QUESTION

Adam and Eve were the first human beings to be created. Cain was their firstborn. In Genesis chapter 4 verse 17 it says that Cain lay with his wife. Where did that wife come from ?

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ANSWER

The first four chapters of Genesis do not give details of all the children that Adam and Eve had during their early life. It gives only those relevant to the historic drama about Cain, Abel and Seth. Chapter 5 provides the genealogy of Adam and Eve down to Noah. In verse four it says Adam had sons and daughters but does not say when or how many. Initially descendants of Adam and Eve they would have to marry close relatives. At least one man would have to marry a sister.

Some might ask - What about the law forbidding the marriage of close relatives which God gave to Moses.

This law is generally known as 'the incest law' and is incorporated into the laws of several nations?

Initially marrying close relatives would not have been a problem because the gene pool would be pure. Subsequent mutations caused defects in the gene pool would reach the stage where there would be a serious problem if close relatives married.. Close relatives tend to share the same defective genes. As these increased so would the risk of the children of close relatives being born having the same defective genes from both parents causing serious deformities. That might be the reason why God introduced the incest law.

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