Abel
the just one
Who was Abel?
- He was the second son of Adam and Eve, and he kept sheep. Genesis 4:2
- He offered God the firstlings of his flock, and God looked with favor on his offering. Genesis 4:4
- His brother Cain killed him in the field. Jesus called him “righteous.” Genesis 4:8; Matthew 23:35
- The name
- His name comes from the Hebrew word for “vanity,” something that does not last long. Perhaps because his life was so short. Catholic Encyclopedia (1907), “Abel”
- Also called
- “Righteous Abel,” as Jesus called him Matthew 23:35
- Occupation
- A shepherd Genesis 4:2
What the Bible says
Genesis 4:2
And again she brought forth his brother Abel. And Abel was a shepherd, and Cain a husbandman.
Genesis 4:4
Abel also offered of the firstlings of his flock, and of their fat: and the Lord had respect to Abel, and to his offerings.
Genesis 4:8; Matthew 23:35
And Cain said to Abel his brother: Let us go forth abroad. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and slew him.
Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner revision), public domain.
The path of Abel
- Before Jesus. He was the second son of Adam and Eve, the brother of Cain. Genesis 4:1-2
- Before Jesus. He was a shepherd. Genesis 4:2
- Before Jesus. He offered God some of the firstborn of his flock. God looked with favor on Abel and his offering. Genesis 4:4
- Before Jesus. His brother Cain invited him to go out into the field, and there he killed him. Genesis 4:8
- Before Jesus. God told Cain that his brother’s blood was crying out to him from the ground. Genesis 4:10
- Before Jesus. Later Seth was born. Eve said God had given him to her in place of Abel. Genesis 4:25
- Afterward. Jesus spoke of “the blood of righteous Abel.” Matthew 23:35
- Afterward. The Letter to the Hebrews says that, by faith, Abel offered a better sacrifice than Cain. And that, though dead, he still speaks. Hebrews 11:4
Words of Abel
The Bible does not record a single word of his.
What they were like
- He had faith: by faith he offered God a better sacrifice than Cain’s. Hebrews 11:4
- He was righteous: that is what Jesus and the First Letter of John call him. Matthew 23:35; 1 John 3:12
The greatest thing they did
- He offered God some of the firstborn of his flock. God looked with favor on Abel and his offering. Genesis 4:4
Not to be confused with
- Jabal, “Jabel” in the Douay-Rheims, was the ancestor of those who live in tents and raise livestock. He was a descendant of Cain; Abel was Cain’s brother. Genesis 4:2, 20
In the Church today
In art, recognized by: A lamb, for the offering from his flock From Gn 4, 4; this is how Christian art shows him
What people ask
Why did God accept Abel’s offering?
Genesis does not say. The Letter to the Hebrews says that Abel offered it by faith. Genesis 4:4; Hebrews 11:4; NABRE note on Heb 11, 4
Is Abel a saint?
The Church honors him as a righteous man. Jesus called him that, and the Catechism speaks of “Abel the just.” At Mass, the Roman Canon recalls his gifts. Matthew 23:35; Catechism 58; Roman Missal, Eucharistic Prayer I
What does it mean that “Abel’s blood cries out”?
God told Cain that his brother’s blood was crying out to him from the ground. The Letter to the Hebrews says that the blood of Jesus speaks more eloquently. Genesis 4:10; Hebrews 12:24
Did Abel have children?
The Bible does not say: it does not name any child of his. Genesis 4:25; Catholic Encyclopedia (1907), “Abel”
Did Abel say anything in the Bible?
No. The Bible does not record a single word of his. But the Letter to the Hebrews says that, though dead, he still speaks through his faith. Hebrews 11:4
Daily life He was a shepherd, and his brother Cain was a farmer. Genesis 4:2 What he suffered His brother Cain invited him to go out into the field, and…
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