The Bible begins with a story of humanity’s first family. While the Bible may include examples that support sociobiology, its opening scenes display actions contrary to sociobiological theory. Its paradigm rests on the principle that the behavior of people evolves through natural selection. That is, for humans, we adapt over time, especially in social behavior. I will highlight a few social actions portrayed in the first chapters of Genesis that reflect behaviors common to contemporary humankind, such as companionship, work, and jealousy. My aim is not to refute the theories of sociobiology but to point out that there may have been less adaptive evolution and more continuous constitution in humans according to the Bible.
God first tells Adam that he should “be fruitful and multiply” (Gen 1:28). This suggests that Adam should find someone or something with whom to fulfill this command. Chapter two reveals that he does find partner, a woman named Eve. She is by implication his fit helper (1:20) and called his wife (1:24). According to verses 18–23, there is something special about the woman. She joins Adam in ways that animals do not, thus the author emphasizes companionship or a proper fit. These two also begin to fulfill God’s initial command of fruitfulness, which I take to mean childbearing. In chapter four, Eve births two children: Cain and Able (4:1–2). Most scholars take date this story around the seventh century BC at its earliest. But even over a course of eight thousand years, we see many similarities to today’s marriages. Two people join together in life, to help one another and have kids, satisfying a need for companionship that animals do no provide.
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"Sociobiology in the Bible: Genesis 1–4".
Genesis also portrays these beings as working people. The second command of God is to “have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living things that moves on the earth” (1:28). In turn, when the people disobey God and eat of the forbidden tree, he curses their work, which becomes difficult and laborious (3:17–19). Cain and Able are also workers as the author notes: “Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground” (4:2). While this work does not mirror our litter of complex professions and technological advance, it does reflect a basic mode of life. People labor on the earth with a variety of occupations. Since the command for dominion occurs before the curses of God, we can argue that there was something natural about work before it became frustrating. Again, while work does evolve over the course of these chapters, multiplying in form and nature, as a basic function it constitutes the first family of the Bible.
Finally, we see expression of jealousy. Chapter four tells of the first brotherly relationship. Abel brings his cattle’s fat to God while Cain offers his produce (vv. 3–4). The author writes that, “the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell” (vv. 4–5). What does Cain’s response sound like? Jealousy. He envies his brother because the Lord accepted Abel’s offering instead of Cain’s. The story does not suggest an adaptation of emotions, but rather an instinctive response. Furthermore, we see this very response of jealousy among humans today through universal personal experience. The first chapters of Genesis describe the social actions of humans as consistent with today’s humans. Rather than the adaptive or evolving behaviors of sociobiology, we find companionship, work, and jealousy inherent in the Bible’s first family.
