Genesis 4:15
“And the Lord said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.”
KJV
Read in Genesis 4Meaning
Cain remains under judgment, but God acts to prevent others from killing him in revenge. The mark serves that protective purpose.
Read carefully
The text never identifies the mark with skin color or ethnicity. Racial interpretations of the so-called mark of Cain are later distortions and have no basis in this verse.
Reflection
Judgment does not become permission for endless retaliation. The verse introduces a restraint on vengeance even in the aftermath of murder.