Last week during Bible study, I was teaching about the family of Adam and Eve. I decided to teach about this topic since I discovered that most of my young students were unaware that Eve and Adam had other children besides Cain, Abel, and Seth. Since the Bible only mentions the male children, some students wondered if Adam and Eve only had sons.
According to Genesis 5:4, Eve and Adam had many children, including daughters. The Bible only mentions three of their sons by name: Seth, Cain, and Abel. The rest of the children are not mentioned by name.
In this article, I invite you to join me as we look at the sons of Eve and Adam. Keep reading to discover if Eve had children with her sons and much more!
Does the Bible say Adam and Eve only had sons?
No. According to Genesis 4, Eve and Adam had three sons; Cain, Abel, and Seth. However, Genesis 5 tells us that these were not the only children of Adam and Eve. Genesis 5:4 mentions that after Eve gave birth to Seth, she also gave birth to daughters. However, the names of their daughters are not mentioned in the Bible.
Biblical scholars suggest that since Adam lived 930 years before dying (Genesis 5:5), he probably had a large family that was made up of sons and daughters. This is because his age was around ten times longer than that of a modern man.
Did Adam and Eve only have three sons?
No. Though the Bible only mentions three sons of Eve and Adam, it also tells us that these were not the only sons of the couple. Genesis 5:4 tells us that Adam and Eve had other sons after giving birth to Seth.
The firstborn in the family was Cain (Genesis 4:1), while Abel was the second born (Genesis 4:2). Seth was born much later after Cain killed Abel (Genesis 4:25). Though the Holy scripture does not specify how many other sons the couple had, it tells us that God instructed Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply (Genesis 1:28)
If Adam and Eve had only sons, where did they get the women?
The Bible does not mention that Eve and Adam only had sons. We previously mentioned that the couple also had daughters though their names are not in the Bible. Some speculate that Jewish tradition implies that Eve and Adam have 23 daughters and 33 sons. Therefore, they imply that getting women to marry was not a problem.
According to some theologians, the sons of Adam and Eve married their sisters since, during that time, close relation marriage was not banned. Through such marriage, they were able to add population to the world. During that time, intermarriages between siblings did not violate God’s commands since this was only condemned later in the Book of Leviticus 18:6.
Did Eve have children with her sons Cain and Seth?
No. Though some people believe this, the Holy Book does not say Eve had children with her sons anywhere. Since Eve and Adam had many daughters and sons, most Biblical scholars speculate that the sons and daughters intermarried.
Though the book of Genesis prohibits incest between parents and children, it does not forbid a man from having kids or marrying his sister. For instance, one of the examples of intermarriage within families mentioned in the Bible is that of Abraham marrying his half-sister, Sarah (Genesis 20:12). Therefore, Christians argue that Eve could not have children with her sons, but her sons could marry or have children with their sisters.
As a devout Christian, I have always been passionate about the Christian faith. This inspired me to pursue a degree in Religious studies and a Masters in Theology in college. I have also been privileged to teach 4 Christian courses in a college and university. Since I am dedicated to spreading the word of God, I am actively involved in the Church. Additionally, I share his word online and cover diverse topics on the Christian faith through my platform. You can read more about me on the about us page.
