1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.
2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
4 And 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:
5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
7 If 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.
8 And 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.
9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?
10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.
11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;
12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.
13 And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.
14 Behold, 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.
15 And 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.
16 And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.
17 And 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.
18 And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech.
19 And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.
20 And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle.
21 And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.
22 And Zillah, she also bare Tubalcain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubalcain was Naamah.
23 And 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.
24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.
25 And 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.
26 And 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.
1 And Adam H120 knew H3045 H853 Eve H2332 his wife; H802 and she conceived, H2029 and bare H3205 H853 Cain, H7014 and said, H559 I have gotten H7069 a man H376 from H854 the LORD. H3068
2 And she again H3254 bare H3205 his brother H251 Abel. H1893 And Abel H1893 was a keeper H7462 of sheep, H6629 but Cain H7014 was a tiller H5647 of the ground. H127
3 And in process H7093 of time H3117 it came to pass, that Cain H7014 brought H935 of the fruit H6529 of the ground H127 an offering H4503 unto the LORD. H3068
4 And Abel, H1893 he H1931 also brought H935 of the firstlings H1062 of his flock H6629 and of the fat H2459 thereof. And the LORD H3068 had respect H8159 unto Abel H1893 and to his offering: H4503
5 But unto Cain H7014 and to his offering H4503 he had not respect. H8159 And Cain H7014 was very H3966 wroth, H2734 and his countenance H6440 fell. H5307
6 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Cain, H7014 Why art thou wroth? H2734 and why is thy countenance H6440 fallen? H5307
7 If H518 thou doest well, H3190 shalt thou not be accepted? H7613 and if thou doest not well, H3190 sin H2403 lieth H7257 at the door. H6607 And unto thee shall be his desire, H8669 and thou shalt rule H4910 over him.
8 And Cain H7014 talked H559 with H413 Abel H1893 his brother: H251 and it came to pass, when they were in the field, H7704 that Cain H7014 rose up H6965 against H413 Abel H1893 his brother, H251 and slew him. H2026
9 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto Cain, H7014 Where H335 is Abel H1893 thy brother? H251 And he said, H559 I know H3045 not: Am I my brother's H251 keeper? H8104
10 And he said, H559 What H4100 hast thou done? H6213 the voice H6963 of thy brother's H251 blood H1818 crieth H6817 unto me from the ground. H127
11 And now art thou cursed H779 from the earth, H127 which hath opened H6475 her mouth H6310 to receive H3947 thy brother's H251 blood H1818 from thy hand; H3027
12 When H3588 thou tillest H5647 the ground, H127 it shall not henceforth H3254 yield H5414 unto thee her strength; H3581 a fugitive H5128 and a vagabond H5110 shalt thou be in the earth. H776
13 And Cain H7014 said H559 unto the LORD, H3068 My punishment H5771 is greater H1419 than I can bear. H5375
14 Behold, thou hast driven me out H1644 this day H3117 from the face H6440 of the earth; H127 and from H5921 thy face H6440 shall I be hid; H5641 and I shall be a fugitive H5128 and a vagabond H5110 in the earth; H776 and it shall come to pass, H1961 that every one that findeth me H4672 shall slay me. H2026
15 And the LORD H3068 said H559 unto him, Therefore H3651 whosoever slayeth H2026 Cain, H7014 vengeance shall be taken H5358 on him sevenfold. H7659 And the LORD H3068 set H7760 a mark H226 upon Cain, H7014 lest H1115 any finding H4672 him should kill H5221 him.
