Upon receiving the curse of God, Cain had withdrawn from his father's household. He had first chosen his occupation as a tiller of the soil, and he now founded a city, calling it after the name of his eldest son. He had gone out from the presence of the Lord, cast away the promise of the restored Eden, to seek his possessions and enjoyment in the earth under the curse of sin, thus standing at the head of that great class of men who worship the god of this world. In that which pertains to mere earthly and material progress, his descendants became distinguished. But they were regardless of God, and in opposition to His purposes for man. To the crime of murder, in which Cain had led the way, Lamech, the fifth in descent, added polygamy, and, boastfully defiant, he acknowledged God, only to draw from the avenging of Cain an assurance of his own safety. Abel had led a pastoral life, dwelling in tents or booths, and the descendants of Seth followed the same course, counting themselves "strangers and pilgrims on the earth," seeking "a better country, that is, an heavenly." Hebrews 11:13, 16.

Da Kain var blevet forbandet af Gud, forlod han sin faders husstand. Han havde først valgt agerdyrkning som sin beskæftigelse, og nu grundlagde han en by, som han opkaldte efter sin ældste søn. Han var gået bort fra Guds åsyn og havde forkastet løftet om et genoprettet Eden for at skaffe sig ejendom og søge fornøjelser på jorden, mens syndens forbandelse hvilede over den, og han blev derfor den første blandt den store skare mennesker, der tilbeder denne verdens gud. Hans efterkommere udmærkede sig med hensyn til jordisk og materiel fremgang, men de var ligegyldige over for Gud og hans hensigt med menneskene. Lemek, Kains efterkommer i femte led, føjede flerkoneri til den forbrydelse, hvormed Kain havde vist vej, og han henviste i sin stolthed og sit trods til Gud, idet han af Guds løfte om at hævne Kain udledte en forsikring om sin egen sikkerhed. Abel havde været hyrde og boet i telte eller løvhytter, og Sets efterkommere fulgte samme fremgangsmåde, idet de regnede sig for "fremmede og udlændinge på jorden" og søgte efter et fædreland, "nemlig det himmelske fædreland", Heb. 11, 13. og 16.