It’s been one of the most common Bible questions I’ve been asked over five decades of apologetics ministry—and people still want to know!
I recently filmed a video for our Answers in Genesis YouTube channel titled “Ever Wondered Where Cain Got His Wife? Watch This!” Within just a few days, that video had over 100,000 views. With everything going on in our world today and all the big questions that need answering, why are people still wondering where Cain got his wife?

It’s because where Cain got his wife matters for the truth of Genesis. The Bible teaches that God created Adam and Eve and that every person is descended from them. But who did their children, namely Cain, marry? If Christians can’t answer that question (and sadly, many cannot), it calls into question the truth of Genesis, implying that God’s Word can’t really be trusted. And if the Bible’s history can’t be trusted, why should we trust what Scripture teaches about salvation?

Atheists and other skeptics have used Cain’s wife to discredit the Bible for decades (even though there’s an easy answer to the question), and they continue to do so. People hear these arguments, or they read Genesis and are curious, and they want answers so they can know the Bible is trustworthy.

That’s why I encourage believers, especially those who are involved with teaching others, to read The New Answers Books series. These books answer over 120 common questions like this one—answers we need to be passing on to the next generation. What a difference it makes when believers are equipped to refute and answer the most common objections to the truth of Scripture! If you’ve never read them, I encourage you to read many of the chapters for free online.

It’s vital that when we teach Scripture to children and young people, we answer the common questions of our day (in other words, teach apologetics). Children need these answers so they can have confidence in the truth of Scripture and the gospel message and so they can effectively share their faith with others.

So where did Cain get his wife? The answer is found in Genesis.

We’re told that Adam and Eve are the first two people and that Eve is the mother of all living. Acts 17 tells us every nation of mankind came from Adam. Therefore, every person must be descended from Adam and Eve (and that’s why every single person has a sin nature—we all inherited it from Adam). The Bible tells us Adam and Eve had Cain and Abel, along with “other sons and daughters” (Genesis 5:4). In that first generation of human offspring, brothers and sisters had to marry one another—there was no one else for them to marry. These close marriages remained common in Genesis (consider that Abraham married his half-sister, Sarah). But at the time of Moses, 2,500 years later, God put an end to close marriages when He gave the law.

Yes, there are answers to the questions of our day when we start with God’s Word. And these are the answers this generation desperately needs!

[Adapted from Ken Ham, “I’ve Been Answering This Question for 50 Years—And People Are Still Asking!” Ken Ham blog, November 4, 2026, http://answersingenesis.org/blogs/ken ham/2026/11/04/after-50-years-people-still-asking-this-question/.]

Ken Ham is the Founder and CEO of Answers in Genesis, the ministry behind the Creation Museum, the Ark Encounter, Answers Bible Curriculum for churches, and the best-selling Answers VBS.