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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Genesis 4
4
Cain Murders Abel
1Adam made love to his wife Eve. She became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “I have gotten the man that the Lord promised.” 2Then she gave birth to another child, Abel, Cain’s brother. Abel was a shepherd, and Cain was a farmer.
3Later Cain brought some crops from the land as an offering to the Lord. 4Abel also brought some choice parts of the firstborn animals from his flock. The Lord approved of Abel and his offering, 5but he didn’t approve of Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry and was disappointed. 6Then the Lord asked Cain, “Why are you angry, and why do you look disappointed? 7If you do well, won’t you be accepted? But if you don’t do well, sin is lying outside your door ready to attack. It wants to control you, but you must master it.”
8Cain talked to his brother Abel. Later, when they were in the fields, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.
9The Lord asked Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
“I don’t know,” he answered. “Am I supposed to take care of my brother?”
10The Lord asked, “What have you done? Your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground. 11So now you are cursed from the ground, which has received the blood of your brother whom you killed. 12When you farm the ground, it will no longer yield its best for you. You will be a fugitive, a wanderer on the earth.”
13But Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is more than I can stand! 14You have forced me off this land today. I have to hide from you and become a fugitive, a wanderer on the earth. Now anyone who finds me will kill me!”
15So the Lord said to him, “Not so! Anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” The Lord gave Cain a sign so that anyone meeting him would not kill him.
16Then Cain left the Lord’s presence and lived in Nod [The Land of Wandering], east of Eden.
Cain’s Ten Descendants—Cain to Lamech
17Cain made love to his wife. She became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was building a city, and he named it Enoch after his son. 18To Enoch was born Irad. Irad was the father of Mehujael. Mehujael was the father of Methushael. And Methushael was the father of Lamech.
19Lamech married two women, one named Adah and the other Zillah. 20Adah gave birth to Jabal. He was the first person to live in tents and have livestock. 21His brother’s name was Jubal. He was the first person to play the harp and the flute. 22Zillah also had a son, Tubalcain, who made bronze and iron tools. Tubalcain’s sister was Naamah.
23Lamech said to his wives,
“Adah and Zillah, listen to me!
Wives of Lamech, hear what I say!
I killed a man for bruising me,
a young man for wounding me.
24If Cain is avenged 7 times,
then Lamech, 77 times.”
Adam’s Godly Descendants—Adam to Enosh
25Adam made love to his wife again. She gave birth to a son and named him Seth, because ⌞she said,⌟ “God has given #4:25 There is a play on words here between Hebrew sheth (Seth) and shath (given). me another child in place of Abel, since Cain killed him.”
26A son was also born to Seth, and he named him Enosh. At that time people began to worship the Lord.
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