4. The birth of Seth (4:25-26)

Ch. 4 ends with a ray of hope for an alternative outcome to the story of humankind. Adam and Eve give birth to another son, Seth, to replace the murdered Abel. The tragic path exposed by Cain and his progeny is not the final word. The family of Adam has produced two divergent streams juxtaposed with each other, one working against God’s design for creation, the other affirming man’s dependence on the Creator (v.26). While Cain’s line is described only as far as Lamech, it is the progeny of Seth that will occupy our attention in subsequent chapters.