mark of Cain
E489687
The mark of Cain is a biblical sign placed on Cain by God after he killed his brother Abel, traditionally interpreted as both a curse and a protective symbol.
Observed surface forms (1)
| Surface form | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| Mark of Cain | 0 |
Statements (45)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
biblical curse
ⓘ
biblical motif ⓘ protective sign ⓘ religious symbol ⓘ theological concept ⓘ |
| appearsIn | Book of Genesis NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| appearsInChapter | Genesis 4 ⓘ |
| associatedWithPerson | Cain NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| canonicalStatus | part of the Cain and Abel narrative ⓘ |
| condemnedUse | racial justification (by modern theologians) ⓘ |
| culturalImpact |
inspired literary works
ⓘ
inspired music and band names ⓘ inspired visual art ⓘ |
| describedAs | a sign placed on Cain ⓘ |
| function |
sign of divine judgment
ⓘ
sign of divine protection ⓘ |
| givenBy | God NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| hasInterpretation |
symbol of Cain’s separation from community
ⓘ
symbol of God’s ongoing claim on Cain ⓘ warning sign to others ⓘ |
| languageUsage |
idiom for indelible guilt
ⓘ
idiom for visible stigma ⓘ |
| mentionedIn |
Christian exegesis
ⓘ
Jewish exegesis ⓘ |
| misusedIn | racist ideologies (historically) ⓘ |
| purpose | to prevent others from killing Cain ⓘ |
| reasonForBestowal | murder of Abel ⓘ |
| relatedMythicMotive | protective curse ⓘ |
| relatedToConcept |
divine justice
ⓘ
divine mercy ⓘ original sin (in extended theological discussion) ⓘ |
| relatedToEvent | Cain killing Abel ⓘ |
| religiousTradition |
Christianity
ⓘ
Islamic commentary (as a related narrative motif) ⓘ Judaism ⓘ |
| scripturalStatus | description of form not specified in Bible ⓘ |
| subjectOf |
medieval theological debate
ⓘ
modern biblical scholarship ⓘ patristic commentary ⓘ rabbinic commentary ⓘ |
| theme |
fratricide
ⓘ
mercy within judgment ⓘ sin and punishment ⓘ |
| traditionallyInterpretedAs |
curse
ⓘ
protective symbol ⓘ |
Referenced by (2)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.