Genesis 4
1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD.” 2 And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. 3 In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought off the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6 The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it.” 8 Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 And the LORD said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. 11 And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12 When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” 13 Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can bear. 14 Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” 15 Then the LORD said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the LORD put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him. 16 Then Cain went away from the presence of the LORD and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden. 17 Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch. 18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech. 19 And Lamech took two wives. The name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. 20 Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. 21 His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. 22 Zillah also bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. 23 Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say: I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me. 24 If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold, then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold.” 25 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.” 26 To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the LORD. (Genesis 4, ESV Bible)
1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of the LORD.” 2 And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. 3 In the course of time Cain brought to the LORD an offering of the fruit of the ground, 4 and Abel also brought off the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the LORD had regard for Abel and his offering, 5 but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. (Genesis 4:1-5, ESV Bible)
Cain and Abel
The story of Cain and Abel tells the tale of the first brothers, the first envy, the first hatred, and the first murder. Abel was a shepherd. Cain worked the soil. Both brothers brought first fruits of their respective enterprises as sacrifices to God.
This indicates that giving a portion of our livelihood to God is a fundamental principle of faith--the first religious service recorded. The Torah simply assumes that people of God give the first of their produce and a tithe of their profit to the LORD.
Why did the LORD receive Abel's offering and reject Cain's offering? Christians often explain that the LORD received Abel's offering because it was an animal sacrifice and the LORD required blood offerings to atone for sin. He rejected Cain's offering because it was a bloodless offering. This explanation is wrong. The Torah prescribes both types of offerings and even commands both types of offerings. The Torah explicitly allows a person to bring a grain offering instead of an animal sacrifice if the individual is too poor to afford livestock, even in the case of sin offerings (Leviticus 5:11-13). Leviticus 2 describes the minchah (מִנְחָה), a grain offering that is completely acceptable to God.
The LORD did not reject Cain because He had a preference for meat.
References
This section is from teachings from FFOZ Depths of the Torah, Book One.
The Sacrifices of Cain and Abel
God placed Adam at Mount Moriah, the place where He had created him. Adam built an altar to the LORD and sacrificed on it. Adam's altar stood in the place where Abraham later built the altar on which he placed his son Isaac. King Solomon placed the altar of the holy Temple on the same spot. Cain and Abel also sacrificed on that altar.
God accepted Abel's sacrifice, but He rejected Cain's because Cain's "deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous" (1 John 3:12). "Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts" (Hebrews 11:4). God told Cain, "If you do good, will not (your offering) be lifted up? And if you do not do good, sin is crouching at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it."
References
This section is from teachings from FFOZ Shadows of Messiah, Book One.
6 The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? (Genesis 4:6, ESV Bible)
Faith and Deeds
Our apostles state, "We should love one another; not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous" (1 John 3:11-12). God received Abel's sacrifice because his deeds were righteous, and He refused Cain's because his deeds were wicked. This is not just an apostolic interpretation. The LORD told Cain that if he would "do well" his sacrifice would also be received, but if not, sin would have mastery over him. In other words, the LORD said to Cain, "If you want me to receive your worship, repent and do good."
Another apostle states, "By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts" (Hebrews I1:4). This seems like a contradiction. The author of Hebrews indicates that God received Abel's gifts because of his faith, while the Apostle John says He received his gifts because "his deeds were righteous." There is no difficulty here. Abel's deeds were righteous because he was a man of faith.
How is it that the two brothers went down such opposite paths? They were both children of the same parents. They had the same religious background. Why did they turn out so differently? The writer of the book of Hebrews explains the riddle:
And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him. (Hebrews 11:6)
Both Cain and Abel believed that God existed. But only one believed that He rewards those who seek Him, and only one sought Him earnestly, sincerely, with his heart and with his deeds, seeking the reward of faith. Abel was sure of things hoped for and convinced of things unseen. He walked in the fear of the LORD because he believed in the unseen God who rewards and punishes.
References
This section is from teachings from FFOZ Depths of the Torah, Book One.
