Genesis 3:20

Adam named his wife Eve [Chava], because she was the mother of all living [em kol chai].

ַיִּקְרָא הָאָדָם שֵׁם אִשְׁתּוֹ חַוָּה כִּי הִוא הָיְתָה אֵם כָּל־חָי:

• What do you think the phrase “mother of all living” means? What does it mean to you? What images or feelings does it evoke?

Genesis 4:1-16, 25:

¹ Now the man knew his wife Eve, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, "I have acquired a male child with the help of the Lord." ² She then bore his brother Abel. Abel became a keeper of sheep, and Cain became a tiller of the soil. ³ In the course of time, Cain brought an offering to God from the fruit of the soil; ⁴ and Abel, for his part, brought the choicest of the firstlings of his flock. God paid heed to Abel and his offering, ⁵but to Cain and his offering God paid no heed. Cain was much distressed and his face fell. ⁶ And God said to Cain,

"Why are you distressed,
and why is your face fallen?⁷
Surely, if you do right,
there is uplift.
But if you do not do right
sin crouches at the door;
its urge is toward you,
yet you can be its master."

⁸ Cain said to his brother Abel. [...]And when they were in the field, Cain set upon his brother Abel and killed him. ⁹ God said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" And he said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?" ¹⁰ Then God said, "What have you done? Hark, your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground! ¹¹ Therefore, you shall be more cursed than the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. ¹² If you till the soil, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. You shall become a ceaseless wanderer on earth."

¹³ Cain said to God, "My punishment is too great to bear! ¹⁴ Since You have banished me this day from the soil, and I must avoid Your presence and become a restless wanderer on earth — anyone who meets me may kill me!" ¹⁵ God said to him, "I promise, if anyone kills Cain, sevenfold vengeance shall be taken on him." And God put a mark on Cain, lest anyone who met him should kill him. ¹⁶ Cain left the presence of God and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden...^.25 Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, meaning, "God has provided me with another offspring in place of Abel," for Cain had killed him.

1. Eve and Adam are absent from most of the Cain and Abel story above. Where do you think they are?
2. What do you imagine Eve’s experience of the Cain and Abel story to be?