16 And Cain H7014 went out H3318 from the presence H6440 of the LORD, H3068 and dwelt H3427 in the land H776 of Nod, H5113 on the east H6926 of Eden. H5731
17 And Cain H7014 knew H3045 his wife; H802 and she conceived, H2029 and bare H3205 Enoch: H2585 and he builded H1129 a city, H5892 and called H7121 the name H8034 of the city, H5892 after the name H8034 of his son, H1121 Enoch. H2585
18 And unto Enoch H2585 was born H3205 Irad: H5897 and Irad H5897 begat H3205 Mehujael: H4232 and Mehujael H4232 begat H3205 Methusael: H4967 and Methusael H4967 begat H3205 Lamech. H3929
19 And Lamech H3929 took H3947 unto him two H8147 wives: H802 the name H8034 of the one H259 was Adah, H5711 and the name H8034 of the other H8145 Zillah. H6741
20 And Adah H5711 bare H3205 Jabal: H2989 he was the father H1 of such as dwell H3427 in tents, H168 and of such as have cattle. H4735
21 And his brother's H251 name H8034 was Jubal: H3106 he was the father H1 of all such as handle H8610 the harp H3658 and organ. H5748
22 And Zillah, H6741 she also bare H3205 Tubalcain, H8423 an instructer H3913 of every artificer H2794 in brass H5178 and iron: H1270 and the sister H269 of Tubalcain H8423 was Naamah. H5279
23 And Lamech H3929 said H559 unto his wives, H802 Adah H5711 and Zillah, H6741 Hear H8085 my voice; H6963 ye wives H802 of Lamech, H3929 hearken H238 unto my speech: H565 for I have slain H2026 a man H376 to my wounding, H6482 and a young man H3206 to my hurt. H2250
24 If H3588 Cain H7014 shall be avenged H5358 sevenfold, H7659 truly Lamech H3929 seventy H7657 and sevenfold. H7651
25 And Adam H120 knew H3045 his wife H802 again; H5750 and she bare H3205 a son, H1121 and called H7121 his name H8034 Seth: H8352 For God, H430 said she, hath appointed H7896 me another H312 seed H2233 instead H8478 of Abel, H1893 whom H3588 Cain H7014 slew. H2026
26 And to Seth, H8352 to him H1931 also there was born H3205 a son; H1121 and he called H7121 his name H8034 Enos: H583 then began men H2490 to call H7121 upon the name H8034 of the LORD. H3068
1 And the man knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man with `the help of' Jehovah.
2 And again she bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto Jehovah.
4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And Jehovah had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
5 but unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
6 And Jehovah said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
7 If thou doest well, shall it not be lifted up? and if thou doest not well, sin coucheth at the door: and unto thee shall be its desire, but do thou rule over it.
8 And Cain told 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.
9 And Jehovah said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: am I my brother's keeper?
10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.
11 And now cursed art thou from the ground, which hath opened its mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;
12 when thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee its strength; a fugitive and a wanderer shalt thou be in the earth.
13 And Cain said unto Jehovah, My punishment is greater than I can bear.
14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the ground; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth; and it will come to pass, that whosoever findeth me will slay me.
15 And Jehovah said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And Jehovah appointed a sign for Cain, lest any finding him should smite him.
16 And Cain went out from the presence of Jehovah, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.
17 And 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.
18 And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methushael; and Methushael begat Lamech.
19 And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.
20 And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents and `have' cattle.
21 And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and pipe.
22 And Zillah, she also bare Tubal-cain, the forger of every cutting instrument of brass and iron: and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.
23 And 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 for wounding me, And a young man for bruising me:
24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, Truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.
25 And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth. For, `said she', God hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel; for Cain slew him.
26 And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enosh. Then began men to call upon the name of Jehovah.
1 And the man knew Eve his wife, and she conceiveth and beareth Cain, and saith, `I have gotten a man by Jehovah;'
2 and she addeth to bear his brother, even Abel. And Abel is feeding a flock, and Cain hath been servant of the ground.
3 And it cometh to pass at the end of days that Cain bringeth from the fruit of the ground a present to Jehovah;
4 and Abel, he hath brought, he also, from the female firstlings of his flock, even from their fat ones; and Jehovah looketh unto Abel and unto his present,
5 and unto Cain and unto his present He hath not looked; and it is very displeasing to Cain, and his countenance is fallen.
6 And Jehovah saith unto Cain, `Why hast thou displeasure? and why hath thy countenance fallen?
7 Is there not, if thou dost well, acceptance? and if thou dost not well, at the opening a sin-offering is crouching, and unto thee its desire, and thou rulest over it.'
8 And Cain saith unto Abel his brother, ``Let us go into the field;'' and it cometh to pass in their being in the field, that Cain riseth up against Abel his brother, and slayeth him.
9 And Jehovah saith unto Cain, `Where `is' Abel thy brother?' and he saith, `I have not known; my brother's keeper -- I?'
