Genesis 4:14
“Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.”
KJV
Read in Genesis 4Meaning
Cain fears displacement, distance from God's presence and death at the hands of others. His punishment creates vulnerability as well as loss.
Read carefully
The verse does not explain the full population history surrounding Cain. Attempts to build detailed demographic theories from this fear go beyond the narrative's purpose.
Reflection
Even the perpetrator fears becoming a victim of the violence he has helped unleash, showing how vengeance can multiply insecurity.