King James Bible
"And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground."
Eve gives birth to a second son, whose name possibly means 'breath' or 'vapor,' foreshadowing his brief life. The phrase emphasizes the brothers' relationship, setting up the narrative tension between humanity's first siblings. Abel's occupation as a shepherd aligns him with a profession that becomes deeply symbolic throughout Scripture, associated with care, sacrifice, and divine favor. This vocation required tending to animals that would provide wool, milk, and sacrificial offerings. The contrast 'but' highlights the brothers' different paths: Cain follows his father Adam's calling to work the soil, continuing the agricultural mandate from Eden. This occupation, while honorable, connects Cain to the cursed ground, suggesting the harder toil resulting from the Fall.