10 And He saith, `What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood is crying unto Me from the ground;
11 and now, cursed `art' thou from the ground, which hath opened her mouth to receive the blood of thy brother from thy hand;
12 when thou tillest the ground, it doth not add to give its strength to thee -- a wanderer, even a trembling one, thou art in the earth.'
13 And Cain saith unto Jehovah, `Greater is my punishment than to be borne;
14 lo, Thou hast driven me to-day from off the face of the ground, and from Thy face I am hid; and I have been a wanderer, even a trembling one, in the earth, and it hath been -- every one finding me doth slay me.'
15 And Jehovah saith to him, `Therefore -- of any slayer of Cain sevenfold it is required;' and Jehovah setteth to Cain a token that none finding him doth slay him.
16 And Cain goeth out from before Jehovah, and dwelleth in the land, moving about east of Eden;
17 and Cain knoweth his wife, and she conceiveth, and beareth Enoch; and he is building a city, and he calleth the name of the city, according to the name of his son -- Enoch.
18 And born to Enoch is Irad; and Irad hath begotten Mehujael; and Mehujael hath begotten Methusael; and Methusael hath begotten Lamech.
19 And Lamech taketh to himself two wives, the name of the one Adah, and the name of the second Zillah.
20 And Adah beareth Jabal, he hath been father of those inhabiting tents and purchased possessions;
21 and the name of his brother `is' Jubal, he hath been father of every one handling harp and organ.
22 And Zillah she also bare Tubal-Cain, an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron; and a sister of Tubal-Cain `is' Naamah.
23 And Lamech saith to his wives: -- `Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; Wives of Lamech, give ear `to' my saying: For a man I have slain for my wound, Even a young man for my hurt;
24 For sevenfold is required for Cain, And for Lamech seventy and sevenfold.'
25 And Adam again knoweth his wife, and she beareth a son, and calleth his name Seth, `for God hath appointed for me another seed instead of Abel:' for Cain had slain him.
26 And to Seth, to him also a son hath been born, and he calleth his name Enos; then a beginning was made of preaching in the name of Jehovah.
1 And Man knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bore Cain, and said, I have acquired a man with Jehovah.
2 And she further bore his brother Abel. And Abel was a shepherd, but Cain was a husbandman.
3 And in process of time it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering to Jehovah.
4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of their fat. And Jehovah looked upon Abel, and on his offering;
5 and upon Cain, and on his offering, he did not look. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.
6 And Jehovah said to Cain, Why art thou angry, and why is thy countenance fallen?
7 If thou doest well, will not [thy countenance] look up [with confidence]? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door; and unto thee [shall be] his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
8 And Cain spoke to 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.
9 And Jehovah said to Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: am I my brother's keeper?
10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood is crying to me from the ground.
11 And now be thou cursed from the ground, which hath opened its mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand.
12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield thee its strength; a wanderer and fugitive shalt thou be on the earth.
13 And Cain said to Jehovah, My punishment is too great to be borne.
14 Behold, thou hast driven me this day from the face of the ground, and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a wanderer and fugitive on the earth; and it will come to pass, [that] every one who finds me will slay me.
15 And Jehovah said to him, Therefore, whoever slayeth Cain, it shall be revenged sevenfold. And Jehovah set a mark on Cain, lest any finding him should smite him.
16 And Cain went out from the presence of Jehovah, and dwelt in the land of Nod, toward the east of Eden.
17 And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he built a city; and he called the name of the city after the name of his son Enoch.
18 And to Enoch was born Irad; and Irad begot Mehujael; and Mehujael begot Methushael; and Methushael begot Lemech.
19 And Lemech took two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the second, Zillah.
20 And Adah bore Jabal: he was the father of those who dwell in tents, and [breed] cattle.
21 And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of those who handle the harp and pipe.
22 And Zillah, she also bore Tubal-Cain, the forger of every kind of tool of brass and iron. And the sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah.
23 And Lemech said to his wives: Adah and Zillah, hear my voice, Ye wives of Lemech, listen to my speech. For I have slain a man for my wound, and a youth for my bruise.
