Genesis 4

Adam slept with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, "I have gotten a man from the LORD."

1And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.

NoteThe King James "knew" is a literal rendering of the Hebrew verb used for sexual relations. Cain's name (Hebrew *Qayin*) echoes the verb *qanah*, "to get" or "acquire", which is why Eve's remark plays on it. The phrase rendered "from the LORD" is genuinely uncertain in Hebrew: it can mean "with the help of the LORD" or "along with the LORD".

2Later she gave birth to Cain's brother Abel. Abel took care of sheep, but Cain worked the soil.

2And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

NoteAbel's name (Hebrew *Hevel*) is the ordinary word for a breath or puff of vapor, something that does not last. Herding and farming were the two basic ways of making a living in the ancient Near East, so the two brothers between them cover the whole of settled economic life.

3After some time had passed, Cain brought an offering to the LORD from what the ground had produced.

3And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

Note"In process of time" is literally "at the end of days" in Hebrew, an unspecified stretch of time, with no hint of how long. The word for "offering" here (*minchah*) is a general term for a gift or tribute, the kind of present a subject brings to a ruler; it is not restricted to animal sacrifice, and the same word is used of both brothers' gifts.

4Abel also brought an offering: some of the firstborn animals of his flock, and their fat. The LORD looked with favor on Abel and on his offering,

4And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

Note"Firstlings" are the first young born to a flock. Fat was considered the richest and best part of an animal, later Israelite law reserved it for God specifically because of that. The wording marks Abel's gift as the choicest portions of the choicest animals.

5but he did not look with favor on Cain and his offering. Cain became very angry, and his face fell.

5But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

Note"His countenance fell" is a Hebrew idiom for a face going dark or downcast. It describes his expression, and by extension his mood; it is not a statement about his standing.

6The LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your face fallen?

6And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

7If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lying at the door. Its desire will be for you, and you will rule over it."

7If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

NoteThis is one of the most obscure verses in the Hebrew Bible, and the King James wording preserves the difficulty rather than solving it. The verb behind "lieth" pictures an animal crouching, as if to spring. Its grammatical form is masculine while the word for "sin" is feminine, which is part of why the sentence is hard. The closing words ("unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him") repeat, almost exactly, what was said to Eve in 3:16; "his/its" could refer either to sin or to Abel.

8Cain talked with his brother Abel. And while they were out in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.

8And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

NoteThe standard Hebrew text says only "Cain said to his brother Abel" and then reports nothing that he said, which is why the King James translators supplied the vaguer "talked with". The Samaritan, Greek, Syriac and Latin versions all include the missing words: "Let us go out to the field."

9The LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" He said, "I do not know. Am I the one who takes care of my brother?"

9And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?

Note"Keeper" is the same Hebrew word used of Abel keeping sheep in verse 2. Cain's answer throws his brother's own job description back as a sarcastic question.

10And he said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying out to me from the ground.

10And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.

Note"Blood" is plural in Hebrew, literally "bloods", a form used of blood that has been violently shed. "Crieth" is the word for the shout of a victim demanding help or justice; in Israelite law an unavenged killing left an outstanding claim on the land where it happened.

11And now you are cursed, driven from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.

11And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand;

Note"Cursed from the earth" is ambiguous in the Hebrew and can mean either cursed and driven away from the ground, or cursed by the ground itself. "Earth" here is *adamah*, worked soil or farmland, the same word Adam's name comes from, not the planet.

12When you work the soil, from now on it will not give you its strength. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth."

12When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.

Note"Her strength" means the ground's yield or produce. "A fugitive and a vagabond" translates two similar-sounding Hebrew words, *na' wa-nad*, a deliberate jingle roughly like "a rover and a roamer".

13Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is greater than I can bear.

13And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.

NoteThe Hebrew word here (*avon*) covers both a wrong done and the punishment that follows it. The sentence can therefore be read either as "my punishment is more than I can bear" or as "my guilt is too great to be forgiven", and translators have long split over which is meant.

14Look, today you have driven me out from the face of the earth, and I will be hidden from your face. I will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and anyone who finds me will kill me."

14Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.