7 If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it. (Genesis 4:7)
Cain and Abel: The Tragic Consequences of Jealousy and the Call to Love
The course of humanity began to unfold with the story of Adam and Eve's first children. Exiled from Eden and cut off from God, Cain and Abel sought to connect with Him through offerings. Abel's heart was pure, but Cain’s was tainted by sin. God accepted Abel's offering but rejected Cain’s, as Cain's actions were evil while Abel's were righteous (1 John 3:12). God warned Cain that sin was at his door, urging him to master it. Instead, driven by jealousy and anger, Cain committed the first murder, killing his brother.
This is the first recorded religious act, and tragically, it also became the first instance of competition and murder. Throughout history, religious convictions have often led to competition between worshipers, fueling resentment and hatred, sometimes resulting in violence. This behavior has led many irreligious people to reject faith, thinking, "If that's what religion does, who needs it?" Yeshua, however, taught a different way—one rooted in the Torah’s greatest commandments: to love God and to love one another. Without love, even the practice of true religion becomes distorted.
Hatred comes easily to humanity, with or without religion. Yeshua warned that hatred is not far from murder in the heart (Matthew 5:21-22). The Apostle John echoed this, saying that anyone who does not love his brother is a child of the devil, abiding in death:
"For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous ... We know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love abides in death. (I John 3:II-14)
As followers of Yeshua, we should stand apart from the world. Our lives should reflect patience, kindness, and gentleness, motivated by love, not by petty jealousies or competition. According to John, our love for one another is the evidence that we are truly children of God.
References
This section is from teachings from FFOZ Unrolling the Scroll.
Wisdom and Folly
The LORD did not destroy Adam and Eve when they failed the test. Instead, He gave them another chance to pass. He removed them from Eden, and He removed His direct presence so that they could learn to seek Him. They were to live out their days choosing good and seeking God, exercising dominion over the earth:
Wisdom protected the first-formed father of the world, when he alone had been created, she delivered him from his transgression and gave him strength to rule all things. But when the unrighteous [Cain] departed from her in anger, he perished because in rage he killed his brother. (Wisdom of Solomon 10:1-3)
A Jewish sage once asked Yeshua, "What is the greatest commandment." He replied, "You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind." And the second greatest commandment is like the first one: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." He said that all the commandments in the Torah hang upon these two (Matthew 22:35-40).
References
This section is from teachings from FFOZ The Beginning of Wisdom, Book One.
The First Two Sins
The first chapters of Genesis tell us the story of how human beings violated the two greatest commandments right from the beginning. Adam and Eve disobeyed God's commandment regarding the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They wanted to "be like God," knowing and experiencing good and evil rather than representing God in the world. They ate of the forbidden fruit, violating the commandment to love God with all one's heart, soul, and strength.
"If you love me, you will keep my commandments." (John 14:15)
Cain hated his brother. He objected to the idea of extending his concern for Abel: "Am I my brother's keeper?" (Genesis 4:9). He murdered his brother in his heart before he murdered him with his hands. He violated the commandment to love his neighbor as himself, setting a world of human discord and hatred in motion. All sins hang upon these two sins.
In the Bible, wisdom means more than just experience and common sense. Likewise, folly means more than just stupidity, impulsiveness, or frivolity. It has a moral component of godless behavior and sin that denies God's presence.
Wisdom looks beyond the immediate temptation to gratify an impulse and weighs the consequences. Folly reaches for instant gratification, heedless of any consequences. When Eve saw that the temptation set before her was "a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable" (Genesis 3:6), she ignored the consequences: "in the day that you eat from it you will surely die" (Genesis 2:17). Consequently, God exiled Adam and Eve from Eden and from His presence. No longer would they enjoy walking in the garden with the LORD in the cool of the day.
When Cain felt jealousy and hatred for Abel stirring in his heart, he ignored the potential consequences. God warned him that good deeds merit good rewards while evil deeds bring evil consequences: "If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it" (Genesis 4:7). Cain ignored the warning about consequences, and consequently, God exiled him from the land to become "a vagrant and a wanderer on earth" (Genesis 4:14), exiled "from the presence of the LORD" (Genesis 4:16).
These two stories summarize the folly of the human condition. In one way or another, we keep committing these same two sins over and over again, and we suffer the same consequence: exile from the presence of God.
