An explanation is given in the previous verse. Abel brought 'the fat thereof', meaning his best.
The Bible isn't careless with words. The mention of 'the fat thereof' is deliberate, as is the omission if it in regards to Cain's offering.
If it's not the best, then what is it? It's blemished. Cain's offering was comparable to fruit that was stunted, malformed, bruised, worm-eaten, pecked, or otherwise damaged. It was the undesirables of his harvest. It was, in every sense, 'bad fruit'. (And this may very well be the source of its metaphorical use.) What is unacceptable for the table is typically thrown to the livestock, but Cain offered it to God.
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The Bible isn't careless with words. The mention of 'the fat thereof' is deliberate, as is the omission if it in regards to Cain's offering.
If it's not the best, then what is it? It's blemished. Cain's offering was comparable to fruit that was stunted, malformed, bruised, worm-eaten, pecked, or otherwise damaged. It was the undesirables of his harvest. It was, in every sense, 'bad fruit'. (And this may very well be the source of its metaphorical use.) What is unacceptable for the table is typically thrown to the livestock, but Cain offered it to God.
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