Genesis 4

4 Later, Adam had sexual relations with his wife Eve. She became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “I have given birth to a male child—the Lord.” ² And she did it again, giving birth to his brother Abel. Abel shepherded flocks and Cain became a farmer.

³ Later, after a while, Cain brought an offering to the Lord from the fruit that he had harvested, ⁴ while Abel brought the best parts of some of the firstborn from his flock. The Lord looked favorably upon Abel and his offering, ⁵ but he did not look favorably upon Cain and his offering.

When Cain became very upset and depressed, ⁶ the Lord asked Cain, “Why are you so upset? Why are you depressed? ⁷ If you do what is appropriate, you’ll be accepted, won’t you? But if you don’t do what is appropriate, sin is crouching near your doorway, turning toward you. Now as for you, will you take dominion over it?”

⁸ Instead, Cain told his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the wilderness.” When they were outside in the fields, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

In the biblical narrative of Cain and Abel, Cain brings an offering to the Lord from the fruits he has harvested, while Abel offers the choicest parts of his firstborn flock. The Lord favors Abel and his offering but does not look favorably upon Cain’s. This disparity leads to a noticeable change in Cain’s demeanor—he becomes deeply upset and depressed.

In response to Cain’s emotional turmoil, the Lord engages him in a dialogue, questioning the source of his distress. The Lord advises Cain that if he does what is appropriate, his offering will be accepted. However, a warning is issued: sin is described as crouching near Cain’s doorway, ready to exert influence. The Lord poses a crucial question, challenging Cain’s ability to overcome the impending temptation.

Despite this divine counsel, Cain’s response is not one of repentance or correction. Instead, he invites his brother Abel to accompany him to the wilderness. Once in the fields, tragedy unfolds as Cain attacks and ultimately kills his brother Abel.

Warren McGrew posits that the term for sin, “חַטָּאת” (chaṭṭâʾth), doesn’t necessarily suggest an overarching rule of sin over Cain in a general sense. Instead, he asserts that sin begins to wield influence over Cain when he succumbs to the temptation of murdering his brother. In this viewpoint, if Cain wasn’t already under the dominion of sin, he might be considered sinless until the moment he commits the act of fratricide, allowing sin to assert control over him.

However, it seems Warren is striving to extract a nuanced meaning from the term that may not be inherent in its usage. The term itself, as indicated by lexical references like Zech 13:1 and Nu 15:24, broadly encompasses sinful offenses. Therefore, one could argue that this term is referring to Cain’s desire to murder his brother while still acknowledging his state of total depravity and susceptibility to original sin—it’s just that he hasn’t committed murder yet.

The lexical entry for “חַטָּאת” encompasses a spectrum of meanings, from denoting sins committed by individuals to expiation and sin-offerings. This diverse definition implies that the term encompasses various facets of sin, not limited to a specific inclination or act.

Furthermore, it is important to note that the notion of sin ruling over Cain or sin crouching at the door (Genesis 4:7) does not directly equate to the specific concepts of Total Depravity or Original Sin. While these biblical expressions emphasize the pervasive nature of sin, extending beyond individual actions to the inherent fallen state of humanity, the terms themselves carry distinct theological nuances. Sin crouching or ruling serves as a vivid illustration of the ongoing struggle with sin, but the broader theological doctrines of Total Depravity and Original Sin encompass a more comprehensive understanding of humanity’s inherent sinful nature from birth.

חַטָּאת, חַטַּאת Zech 13:1 and חַטָּֽת Nu 15:24: חטא; BL 613d; JArm.tg חַטָּ(א)תָא: cs. חַטַּאת; חַטָּאתוֹ, חַטָּֽאתְךָ, חַטַּאתְכֶם, pl. abs. חַטָּאוֹת, cs. חַטֹּאת Nu 5:6 (6 ×), חַטּאוֹת 1K 14:16 (18 ×), abs. Da 9:24, Q חַטָּאת, K חַטָּאוֹת; חַטֹּא(וֹ)תֵיכֶם, חַטֹּאתָֽי: 288 × and cj. Lv 5:5 and Nu 28:30, mostly in Lv and Nu; 1QIsa 27:9 חטאו for חַטָּאתוֹ, Kutscher Lang. Is. 287f: —1. sin (155 ×): כָּֽבְדָה Gn 18:20, ח׳ קֶסֶם 1S 15:23, ח׳ פֶּה Ps 59:13 חַטֹּאות נְעוּרַי Ps 25:7; נָשָׂא ח׳ Gn 50:17 Ex 10:17 32:32 1S 15:25 and נָשָׂא לְח׳ Jos 24:19 Ps 25:18 and סָלַח לְח׳ Ex 34:9 1K 8:34, 36 Jr 36:3 2C 6:25, 27 to forgive sin; חֶעֱבִיר ח׳ to overlook sin 2S 12:13; עָשָׂה ח׳ Nu 5:7 and חָטָא ח׳ to do sin Lv 4:3; פָּקַד ח׳ to punish sin Ex 32:34 Hos 8:13 9:9; חַטֹּאת הָאָדָם sins that man commits Nu 5:6; → עָוֹן, פֶּשַׁע; —2. expiation, sin-offering (135 ×), MHb., → חטא pi., → חֲטָאָה 2, אָשָׁם, vRad Theol. 2:256ff: פַּר ח׳ Ex 29:36 Lv 4:8, 20 8:2, 14 16:6, 11, 27 Ezk 43:21 45:22, עֶגְלַת ח׳ Lv 9:8 שְׂעִיר ח׳ Lv 9:15 10:16 16:15, 27 Ezk 43:25 2C 29:23; דַּם ח׳ Lv 4:25, 34 5:9 Ezk 45:19, חֵלֶב ח׳ Lv 16:25; מֵי ח׳ Nu 8:7; שְׂרֵפַת ח׳ Nu 19:17 כֶּסֶף חַטָּאוֹת 2K 12:17; ח׳ הַכִּפֻּרִים Ex 30:10, ח׳ הַקָּהָל Lv 4:21; —Am 5:12 rd. חֲטָאֵיכֶם.

Ludwig Koehler et al., The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1994–2000), 306.

חַטָּאת chaṭṭâʾth, khat-tawth´; from 2398; an offence (sometimes habitual sinfulness), and its penalty, occasion, sacrifice, or expiation; also (concr.) an offender:—punishment (of sin), purifying (-fication for sin), sin (-ner, offering).

James Strong, A Concise Dictionary of the Words in the Greek Testament and The Hebrew Bible (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2009), 38.

To maintain his perspective, Warren introduces unconventional notions. Most notably, he asserts that while Cain may have harbored murderous intent, this intent is not inherently sinful, contrary to the scriptural teaching found in passages like Matthew 5:21-22, which equates harboring anger with murder. Additionally, Warren’s viewpoint faces challenges when considering the contextual evidence of God’s displeasure with Cain’s offering (Genesis 4:6-7), indicating a potential issue with Cain that predates the act of murder.

In conclusion, it is essential to resist being swayed by interpretations that lean towards a pelagian reading, especially when a wealth of evidence exists supporting the doctrines of original sin and total depravity (Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3). The nuanced interpretation of Cain’s situation should be considered in the broader context of these foundational theological principles.

God’s warning pictures Cain’s murderous purpose like an entrance-demon (an allusion to serpent-Satan) coiled at the door of his heart, desiring to master him. Jesus echoed this warning to those who schemed to kill him (John 8:37), exposing them as children of the devil, the murderer from the beginning, whose desire they were bent on carrying out (John 8:44).

Kline, Meredith G.. Genesis: A New Commentary . Hendrickson Pub. Kindle Edition.