Genesis 4
4
Cain and Abel
1Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have gotten#4:1 Cain sounds like the Hebrew for gotten a man with the help of the Lord.” 2And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground. 3In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of #Lev. 2:12; Num. 18:12the fruit of the ground, 4and Abel also brought of #Ex. 13:12; Num. 18:17; Prov. 3:9 the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord #Heb. 11:4had regard for Abel and his offering, 5but #[Prov. 21:27]for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. 6The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? 7#Eccles. 8:12, 13; Isa. 3:10, 11; Rom. 2:6-11 If you do well, will you not be accepted?#4:7 Hebrew will there not be a lifting up [of your face]? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. #ch. 3:16Its desire is contrary to#4:7 Or is toward you, but you must rule over it.”
8Cain spoke to Abel his brother.#4:8 Hebrew; Samaritan, Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate add Let us go out to the field And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and #Matt. 23:35; Heb. 12:24; 1 John 3:12; Jude 11killed him. 9Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, #John 8:44“I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” 10And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood #Heb. 12:24; [Rev. 6:10]is crying to me from the ground. 11And now #Deut. 27:24; [Num. 35:33]you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.” 13Cain said to the Lord, “My #ch. 19:15punishment is greater than I can bear.#4:13 Or My guilt is too great to bear 14Behold, #Job 15:20-24 you have driven me today away from the ground, and #2 Kgs. 24:20; Ps. 51:11; 143:7; Jer. 52:3 from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, #ch. 9:6; Num. 35:19and whoever finds me will kill me.” 15Then the Lord said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him #Ps. 79:12 sevenfold.” And the Lord #[Ezek. 9:4, 6; Rev. 14:9, 11]put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him. 16Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod,#4:16 Nod means wandering east of Eden.
17Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. When he built a city, he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch. 18To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, and Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech. 19And Lamech took two wives. The name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. 20Adah bore Jabal; he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. 21His brother’s name was Jubal; he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe. 22Zillah also bore Tubal-cain; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.
23Lamech said to his wives:
“Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;
you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say:
I have killed a man for wounding me,
a young man for striking me.
24 # ver. 15 If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold,
then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold.”
25And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed#4:25 Seth sounds like the Hebrew for he appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.” 26To #1 Chr. 1:1; Luke 3:38 Seth also a son was born, and he called his name #ch. 5:6 Enosh. At that time people began #Ps. 116:17; Zeph. 3:9; Zech. 13:9to call upon the name of the Lord.
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Berĕshith (Genesis) 4
4
1And Aḏam knew Ḥawwah his wife, and she conceived and bore Qayin, and said, “I have gained a man, יהוה.”
2And again, she gave birth to his brother Heḇel. And Heḇel became a keeper of sheep, but Qayin became a tiller of the ground.
3And it came to be, in the course of time, that Qayin brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to יהוה.
4And Heḇel also brought of the first-born of his flock and of their fat. And יהוה looked to Heḇel and his offering,
5but He did not look to Qayin and his offering. And Qayin was very wroth, and his face fell.
6And יהוה said to Qayin, “Why is he wroth towards you? And why is your face#Lit. faces. fallen?
7Is it not if you do good, you are to be accepted? And if you do not do good, towards the door is a sin.#Or, sin-offering (feminine). He is lying#Or, reposing or crouching (masculine). and towards you is his desire, and you must rule over#Lit. in. him.”
8And Qayin told Heḇel his brother. And it came to be when they were in the field, that Qayin rose up against Heḇel his brother and killed him.
9And יהוה said to Qayin, “Where is Heḇel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s guard?”
10And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.
11“And now you are cursed from the earth, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
12“If you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”
13And Qayin said to יהוה, “My punishment is too great to bear!
14See, You have driven me from the face of the ground today, and I am hidden from Your face. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and it shall be that anyone who finds me kills me.
15And יהוה said to him, “Well, if anyone kills Qayin, vengeance is taken on him sevenfold.” And יהוה set up a sign for Qayin, lest anyone finding him strikes him.
16So Qayin went out from the presence of יהוה and dwelt in the land of Noḏ on the east of Ěḏen.
17And Qayin knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Ḥanoḵ. And he built a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son, Ḥanoḵ.
18And to Ḥanoḵ was born Iraḏ. And Iraḏ brought forth Meḥuya’ĕl, and Meḥuya’ĕl brought forth Methusa’ĕl, and Methusa’ĕl brought forth Lemeḵ.
19And Lemeḵ took for himself two wives, the name of one was Aḏah, and the name of the second was Tsillah.
20And Aḏah bore Yaḇal. He was the father of those who dwell in tents, with livestock.
21And his brother’s name was Yuḇal. He was the father of all those who play the lyre and flute.
22As for Tsillah, she also bore Tuḇal-Qayin, a smith of all kinds of tools in bronze and iron. And the sister of Tuḇal-Qayin was Na‛amah.
23And Lemeḵ said to his wives, “Aḏah and Tsillah, hear my voice! Wives of Lemeḵ, listen to my words! For I have killed a man for wounding me, even a young man for hurting me.
24For Qayin is avenged sevenfold, and Lemeḵ seventy-sevenfold.
25And Aḏam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Shĕth, “For Elohim has appointed me another seed instead of Heḇel, because Qayin had killed him.”
26And to Shĕth, to him also a son was born. And he called his name Enosh. Then it was begun to call on the Name of יהוה.#The first record of “calling on the Name of יהוה.”
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