The story of Israel illustrates the human condition. So long as the Jewish people observed the commandments of the Torah and abided by the terms of the covenant, God rewarded the nation with His presence and abundant blessings in the promised land. If they did not observe the commandments and abide by the covenant, they suffered exile from His presence and from the land. The nation did not consider the consequences. Just as God drove Adam and Eve from Eden and His presence, He sent Israel into exile. Just as He drove Cain from His land and from His presence, He sent Israel into exile. All three stories are the same story--the story of folly.
References
This section is from teachings from FFOZ The Beginning of Wisdom, Book One.
Practice of the Presence of God
How can we overcome folly and learn wisdom? Let's start at the beginning. The beginning of wisdom is the fear of the LORD. The sages put it this way: "Remember that there is an eye that sees, an ear that hears, and all your deeds are written in a book" (Pirkei Avot 2:1). Remember that God is watching. Remember that He is listening. And remember that every action we commit is recorded before Him, incurring either His reward or His punishment.
The absence of God is only an illusion. Although we cannot see, hear, or feel Him, He is nonetheless present, and we stand in His presence at all times. We are never really alone because God is with us everywhere, in every place, and at all times.
Our minds have a hard time believing in something our eyes do not see and our ears do not hear, so we quickly forget that God is present with us. Our short attention spans forget about His presence. The Torah's commandments create a system of constant reminders to continually haul us back into an awareness of the presence of God. God's words are to be "on your heart," always in mind, day and night, at home and away (Deuteronomy 6:6-7) to constantly remind us that "The LORD is our God, the LORD is one" (Deuteronomy 6:4):
I know that everything God does will remain forever; there is nothing to add to it and there is nothing to take from it, for God has so worked that men should fear Him. (Ecclesiastes 3:14, emphasis mine)
References
This section is from teachings from FFOZ The Beginning of Wisdom, Book One.
Wisdom Made Flesh
God made the world through wisdom. He created human beings to be vessels of that wisdom, bearing His image, representing Him in the created world and ruling over it on His behalf. The problem is that our capacity for wisdom is excelled only by our capacity for folly. Sin and folly obscure God's image. They spoil the picture. We don't do a good job of representing God in this world. We don't make good kings and queens over His creation. Only one human being does the job right. That's why He's called "the Son of Man," a Hebrew idiom that simply means "the human being." He's called "the Human Being" because He's the only human being correctly doing the job of being a human being. He is the King of kings.
Reflecting on his own nature, King David asked, "What is man that You take thought of him, and the son of man that You care for him?" (Psalm 8:5[4]). The apostles answer in regard to the Son of Man: "He is the image of the invisible God" (Colossians 1:15). Messiah is "the radiance of [God's] glory and the exact representation of His nature" and has therefore inherited a more excellent name than angels (Hebrews 1:3-4):
Yet You have made him a little lower than God, and You crown him with glory and majesty! You make him to rule over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet. (Psalm 8:6-7[5-6])
The pre-existent, supernal wisdom of God through whom all things were created ultimately tabernacled among us in the person of the Messiah, Yeshua of Nazareth. He is God's wisdom made flesh. Paul refers to Yeshua as "the wisdom of God" (I Corinthians 1:24). He speaks of Messiah as "God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory" (I Corinthians 2:7). Yeshua embodies God's wisdom in physical form:
By Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities--all things have been created through Him and for Him. (Colossians 1:16)
This concept helps us understand the prologue to the Gospel of John. If we think of God's supernal word as the expression of His divine wisdom, we could understand the first few verses of the Gospel of John like this:
In the beginning was the Wisdom,
And the Wisdom was with God,
And the Wisdom was God.
It was in the beginning with God.
Everything was made to exist through Wisdom,
And nothing that was made to exist was made to exist except by it.
And the Wisdom became flesh,
And dwelt among us,
And we saw Wisdom's glory,
Glory as of the only begotten from the Father,
Full of grace and truth. (Paraphrase of John 1:I-3, 14)
References
This section is from teachings from FFOZ The Beginning of Wisdom, Book One.
8 Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:8-9, ESV Bible)
Murder, A Very Serious Sin
Here, we witness the first act of murder. From this moment forward, the Torah repeatedly emphasizes murder as one of the gravest—if not the gravest—sins a person can commit. Later, after Noah emerges from the ark, God explicitly commands him and his descendants not to shed human blood. Why? Because every human being is made in the image of God. To take a life is to destroy the very image of God. This theme is introduced here in the story of Cain and Abel.
