Skeptics and critics of the Bible often assert that Cain went to a distant land, and encountered an entirely different species of humans living there, and subsequently he settled down, and took a wife from among them. Critics claim these other people were not created by Yahweh, So, who was Cain’s wife? Where did she come from? Let’s look at the Biblical account:

BIBLICAL ACCOUNT

“Then Cain went out from the presence of Yahweh and settled in the land of wandering, east of Eden. Then Cain had relations with his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch; and he built a city and called the name of the city Enoch, after the name of his son” (Genesis 4:16-17 LSB margin). If we look closely at the text, we notice that it doesn’t say Cain encountered any other humans upon arriving in “the land of wandering, east of Eden”. Where did Cain’s wife come from then?

Cain’s wife was likely one of Adam and Eve’s daughters or a close descendant within the first generation of humanity. Genesis 5:4 records that Adam had “sons and daughters,” and early marriages among close relatives were necessary as mankind multiplied from one original family. God’s command to be fruitful and multiply continued even after Cain’s murder of Abel and his exile from the presence of the Lord.—Bible Hub Study Bible

Cain’s wife would have come from Adam’s immediate family line. Genesis 5:4 notes Adam “had other sons and daughters,” making it reasonable that Cain married a sister or niece early in earth’s history when the gene pool was still unmarred by accumulated mutations (cf. Acts 17:26).—Bible Hub Study Bible

The Bible reports things very concisely, without giving all the details. But it does give us enough information that we can say with confidence that Cain married one of his sisters, or possibly a niece, and she traveled with him to “the land of wandering”. What scriptures corroborate this conclusion?

SCRIPTURAL CORROBORATION OF CAIN’S WIFE

“God created man in his own image … male and female created he them, blessed them, and said, “Have many children, so that your descendants will live all over the earth and bring it under their control” (Genesis 1:27-28 GNB). The first humans were commanded by God to have many children, so Adam and Eve’s sons and daughters would have to marry each other.

“Adam named his wife Eve, because she would become the mother of all the living” (Genesis 3:20 NIV). All humans have descended from Eve, including Cain’s wife.

“When Adam livd 130 years, he had a son … and he named him Seth. After Seth was born, Adam lived 800 years and had other sons and daughters” (Genesis 5:3-4 NIV). Cain had sisters, and possibly nieces, who were available for marriage.

“He made from one the entire human race to dwell on the entire surface of the earth” (Acts 17:26 NAB). Every human decided from Adam, including Cain’s wife.

“’Do not have sexual relations with your sister, either your father’s daughter or your mother’s daughter, whether she was born in the same home or elsewhere” (Leviticus 18:9 NIV). The law against marriage to a sister did not come about for at least another 4,400-3,300 years after Cain’s time.

CONCLUSION

Cain had to have married a sister, or possibly a niece, and then traveled to “the land of wandering”.