Genesis 4:15
“Yahweh said to him, “Therefore whoever slays Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” Yahweh appointed a sign for Cain, so that anyone finding him would not strike him.”
What does Genesis 4:15 mean?
After Cain killed his brother Abel out of jealousy, God pronounced judgment on him: he would be cursed and restless, forced to wander the earth. But even in that punishment, God showed mercy by marking Cain with a sign and promising that anyone who killed him would face severe consequences. This wasn't protection Cain deserved, but rather God's way of preventing a cycle of endless revenge that would devastate the world. The "sevenfold" vengeance underscores how seriously God takes the sanctity of human life, even when that person has committed terrible wrong. It's a profound moment showing that God's justice and God's mercy can exist together, and that even those who've done awful things aren't abandoned to chaos or immediate destruction.