Emotions that are present in every person are widely accepted as “normal.” This kind of thinking is strengthened when we find that some so-called core human emotions are evident across cultures and traditions. We triumphantly say things like: “Even the Bible shows acts of great violence!” This article will explore the famous story of Cain and Abel in the Old Testament from a Christian perspective. The focus is on the fact that the world’s acceptance of revenge nowadays is not compatible with the teachings of the Bible.
The Story of Cain & Abel
After being banished from the Garden of Eden, the Bible tells us that Adam and Eve entered a life of suffering, fending for themselves after the Fall of Sin. Adam and Eve had four children: Cain, Abel, Enoch, and Seth—and possibly more (Genesis 5:4).
This is the story of Cain and Abel, the original children according to the Bible:
“Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil. In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an offering to the Lord. And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast.
Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.’ Now Cain said to his brother Abel, ‘Let’s go out to the field.’ While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Where is your brother Abel?’ ‘I don’t know,’ he replied. ‘Am I my brother’s keeper?’ The Lord said, ‘What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.’” (Genesis 4:2-10, NIV)
The Bible is clear that Cain’s actions were a response to inner turmoil. In this scripture, God warns Cain to rule over sin and not let it take hold of him. Cain’s revenge is not “ok”—it deeply disturbs God.
Other Bible Verses About Cain and Abel
From a Christian perspective, the story of Cain and Abel is the story of the Gospel. Even though Jesus was innocent, he was murdered, much like Abel. Cain’s fallen humanity (sin) caused him to murder Abel, whose blood cried out to God.
The story in Genesis continues with God cursing Cain. The blood of Jesus, which offers salvation (Ephesians 1:7), is in direct contrast to the blood of Abel, which cried out condemnation. This is how the author of Hebrews describes it:
“You have come to God, the Judge of all, to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.” (Hebrews 12:23-24, NIV)
There are three more verses in the New Testament reflecting on Cain’s revenge:
“By faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did.” (Hebrews 11:4, NIV)
“We should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous.” (1 John 3:11-12, NIV)
“Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain.” (Jude 1:11, NIV)
What Are the Emotions That Lead to Revenge?
We read this kind of story, and our first response is: “See, even the Bible shows horrible acts of violence!” In fact, many who open a Bible in search of a loving God, quickly close it again when they find that the Old Testament is all but rainbows and unicorns.
We see a key action in Cain: revenge. But what are the emotions that play into this action?
Jealousy is one of those emotions that is particularly hard to pin down. “The green monster” is described as a wicked cocktail of envy, resentment, and bitterness. The Cambridge Dictionary defines it as a feeling of unhappiness and anger because someone has something or someone that you want.
Fear, insecurity, betrayal, hurt, and anger all fuel jealousy and make it even more potent.
What’s interesting about jealousy is that it is most typically aroused when a person perceives a threat to a valued relationship from a third party. It is almost always coming from a place of wanting to protect what matters most to you. So, Cain might have felt like his own relationship with God was threatened by Abel, who appeared closer to God when his offering was accepted (Genesis 4:4).
Psychology Today confirms that rejection is an established motivator for aggression, which could even lead to murder. When left unchecked, jealousy can lead to revenge. Neuroscientists have found that revenge is sweet, as the saying goes, because it literally triggers the brain’s reward circuitry.
Other emotions that are at play in this narrative are pride and shame (I am better than you / I am not good enough), sadness and fear (of not being good enough), and of course, anger.
How the World Views Emotions
In order to clearly see the Bible’s perspective on emotions, we need to contrast it with what the world says about it.
In the world we live in, some emotions that are commonplace are widely accepted as “normal.” The core human emotions that are found across cultures and traditions used to be a short list, but it keeps getting longer. The emotions that led to Cain’s revenge are all on that list (or “feelings wheel”) now.
Just a generation ago, it was uncommon to express how you felt, and feelings were not accepted in everyday conversations. Now you’ll hear seven-year-olds say things like: “When you say that, you hurt my feelings. That wasn’t very nice. I think you need to say sorry.”
With the recent growing popularity of wellness, self-care, and mindfulness trends, emotional health has been redefined. The new message is clear: emotions are a natural part of who you are. You need not change them, but observe them. Watch them pass by like clouds without engaging with them.
The world doesn’t say that murder is right, but revenge? That’s a grey area. Human retaliation in itself is not seen as wrong or problematic unless you break a law.
According to popularized Augustinian Christian views, the human DNA is corrupted from the very start. This is why people say things like betrayal, jealousy, and revenge are so common. It is a basic part of who we are as humans.
They say that Biblical narratives like that of the first children in the Old Testament are the perfect example: a story that starts with two brothers, filled with envy, ends with murder.
But could there be more to the story?
The Bible’s Perspective on Emotions
The Old Testament is full of violence and vengeance. Throughout history, humans have done all kinds of evil “in the name of God.” Did you know that even Nazi Germany and Apartheid South Africa claimed to be based in the Christian religion?
The issue with revenge, from a theological point of view, is that it is to take matters into one’s own hands.
Christianity is based on the concept of the Trinity (1 John 5:7). God, the Father, sent his one and only Son, Jesus Christ, to teach his people how to live. When Jesus ascended back to Heaven after completing his mission on Earth, he left behind a divine helper (John 14:16). This helper is also known as the Holy Spirit of God. Therefore, God has three expressions: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
Having a basic understanding of the Trinity is essential when it comes to understanding a Biblical perspective of revenge. Even though Jesus was fully human, he was also fully God (Philippians 2:6-8). Jesus cried, laughed, and experienced all kinds of emotions, but he only ever did the will of the Father (John 6:38).
The Holy Spirit is described as a helper for humanity precisely because people need it. The Bible teaches that it is not possible to live a good life on one’s own. Not even Jesus did his own will. All throughout scripture, God’s people have faced injustice and oppression with the same response: Turning to God.
“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:14, NIV)
