with the prohibition on farming that was part of Cain's punishment.

How could a mark that was a prohibition of farming cause avengers to not kill Cain?

 

[Wick Stick]

How could a mark that was a prohibition of farming cause avengers to not kill Cain?

Yeah, that isn't obvious...

So, in the Bronze Age, you were either (1) a farmer living in arable lands, or (2) a herder living in non-arable lands. Those two groups don't get along well. Farmers and ranchers have always had beef (pun intended).

Cain belongs to the nomadic herding group. In practice, that means that he traveled with (as head of?) a small army of armed men whose job was protecting the herd. They would have had experience taking out wolves and lions, and it wasn't uncommon for such groups to opportunistically raid the villages of farmers.

It turns out traveling with a standing army does in fact discourage men from attacking you.

 

[PeterAndroz]

Yeah, that isn't obvious...

So, in the Bronze Age, you were either (1) a farmer living in arable lands, or (2) a herder living in non-arable lands. Those two groups don't get along well. Farmers and ranchers have always had beef (pun intended).

Cain belongs to the nomadic herding group. In practice, that means that he traveled with (as head of?) a small army of armed men whose job was protecting the herd. They would have had experience taking out wolves and lions, and it wasn't uncommon for such groups to opportunistically raid the villages of farmers.

It turns out traveling with a standing army does in fact discourage men from attacking you.

>>>>>"""Cain belongs to the nomadic herding group.

The verse simply states a 'mark' was put on Cain
Whoever saw the 'mark' knew not to kill him
Any other claims/thoughts are purely supposition which without supporting verses are simply taken with a pinch of salt (no offence)


15And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.

 

[quietthinker]

Based on the 'wisdom' you believe you have, using verses, state how a person is to see the Rev 13:16-18 MOTB on another.
'mark' > charagma
View attachment 88177

Rev. 13:18 speaks of him who has wisdom....and I guess this means the ability to discern what is being communicated
Wisdom and discernment are bedfellows ....and you ain't gonna get it by consulting a dictionary, thesaurus or translation of Ancient Greek.
Here is a parallel re wisdom....If you tried to get the meaning of Jesus' oft used expression 'the Kingdom of God' you're gonna draw a blank on what he was trying to convey using the source by which you are attempting to understand MOTB......particularly seeing he likened it by using a multitude of illustrations.

 

[Anchorite]

Yeah, that isn't obvious...

So, in the Bronze Age, you were either (1) a farmer living in arable lands, or (2) a herder living in non-arable lands. Those two groups don't get along well. Farmers and ranchers have always had beef (pun intended).

Cain belongs to the nomadic herding group. In practice, that means that he traveled with (as head of?) a small army of armed men whose job was protecting the herd. They would have had experience taking out wolves and lions, and it wasn't uncommon for such groups to opportunistically raid the villages of farmers.

It turns out traveling with a standing army does in fact discourage men from attacking you

But scripture says that it was the mark God put on Cain that would prevent people from killing him. It says nothing about Cain being a nomadic herder or traveling with a standing army.

 

[quietthinker]

I am not focused on the sensual, I am interpreting words according to how they are used.

In the Bible, there are literal items and other things are spiritual. You err by trying to turn literal, physical items into metaphors and symbols.

Jesus fed the 5,000 with literal bread and fish.

You may be one of those who want to take whatever biometric implant the government wants to impose on you.

I understand your fear of starving to death because of not being able to buy and sell without the chip or RFID tattoo.

I sympathize with your desire to ignore the beast system technology that is developing at an alarming rate of speed.

But fantasizing about the mark of the beast being merely an attitude that you assume you can mentally resist and reject — this delusion will lead you to the lake of fire, and I do not want that to happen to you.

I'm sorry Anchorite but we see differently.....and it's the difference between seeing or not seeing that determines the priority embraced.

 

[PeterAndroz]

Rev. 13:18 speaks of him who has wisdom....and I guess this means the ability to discern what is being communicated
Wisdom and discernment are bedfellows ....and you ain't gonna get it by consulting a dictionary, thesaurus or translation of Ancient Greek.
Here is a parallel re wisdom....If you tried to get the meaning of Jesus' oft used expression 'the Kingdom of God' you're gonna draw a blank on what he was trying to convey using the source by which you are attempting to understand MOTB......particularly seeing he likened it by using a multitude of illustrations.

