The New York Times Crossword · 4-Down · 4 letters
Second-born son in the Bible The New York Times Crossword clue
Editorially reviewed September 30, 2026
Answer · 4 letters
ABEL
ABEL fits the four-letter 4-Down entry: Genesis names Cain first and then his brother Abel. Here 'second-born' means the second son of Adam and Eve named in that passage; it does not ask for the second son of some other biblical parent.
Different crossing letters? Check another fit →Follow the order in Genesis
Genesis 4:1–2 names Cain as Eve's first son and Abel as his brother born next. That sequence, rather than Abel's better-known role in the brothers' later story, is the precise fact the clue tests. The four letters A-B-E-L fill 4-Down.
Why Cain and Seth do not fit
Cain is the first named son, so he fails 'second-born' even though he has four letters. Seth is another son of Adam and Eve named later in Genesis 4:25, after Abel's death. Reading the clue as the family's birth order resolves both tempting alternatives before using crossings.
References behind this explanation
These references support the meaning or background; they are not publisher endorsements.
Where this clue appeared
4-Down in The New York Times Crossword puzzle for August 25, 2026.
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