Gen 4:15 Sign of Cain

[c71clark]

What is this? I'm wondering if it might be a change in his skin color or physical characteristics that may account for some of the different racial characteristics we have now.

 

[St_Worm2]

What is this? I'm wondering if it might be a change in his skin color or physical characteristics that may account for some of the different racial characteristics we have now.

Hey c71, this is one of those verses that has been fodder for endless speculation over the centuries. The problem is that there is nothing in Scripture or tradition to indicate precisely what the "mark of Cain" was! It was apparently recognized universally as being from the God, and (also) that it meant that His hand protection was upon Cain (which makes me, like you, extremely curious about it). But exactly what it was....................

As far as "racial characteristics" go, there's no mention of this "mark" (or some form of it) appearing as part of the genetic make-up of the descendants of Cain (see Genesis 4:16-24). It wouldn't matter much today anyway (would it?) considering that all remnants of the 'family' of Cain were destroyed in the Flood! (we are the descendants of Adam's son Seth through Noah, yes? ... see Genesis 4:25-26 & Genesis 5)

 

[BereanTodd]

It could NOT be a racial trait/skin color that led to the racial diversity we have today. I have heard some skin head/KKK types spout that (I'm not saying that you are, just that I have heard it from their likes), and it really just adds another layer of ignorance to them. Why?

Because that happened BEFORE the flood. The earth has been completely repopulated from Noah and his sons, so even if we were to say that this mark were a change in skin color, for instance (which there is no biblical basis for), it would have been utterly wiped out at the time of the flood.

 

[c71clark]

That's true, I didn't think about the flood.