Cain and Abel: The first murder in biblical law

¶ … crime in the Bible: The slaying of Abel by Cain

One of the most famous crime in the Bible is the killing of Abel by his brother Cain, an act often called the first murder. Cain killed his brother when he was outraged at the fact that God accepted his brother's sacrifice but not Cain's offering. As described in the Bible, the murder is clearly premeditated: Cain murders Abel in cold blood although the actual details of the crime are not fully spelled out. "Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him' (Genesis IV: 8). So the spare yet evocative wording of Genesis records history's first murder" (Marshall 2013). When God asks where Abel is, Cain tries to conceal his crime, famously asking if he is his 'brother's keeper.' The crime is premeditated, and Cain exhibits no apparent remorse. The interpretation of the Bible story is often one which underlines the responsibility of Cain for his brother, as well as his guilt. "When God asks Cain, 'Where is your brother Abel?' he makes Cain responsible for his brother, that is, responsible for another" (Duyndam 2009). Cain cannot act out of anger towards his brother -- there is a moral order to the world which God has created.