In Hebrew, there are multiple words for sin. In Genesis 4, we encounter the word avon, commonly translated as "iniquity" in English. After Cain kills Abel, he laments that his sin—his iniquity—is too great for him to bear.
This first murder sets off a chain reaction, a downward spiral of corruption and violence that culminates in the events of Genesis 6, where humanity is described as utterly depraved, with acts of murder and bloodshed rampant across the earth.
In verse 9, YHWH poses a piercing question to Cain:
9 Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 9, ESV Bible)
This question can be translated in multiple ways from the Hebrew, including, “Am I my brother’s guardian?” This moment highlights the corruption of sin and its impact on human relationships. By the time of the flood, the sense of responsibility—of watching over and caring for one another—is all but lost.
Without stating it outright, the Torah subtly raises an ethical and philosophical question: What kind of brother should a person be? Murder stands in stark contrast to brotherhood, which is meant to be characterized by protection, care, and looking out for one another’s best interests.
This is a hallmark of Genesis’ unique literary style. The narrative doesn’t just recount events—it invites deep reflection. Questions like "Am I my brother’s keeper?" function as rhetorical devices, left open-ended to draw the reader into the conversation. The Torah encourages us not just to read, but to wrestle with its meaning, to ask, to reflect, and ultimately, to answer.
References
This lesson was adapted from Study Genesis Stories for all they are Worth, as presented on the Israel Bible Center website.
Brother Against Brother
Some people assume that if they just have enough faith, nothing bad will ever happen to them. Ask Abel about that theory. Abel's faith and righteous deeds got him killed. Our Master says that we can anticipate that kind of treatment from the world because we are not of this current world; we are of the World to Come. The world hates us because of this.
Our apostles say, "And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks" (Hebrews 11:4). This alludes to the statement about Abel's blood, "The voice of your brother's blood is crying to Me from the ground" (Genesis 4:10). Abel's soul lived on even after death and spoke before the LORD, not unlike the souls depicted in the book of Revelation beneath the altar crying out before God, "How long O LORD ... will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" (Revelation 6:10).
By merit of his faith, Abel's soul lives on in Gan Eden, gathered to the place of life. He still speaks, condemning every murder, every shedding of innocent blood. Cain, however, has no rest, "a vagrant and a wanderer on the earth" (Genesis 4:12).
References
This section is from teachings from FFOZ Depths of the Torah, Book One.
10 And the LORD said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. (Genesis 4:10, ESV Bible)
The Blood of Abel
According to one Targum, Cain and Abel offered their sacrifices on the same day on which future Israel would offer their Passover lambs. They brought their sacrifices on the fourteenth day of the month of Nisan -Passover: "And it was at the end of days, on the fourteenth of Nisan, that Cain brought of the produce of the earth ... and Abel brought of the firstlings of the flock." Cain struck down Abel and spilled his blood that same day, committing the first murder. "He bruised him over and over again with a stone, wounding him on his hands and on his feet. " Abel's blood cried out from the ground.
Messiah may be likened unto the righteous and innocent Abel who did only good. On the fourteenth day of Nisan, the same day on which the Passover lambs were offered in the Temple, the priests surrendered Yeshua to Pontius Pilate, and the Romans crucified Him. Yeshua died at the hands of murderous men, on the anniversary of the first fratricide -the murder of the righteous Abel.
The writer of the book of Hebrews makes reference to the blood of Yeshua, "which speaks better than the blood of Abel" (Hebrews 12:24). Abel's blood, spilled on Passover, cried out in a voice of condemnation. Yeshua's blood, spilled on Passover, cried out in a voice of forgiveness: "Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34). Hence, the blood of Yeshua truly does speak "better than the blood of Abel."
References
This section is from teachings from FFOZ Shadows of Messiah, Book One.