>>>>>>""and you ain't gonna get it by consulting a dictionary,

Correct, I'm "gonna get it " by looking for a VISUAL sign on the head or the hand, name or number
Something >>>>>VISUAL<<<<< for everyone to see with their >>>>EYES<<<<<<

 

[Wick Stick]

But scripture says that it was the mark God put on Cain that would prevent people from killing him. It says nothing about Cain being a nomadic herder or traveling with a standing army.

It says something about Cain being a nomad... he was sentenced to wander in "Nod." His descendants are listed at "Jabal" and "Jubal" from which come the herdsmen.

As for how the life of the Bronze-Age herdsman goes... the Bible doesn't say that... it assumes we know that, at least in the portions written in the Bronze Age.

Me, I learned that by reading The Amarna Letters - a series of letters written in the Bronze Age between the kings of Canaanite city-states and their overlord - Pharoah of Egypt.

 

[quietthinker]

>>>>>>""and you ain't gonna get it by consulting a dictionary,

Correct, I'm "gonna get it " by looking for a VISUAL sign on the head or the hand, name or number
Something >>>>>VISUAL<<<<< for everyone to see with their >>>>EYES<<<<<<

View attachment 88183

What to say except I don't think you get it.
.....and I can see by your reply you think the buying and selling has to do with economics?

Whenever has the conflict / war going on between Satan and Jesus working through their respective followers ever been about economics?
Was Jesus crucified because of economics? was Paul? was Stephan, did James get beheaded because of economics and Peter crucified? Were the martyrs in the Dark Ages burn't at the stake or fed to the lions because of economics?

The virgins that were ready had oil.....the ones that didn't assumed they had
......and what does trimming ones lamp mean?

These stories Jesus told all circle around the same matter as highlighted at the end of Rev. 13 as well as other chapters of the book.

I guess these are questions for you to ponder.

 

[MostlyConfused]

Why single out Cain?

Because the way to the tree of life had not been made known.

This was interesting.

Also, when you brought up Lamech, who reasoned that if Cain killed a man for no good reason and God would avenge anyone who killed Cain 7 times, then surely Lamech, who killed for the reason of self defense after a man came after him and hit & attacked him, would be avenged many MORE times if anyone tried to kill HIM. It’s the first use of self defense AS a defense…

 

[stevesonthebay]

Genesis 4:15



And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.


———————


What mark on a human being would make you afraid to kill him?

I have never seen any good speculation on this question. Except this one…

In the ancient Mediterranean world, marking the forehead with a hot iron brand or a forced tattoo (stigma) was a severe method used by Greeks and Romans to punish runaway slaves, signal ownership, and deter flight. Romans called heavily marked slaves frontes litterati ("lettered foreheads").

Putting a "mark" on a person tells everyone that no one is allowed to harm this person or kill them without answering to the person who has literally put their brand on them. In Adonai's case, it would be an overwhelming sensation to get away from Cain.

The name of Yahweh was tattooed on Cain’s forehead, meaning he was branded as belonging to God, is a possibility. Because it would scare people. They would be afraid to kill Cain because he was God’s property and God would get revenge on you.

It sounds like branding cattle. This was done for a similar reason and there were pretty harsh consequences for cattle rustling.

I think the bible uses ideas like numbers and protection decrees. Or being branded with something as part of an agreement. Like a blood oath. Often with a sacrifice.

Cain's sacrifice to God was not as great as Abels. Cain got envious and killed his brother. He was not willing to sacrifice it all for God.

Cain and his decendents all perished in the flood. So it seems no good came from the killing. It wasn't a good start.

Perhaps its to do with Christ. Christ is the only true judge. So God did not allow man to take matters into their own hands and be judge, jury and executioner. Gods laws still abide until Christ when He fullfills the law and restores things.

I think symbolically Cains murder of Abel in the opposite of Christ sacrificing His life for us. Abel was willing to do so for God and Cain was not.

 

[Ronald Nolette]

It definitely is known....even 'branded' .....by attitude and behaviour (head and hand).
There are only two options, either it's 'me me me' ie, 666.....or
'by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another'....Jesus. John 13:35

sorry but a charagma or brand is vastly different that attitude! If god meant attitude He would have not used the word in Greek all knew to be a visible mark.