Cain's fear and the perfection of the sevenfold vengeance

Having been struck, as if the protective power of God has departed from him, all other things are considered fearful by him, and he has no confidence in anything done by his own hand. These things are said to us regarding the whole scope of Cain's reply; but let us also see his mixed reply, which is faulty and does not partake of divine grace.

"Greater" he says, "is the cause for me to be forgiven," which would mean, according to a first understanding, that the evil upon me will be greater, if you, O God, do not pass over my injustice; for still, being under guardianship, the not-being-expelled is a state. This same thing is said regarding God in the prophet, concerning those of worthy consideration and those handed over to an unproven mind: "I will not visit their daughters when they play the harlot, nor their virgins when they commit adultery. For when they are sinning, those whom he wishes to train, he says: 'I will visit their lawlessness with a rod and their sins with whips, but my mercy I will not withdraw from them.'" (Ezekiel 16:25; Ezekiel 20:47).

What he says now, that is, that the reproach from you, Lord, will be greater than me, as previously stated; and since he thinks himself having stumbled and having suffered a perversion, he thinks that having been cast out from the earth, he will be cast out from the face of God. According to another understanding, he might be saying these things, that the evil to me will be greater if I remain in the land, O God, lest you destroy me into non-existence; for if you cast me out from the earth, and from your face I will be hidden, no longer existing, which was possible for him, but since you do not cast me out from the earth—for this must be obeyed—I shall be in it groaning and trembling, from everyone finding me and killing me.

For many, when they know for themselves the immeasurableness of their errors, having some notion that God himself will visit them, they consider non-existence to be preferable, preferring to suffer insensibility to existing; this would be clear from what was said by the prophet concerning the traitors of Jesus: "They will wish it if they were consumed by fire." (2 Thessalonians 1:9). And in another way he might be imposing this meaning to his saying: "If you cast me out," and asking for a place of repentance today so that the present might be surpassed, "today"...

It was said. But he also desired that the one called 'his own' might fall into perfection toward God, so that he would not lie exposed to anyone finding him for destruction.

Cain might have wondered at any time, finding him and killing him, that nothing existed at all besides him and the mothers; to whom one might say that, having first the idea that a succession of men was to come, he feared that having worked such a great defilement, he might be destroyed as an abomination by those coming, the weight of which would pass upon the born ones as well; then, even if not this, he suspected that divine powers would be vengeful for the impious deed, which he was likely to have seen the pouring out of the evil.

But regarding the bringing back: And the Lord God said to him, 'Not thus' (Gen 4:15); everyone who kills Cain, seven avenges he will release. And the Lord God set a sign for Cain, not to kill him, everyone finding him. For a greater punishment, or according to the suspicion of Cain, that everyone finding him kills him, protecting the murderer of his own brother, God says, 'Not thus' (Gen 4:15); that is, this justice of the transgression is not suitable to you, to be destroyed by him. For this one will release seven avenging, which signifies perfect punishment.

For often the number seven in the Scripture is taken to mean perfection; this is shown by what is said: 'Seven eyes are watching over all the earth' (Zech 1:10); for God is not a body, so that his eyes might be by the number seven, but it teaches clearly that his watchful power is most complete and great.

Others have said that, just as the man of the Savior had seven resting spirits, 'spirit of wisdom and understanding, spirit of counsel and strength, spirit of knowledge and piety, spirit of the fear of God' (Isa 11:2), so each man, being a perfect man before sin, toward whom we are to arrive, the apostle teaching says, 'until we all arrive at a perfect man, to the measure of the age of the fullness of Christ' (Eph 4:13), having these resting in him, if he should sin, will release them, for which vengeance ought to be most complete and appropriate. It should be noted, however, that