15 Then the LORD said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the LORD put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him. (Genesis 4:15, ESV Bible)
The Sons of Cain
Cain begged for mercy and received it. Rather than make him pay for his crime, God placed "a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him" (Genesis 4:15). Cain went on to father a whole family of men who inherited his taste for murder and violence. Lamech, Cain's direct descendant, declared a law of murder and vengeance, which became the societal norm:
I have killed a man for wounding me; And a boy for striking me; If Cain is avenged sevenfold, Then Lamech seventy-sevenfold. (Genesis 4:23-24)
The precedent set by Cain's example allowed murderers to live. Lamech's law of retaliation engendered a society of ever escalating bloodshed and vengeance. "The earth was filled with violence" (Genesis 6:11). The sons of Cain avenged themselves disproportionately, not eye-for-eye, and not seven times, but seventy-sevenfold. Our Master reverses Lamech's law of retaliation when He commands us to forgive our brother by the same equation: "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven" (Matthew 18:22).
References
This section is from teachings from FFOZ Depths of the Torah, Book One.
Lamech took to himself two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other, Zillah. (Genesis 4:19)
Lamech’s Legacy: Human Innovation Without God
After Cain and Abel, Adam and Eve had many more children, and as humanity was still in its early stages, people lived for hundreds of years. With time, their descendants began to populate the earth. Among Cain’s lineage was a man named Lamech, who took two wives and fathered three notable sons. Jabal pioneered the nomadic lifestyle of shepherding, Jubal became the founder of music and song, and Tubal-Cain was the first to forge metals into tools. These men were celebrated as the most successful and influential of their time, representing the beginning of human technological progress and achievement.
Since the beginning, humanity has reflected the image of God by being creators, shapers, and innovators. God endowed us with diverse talents, and when we breed livestock, create music, or forge tools, we do so in imitation of our Creator. However, there is a danger in this creative power. Lamech did not raise his sons to honor the LORD, and they used their gifts for selfish purposes, turning away from the true Creator. Human progress, no matter how impressive, is hollow if it is pursued without God at its center.
References
This section is from teachings from FFOZ Unrolling the Scroll.
If Cain is avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold. (Genesis 4:24)
The Power of Forgiveness: Yeshua's Response to Lamech’s Revenge
When Lamech was injured in a fight, he retaliated by killing the man. He later boasted to his wives, saying that while Cain would be avenged sevenfold, Lamech would avenge himself seventy-sevenfold. This law of retaliation became a societal norm, filling the earth with violence and bloodshed. As Genesis 6:11 notes, "The earth was filled with violence." Lamech's desire for vengeance set in motion a cycle of brutality that eventually led to humanity’s near-extinction.
The next time you feel angered by someone’s wrong or slight, remember Lamech’s story. His single act of revenge escalated into a wave of destruction. In contrast, Yeshua turns Lamech’s twisted mathematics on its head, applying the same principle to forgiveness instead of revenge:
Peter asked Yeshua, "Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?" Yeshua replied, "I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven" (Matthew 18:21-22).
Yeshua’s law of forgiveness is the antidote to Lamech’s law of vengeance. We should be willing to let go of hurt and pride in favor of forgiveness, for the alternative leads down the path of bitterness and hatred.
References
This section is from teachings from FFOZ Unrolling the Scroll.
25 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.” (Genesis 4:25, ESV Bible)
A Different Seed
When Eve gave birth to Cain, she assumed that he must be the promised seed who would crush the head of the serpent. She declared, "I have gotten (kanah, קָנָה) a manchild with the help of the LORD" (Genesis 4:1), so she named him Cain (Kayin, קַיִן). Cain slew Abel and disqualified himself as Messiah.
She conceived again and bore another son. She named him Seth (Shet, שֵׁת) because "God has appointed (sheet, שִׁית) me a different seed." By naming him Seth, she alluded back to the messianic promise in Genesis 3:15, where God used the same word, saying, "And I will put (sheet, שִׁית) enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; he shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel." Eve hoped that her son Seth was the appointed seed of whom God had spoken:
Why does Eve say, "God has appointed me a different seed"? Rabbi Tanchuma said in the name of Shmuel Kozith, "She alluded to the seed which would arise from a different source, [the seed] that is King Messiah." (Genesis Rabbah 12:5)
What does the Midrash Rabbah mean when it speaks of Messiah as the seed that arises from a different source? It refers to Ruth the Moabitess, the grandmother of King David. She is called "a different source" because she was a Moabitess. Similarly, Yeshua came as "a different seed" in that He was conceived in a different way-born of a virgin, yet conceived of the seed of David, through the Holy Spirit. He is the seed from a different place.
References
This section is from teachings from FFOZ Shadows of Messiah, Book One.