Note"The face of the earth" is again *adamah*, cultivated soil: Cain is being driven off the farmland he worked, not off the planet. To be "hid from thy face" is to be out of God's presence, and so outside his protection, which is exactly the danger Cain names next.

15The LORD said to him, "Therefore, whoever kills Cain will have revenge taken on him seven times over." And the LORD set a mark on Cain, so that no one who found him would kill him.

15And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.

NoteSome ancient versions read "Not so" here rather than "Therefore", the two differing by very little in Hebrew. "Sevenfold" indicates full, complete retribution rather than an exact count of seven. The "mark" (Hebrew *'ot*, a sign) is not described; the text does not say what or where it was. Note that it is given for Cain's protection, a guarantee of safe conduct, not the brand of disgrace the English phrase "mark of Cain" has come to suggest.

16Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

16And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

Note"Nod" is not a known place name; the word means "wandering", built on the same root as "vagabond"/"wanderer" in verses 12 and 14. The name states his sentence rather than locating him.

17Cain slept with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain built a city and named the city Enoch, after the name of his son.

17And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.

NoteThe narrative does not say where Cain's wife came from; Genesis 5:4 mentions only that Adam had other sons and daughters. The Hebrew word for "city" (*'ir*) covers any walled or fortified settlement, which could be very small by modern standards.

18Irad was born to Enoch. Irad was the father of Mehujael, Mehujael was the father of Methusael, and Methusael was the father of Lamech.

18And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech.

NoteThese names closely resemble those in Seth's line in chapter 5, Enoch, Irad/Jared, Mehujael/Mahalalel, Methusael/Methuselah, and a Lamech in each list. In genealogies of this kind "A begat B" can mean a direct son or a more distant descendant, so the list is not necessarily unbroken.

19Lamech married two wives. One was named Adah, and the other was named Zillah.

19And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.

NoteThis is the first mention in the Bible of one man taking two wives.

20Adah gave birth to Jabal. He was the father of those who live in tents and keep livestock.

20And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle.

Note"Father of" here does not mean literal ancestor but originator, the one who started a trade or way of life. The King James "cattle" means livestock in general, not cows specifically.

21His brother's name was Jubal. He was the father of all who play the harp and the pipe.

21And his brother’s name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.

NoteThe King James "organ" translates *ugab*, a wind instrument such as a pipe or flute; it has nothing to do with the modern keyboard instrument. "Harp" translates *kinnor*, a small hand-held lyre.

22Zillah also gave birth to Tubal-cain, who taught every craftsman who works with bronze and iron. Tubal-cain's sister was Naamah.

22And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.

Note"Brass" in the King James means bronze, copper alloyed with tin. The Hebrew describing Tubal-cain's work is difficult and can be read either as "instructor of every worker" in bronze and iron or as "forger of every tool" of bronze and iron.

23Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; wives of Lamech, listen to what I say. I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for hurting me.

23And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt.

NoteLamech's speech is a short poem, built on the Hebrew habit of saying a thing twice in different words: "a man" and "a young man" are most likely the same single victim, not two. The verbs can be read as past ("I have killed") or as a threat ("I will kill"), and the phrase "to my wounding" leaves open whether he killed the man for wounding him or was himself wounded in doing it.

24If Cain is avenged seven times over, then Lamech seventy-seven times over."

24If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.

NoteThis picks up the sevenfold vengeance promised for Cain in verse 15 and multiplies it as a boast. The Hebrew can be read as seventy-seven or as seventy times seven; either way it means an escalation beyond measure.

25Adam slept with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and named him Seth. "God," she said, "has given me another child in place of Abel, whom Cain killed."

25And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.

NoteSeth (Hebrew *Shet*) sounds like the verb *shat*, "he set" or "he granted", which is the word Eve uses. "Seed" in the King James means offspring or a line of descendants.

26A son was born to Seth as well, and he named him Enos. At that time people began to call on the name of the LORD.

26And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.

NoteEnos (Hebrew *Enosh*) is itself an ordinary Hebrew word for "man" or "mortal". "To call upon the name of the LORD" is a fixed phrase for public worship, invoking God aloud by name in prayer and sacrifice. LORD printed in small capitals is the King James convention for the personal name of God in Hebrew, the four letters YHWH, which the translators never spelled out.