Short Answer: The Bible doesn’t name Cain’s wife, but it indicates Adam and Eve had many “sons and daughters,” so Cain most likely married a close relative from the first human family.
Long Answer: The Bible doesn’t name Cain’s wife, but it indicates Adam and Eve had many “sons and daughters,” so Cain most likely married a close relative from the first human family.
Genesis tells us that after Cain killed Abel, he “went away” and later “knew his wife,” and she bore a son (Genesis 4:16–17). That raises an obvious question: where did she come from?
What Scripture says (and what it doesn’t)
The Bible does not give Cain’s wife a name, and Genesis does not try to list every person living at the time. Instead, it highlights key people and events in the story of sin, judgment, and God’s continued plan.
But Scripture does give an important detail: Adam “had other sons and daughters” (Genesis 5:4). That means the first family line included more children than the few named in the narrative. So, Genesis itself explains how the human family grew: Adam and Eve had many children.
The simplest explanation: Cain married a close relative
If Adam and Eve were the first humans, then the earliest marriages would have happened within the extended family. The most straightforward reading is that Cain married a close relative—likely a sister or possibly a niece (depending on the timing and how many generations are summarized quickly in Genesis).
This can feel strange to modern readers, but it’s not treated as sinful in Genesis. Much later, God gave Israel laws that prohibited close-kin sexual relationships (Leviticus 18). Those laws were given in a different stage of human history, to a specific covenant people, and they set boundaries for Israel’s life under the Law of Moses. Genesis 4 happens long before those commands.
What about Cain fearing other people?
Cain says, “Whoever finds me will kill me” (Genesis 4:14). That statement fits well with the idea that the human population was already growing through Adam and Eve’s many descendants, even if Genesis doesn’t list them all. The story is selective, not exhaustive.
Why this question matters (and why it’s not the main point)
Genesis is not mainly trying to satisfy curiosity about Cain’s marriage. The emphasis is on:
- God warning Cain about sin (Genesis 4:6–7)
- Cain’s refusal to listen
- God’s justice and mercy after the murder (Genesis 4:10–15)
In other words, the Cain narrative is meant to show how quickly sin spreads—and how God still acts with patience, restraint, and purpose.
What to do next
- Read Genesis 4–5 together and note what details Scripture highlights.
- Hold your curiosity with humility where the Bible is brief (Deuteronomy 29:29).
- Let the story push you toward repentance: when God warns you, do you listen?
- If this question is connected to bigger doubts about Genesis, talk with a mature believer and work through the early chapters carefully and prayerfully.
Key Scriptures: Gen 4:16–17; Gen 5:4; Gen 4:6–15; Gen 1:27–28; Lev 18:6–18; Deut 29:29