Abel /ˈebəl/
 亞伯


 Abel
      n 1: Norwegian mathematician (1802-1829) [syn: Niels Abel, {Niels
           Henrik Abel]
      2: (Old Testament) Cain and Abel were the first children of
         Adam and Eve born after the Fall of Man; Abel was killed
         by Cain


 Abel
    (Heb. Hebhel), a breath, or vanity, the second son of Adam and
    Eve. He was put to death by his brother Cain (Gen. 4:1-16).
    Guided by the instruction of their father, the two brothers were
    trained in the duty of worshipping God. "And in process of time"
    (marg. "at the end of days", i.e., on the Sabbath) each of them
    offered up to God of the first-fruits of his labours. Cain, as a
    husbandman, offered the fruits of the field; Abel, as a
    shepherd, of the firstlings of his flock. "The Lord had respect
    unto Abel and his offering; but unto Cain and his offering he
    had not respect" (Gen. 4:3-5). On this account Cain was angry
    with his brother, and formed the design of putting him to death;
    a design which he at length found an opportunity of carrying
    into effect (Gen. 4:8,9. Comp. 1 John 3:12). There are several
    references to Abel in the New Testament. Our Saviour speaks of
    him as "righteous" (Matt. 23:35). "The blood of sprinkling" is
    said to speak "better things than that of Abel" (Heb. 12:24);
    i.e., the blood of Jesus is the reality of which the blood of
    the offering made by Abel was only the type. The comparison here
    is between the sacrifice offered by Christ and that offered by
    Abel, and not between the blood of Christ calling for mercy and
    the blood of the murdered Abel calling for vengeance, as has
    sometimes been supposed. It is also said (Heb. 11:4) that "Abel
    offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain." This
    sacrifice was made "by faith;" this faith rested in God, not
    only as the Creator and the God of providence, but especially in
    God as the great Redeemer, whose sacrifice was typified by the
    sacrifices which, no doubt by the divine institution, were
    offered from the days of Adam downward. On account of that
    "faith" which looked forward to the great atoning sacrifice,
    Abel's offering was accepted of God. Cain's offering had no such
    reference, and therefore was rejected. Abel was the first
    martyr, as he was the first of our race to die.

      Abel (Heb. 'abhel), lamentation (1 Sam. 6:18), the name given
    to the great stone in Joshua's field whereon the ark was "set
    down." The Revised Version, however, following the Targum and
    the LXX., reads in the Hebrew text _'ebhen_ (= a stone), and
    accordingly translates "unto the great stone, whereon they set
    down the ark." This reading is to be preferred.

      Abel (Heb. 'abhel), a grassy place, a meadow. This word enters
    into the composition of the following words:



 Abel, vanity; breath; vapor



 Abel, a city; mourning