Serpent seed of Satan theorists claim that an accurate reading of Genesis 4:1 proves that the Bible is telling us that Cain is Satan’s son since Genesis 3 tells the story of Satan having sex with Eve.
As a pop-level representative of this view Zen Garcia claims that the original reading of that verse is, “And Adam knew Hava his wife, who had desired the Angel; and she conceived, and bare Kain; and she said, I have acquired a man, the Angel of the Lord. And she added to bear from her husband Adam his twin, even Habel.”
Now, if that sounds utterly foreign—including that Cain is the Angel of the Lord—this is because there is no historical, cultural, grammatical, textual, logical or theological reason for concluding that this rendering has any relation to the actual text.
Well, that version is from the Palestinian Targum aka Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel aka more accurately Targum Pseudo-Jonathan circa 600 AD (over half a millennia after the time of Jesus and when Muhammad was still around). Targumim are not formal and often hardly even dynamic translations but are paraphrases which contain much Rabbinic folklore—this particular Targum is peppered with such.
Thus, let us see how any and every other translation and paraphrase the text. For more detailed considerations of the serpent seed of Satan theorists’ claims about this text see here.
Septuagint/LXX circa 300 BC
Now Adam knew his wife Heua, and after she had conceived she bore Kain and said, “I have acquired a man through God.”
Dead Sea Scrolls – Scroll 4Q2 Genesisb does not preserved Genesis 4:1 however, 4:2 was and since it reads just as is commonly known then it is safe to assume that 4:1 did as well—it is an argument from silence in either direction–4:2 reads as:
Again she gave birth, to Cain’s brother Abel. Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
Aramaic Peshitta circa 2nd century AD
Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, “I have gotten a manchild with the help of the LORD.”
Aramaic Targum Onkelos circa 200 AD
And Adam knew Hava his wife, and she conceived, and gave birth to Kain; and she said, I have acquired the man from before the Lord. And she added to give birth to his brother, Habel.
Samaritan Pentateuch 3rd-2nd century BC And the man knew his wife Aabbaah. And she conceived and born Qen. And she said, I have gotten a man with Shehmaa. And she added and bore his brother Ehbel.
“Shehmaa” relates to the Hebrew “ha Shem” as in “The Name” which is used to replace the Tetragrammaton.
Masoretic text circa 800 AD
And the man knew Eve his wife; and she conceived and bore Cain, and said: “I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD.”
Clearly, Zen Garcia’s preferred reading is simply illegitimate when compared to other ancient sources. Here is the text in various English versions.
AMP
Now the man Adam knew Eve as his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, “I have obtained a man (baby boy, son) with the help of the Lord.”
AMPC
And Adam knew Eve as his wife, and she became pregnant and bore Cain; and she said, I have gotten and gained a man with the help of the Lord.
ASV
And the man knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man with the help of Jehovah.
BRG
And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.
CSB
The man was intimate with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. She said, “I have had a male child with the Lord’s help.”
CEB
The man Adam knew his wife Eve intimately. She became pregnant and gave birth to Cain, and said, “I have given life to a man with the Lord’s help.”
CEV
Adam and Eve had a son. Then Eve said, “I’ll name him Cain because I got him with the help of the Lord.”
CJB
The man had sexual relations with Havah his wife; she conceived, gave birth to Kayin [acquisition] and said, “I have acquired a man from Adonai.”
DARBY
And Man knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bore Cain, and said, I have acquired a man with Jehovah.
DRA
And Adam knew Eve his wife: who conceived and brought forth Cain, saying: I have gotten a man through God.
ERV
Adam had sexual relations with his wife Eve. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Cain. Eve said, “With the Lord’s help, I have made a man!”
ESV
Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.”
ESVUK
Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have produced a man with the help of the Lord.”
EXB
·Adam [L The man; 1:27] ·had sexual relations with [L knew] his wife Eve, and she ·became pregnant [conceived] and gave birth to Cain. Eve said, “With the Lord’s help, I have ·given birth to [L produced; or acquired; C the verb resembles Cain’s name] a man.”
GW
Adam made love to his wife Eve. She became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “I have gotten the man that the Lord promised.”
GNT
Then Adam had intercourse with his wife, and she became pregnant. She bore a son and said, “By the Lord’s help I have gotten a son.” So she named him Cain.
HCSB
Adam was intimate with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. She said, “I have had a male child with the Lord’s help.”
ICB
Adam had intimate relations with his wife Eve. She became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. Eve said, “With the Lord’s help, I have given birth to a man.”
ISV
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.”
JUB
And the man knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain and said, I have gained a man by the LORD.
KJ21
And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have gotten a man from the Lord.”
KJV
And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.
AKJV
And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.
LEB
Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain. And she said, “I have given birth to a man with the help of Yahweh.”
TLB
Then Adam had sexual intercourse with Eve his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to a son, Cain (meaning “I have created”). For, as she said, “With God’s help, I have created a man!”
MSG
Adam slept with Eve his wife. She conceived and had Cain. She said, “I’ve gotten a man, with God’s help!”
MEV
Adam had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived, gave birth to Cain and said, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.”
NOG
Adam made love to his wife Eve. She became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “I have gotten the man that Yahweh promised.”
NABRE
The man had intercourse with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, saying, “I have produced a male child with the help of the Lord.”
NASB
Now the man had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, “I have gotten a manchild with the help of the Lord.”
NCV
Adam had sexual relations with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. Eve said, “With the Lord’s help, I have given birth to a man.”
NET
Now the man had marital relations with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. Then she said, “I have created a man just as the Lord did!”
NIRV
Adam loved his wife Eve and slept with her. She became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the Lord’s help I have had a baby boy.”
NIV
Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.”
NIVUK
Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, ‘With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.’
NKJV
Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.”
NLV
The man lay with his wife Eve and she was going to have a child and she gave birth to Cain. She said, “I have given birth to a man with the help of the Lord.”
NLT
Now Adam had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said, “With the Lord’s help, I have produced a man!”
NRSV
Now the man knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have produced a man with the help of the Lord.”
NRSVA
Now the man knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, ‘I have produced a man with the help of the Lord.’
NRSVACE
Now the man knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, ‘I have produced a man with the help of the Lord.’
NRSVCE
Now the man knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have produced a man with the help of the Lord.”
OJB
And HaAdam knew Chavah (Eve) his isha; and she conceived, and bore Kayin (Cain), and said, Kaniti (I have acquired) ish with Hashem.
RSV
Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.”
RSVCE
Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord.”
TLV
Now the man had relations with Eve his wife and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “I produced a man with Adonai.”
VOICE
Now Adam and Eve discovered the pleasures of lovemaking, and soon Eve conceived and gave birth to a son whom they named Cain. Eve (excited): Look, I have created a new human, a male child, with the help of the Eternal.
WEB
The man knew Eve his wife. She conceived, and gave birth to Cain, and said, “I have gotten a man with Yahweh’s help.”
WYC
Forsooth Adam knew Eve his wife, which conceived, and childed Cain, and said, I have gotten a man by God. (And Adam knew his wife Eve, who conceived, and bare Cain, and she said, Now, with the Lord’s help, I have begotten a man.)
YLT
And the man knew Eve his wife, and she conceiveth and beareth Cain, and saith, `I have gotten a man by Jehovah;’
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