Why did Cain kill Abel

Cain and Abel were both brothers and they were the sons of the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. In the 4th chapter of Genesis 4, we find the first acts of worship and murder one after another. It all started when both Cain and Abel were instructed by god to bring Him a sacrifice or offering, following which, both came with their own different offerings. Abel’s offering was the “fat portions from some of the first-born of his flock”(genesis 4:4), which was looked upon by the Lord as an act of faith and accepted. Cain on the other hand, brought “some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord”(Genesis 4:3), which was not looked upon by god as offerings of faith and was thus rejected by him.

Cain killed Abel later out of jealousy and anger which issued out of his hurt ego, which had received a severe blow when his offering was rejected and Abel’s was accepted. This created in him an anger that was insatiable until he killed his own brother to satiate it. In doing so, he incurred the curse of the Lord onto himself and mankind. After he had already murdered Abel, god asked Cain where his brother was, he lied by saying that he did not know and also showed contempt when he said “Am I my brother’s keeper?”(Genesis 4:9).

It is believed that Cain …”belonged to the evil one…” and that is the reason why he brought the Lord a present unfit for him as Cain did not have faith in his heart to know what god wanted of him. “The evil one” is also believed to have infuriated and encouraged him to kill Abel as he knew that an act as atrocious as that would displease the Lord immensely and he would curse mankind, which He himself had proclaimed to be His greatest creation. “The evil one” refers to “Lucifer” or “Satan” or “The Devil” as we have come to call him who defied the Lord in Eden and was banished down in the flaming pits of hell as punishment for his defiance and mutiny.