Abel means "Hebel" - mist or vapour
Interestingly, I was just reading more about Cain and Abel.
Whereas Cain means “brought forth” or “spear”, an important and assertive masculine name, Abel’s name is Hebel, הבל, breath or vapour. This is the same word that is often translated “vanity” or “meaningless” or “useless”, a word that is most famously used at the start of Ecclesiastes:
The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.
Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity.
What profit hath a man of all his labour which he taketh under the sun?
One generation passeth away, and another generation cometh: but the earth abideth for ever
The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. Ecclesiastes 1:1-5
It may well be the perfect archetypal example of a mother favouring the first born son over the next one. Abel is regarded as a useless son, the important one is Cain. It must have been very devastating for this boy, who was after all one of the first four humans on the earth, to feel that he was just a breath, a vapour, a nothing, really, in his mother’s eyes.
And it may be that because she spoilt Cain, that was why the elder son felt so entitled, and was so very offended when God chose the son who was named “vapour”, who was a nothing in his mother’s eyes. Thus so do people treat Christians today: “Why should God choose a nothing like you?” is what they say in their hearts.
I’ve added this to my post on Cain and Abel.
Cain and Abel: where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
I’ve often wondered about this story. Why did God favour Abel’s sacrifice?