Hevel (הֶבֶל) is the second son of Adam and Chava. His name means "breath" or "vapor," carrying the sense of brevity — as if the text foreshadows his short life from the moment of naming. He becomes a keeper of flocks while his brother Kayin tends the ground.
When both brothers bring offerings before God, Hevel brings the firstborn of his flock with their fat portions — the choicest he has. God regards Hevel's offering but not Kayin's. The text does not explain why, but the contrast between Hevel's giving of his best and Kayin's unspecified offering has occupied commentators across millennia. Kayin, filled with jealousy, lures Hevel into the field and kills him — the first death recorded in the Hebrew scriptures.
God confronts Kayin: "Where is your brother Hevel?" Kayin answers with words that echo across all of human history: "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?" The blood of Hevel cries out from the ground. Hebrews 11:4 holds Hevel up as the first example of faith among the "cloud of witnesses" — commended because he gave by faith. Though he leaves no recorded descendants, his name stands as the first witness to righteousness rewarded.