24 If Cain shall be avenged seven-fold; Lemech seventy and seven fold.
25 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son, and called his name Seth: ... For God has appointed me another seed instead of Abel, because Cain has slain him.
26 And to Seth, to him also was born a son; and he called his name Enosh. Then people began to call on the name of Jehovah.
1 The man knew Eve his wife. She conceived, and gave birth to Cain, and said, "I have gotten a man with Yahweh's help."
2 Again she gave birth, to Cain's brother Abel. Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
3 As time passed, it happened that Cain brought an offering to Yahweh from the fruit of the ground.
4 Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and of the fat of it. Yahweh respected Abel and his offering,
5 but he didn't respect Cain and his offering. Cain was very angry, and the expression on his face fell.
6 Yahweh said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why has the expression of your face fallen?
7 If you do well, will it not be lifted up? If you don't do well, sin crouches at the door. Its desire is for you, but you are to rule over it."
8 Cain said to Abel, his brother, "Let's go into the field." It happened, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him.
9 Yahweh said to Cain, "Where is Abel, your brother?" He said, "I don't know. Am I my brother's keeper?"
10 Yahweh said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries to me from the ground.
11 Now you are cursed because of the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.
12 From now on, when you till the ground, it won't yield its strength to you. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth."
13 Cain said to Yahweh, "My punishment is greater than I can bear.
14 Behold, you have driven me out this day from the surface of the ground. I will be hidden from your face, and I will be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth. It will happen that whoever finds me will kill me."
15 Yahweh said to him, "Therefore whoever slays Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold." Yahweh appointed a sign for Cain, lest any finding him should strike him.
16 Cain went out from Yahweh's presence, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.
17 Cain knew his wife. She conceived, and gave birth to Enoch. He built a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.
18 To Enoch was born Irad. Irad became the father of Mehujael. Mehujael became the father of Methushael. Methushael became the father of Lamech.
19 Lamech took two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.
20 Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the father of those who dwell in tents and have cattle.
21 His brother's name was Jubal, who was the father of all who handle the harp and pipe.
22 Zillah also gave birth to Tubal Cain, the forger of every cutting instrument of brass and iron. Tubal Cain's sister was Naamah.
23 Lamech said to his wives, "Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice, You wives of Lamech, listen to my speech, For I have slain a man for wounding me, A young man for bruising me.
24 If Cain will be avenged seven times, Truly Lamech seventy-seven times."
25 Adam knew his wife again. She gave birth to a son, and named him Seth. For, she said, "God has appointed me another child instead of Abel, for Cain killed him."
26 There was also born a son to Seth, and he named him Enosh. Then men began to call on Yahweh's name.
1 And the man had connection with Eve his wife, and she became with child and gave birth to Cain, and said, I have got a man from the Lord.
2 Then again she became with child and gave birth to Abel, his brother. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a farmer.
3 And after a time, Cain gave to the Lord an offering of the fruits of the earth.
4 And Abel gave an offering of the young lambs of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord was pleased with Abel's offering;
5 But in Cain and his offering he had no pleasure. And Cain was angry and his face became sad.
6 And the Lord said to Cain, Why are you angry? and why is your face sad?
7 If you do well, will you not have honour? and if you do wrong, sin is waiting at the door, desiring to have you, but do not let it be your master.
8 And Cain said to his brother, Let us go into the field: and when they were in the field, Cain made an attack on his brother Abel and put him to death.
9 And the Lord said to Cain, Where is your brother Abel? And he said, I have no idea: am I my brother's keeper?
10 And he said, What have you done? the voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the earth.
11 And now you are cursed from the earth, whose mouth is open to take your brother's blood from your hand;
12 No longer will the earth give you her fruit as the reward of your work; you will be a wanderer in flight over the earth.
13 And Cain said, My punishment is greater than my strength.
14 You have sent me out this day from the face of the earth and from before your face; I will be a wanderer in flight over the earth, and whoever sees me will put me to death.
15 And the Lord said, Truly, if Cain is put to death, seven lives will be taken for his. And the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one might put him to death.
16 And Cain went away from before the face of the Lord, and made his living-place in the land of Nod on the east of Eden.
17 And Cain had connection with his wife and she became with child and gave birth to Enoch: and he made a town, and gave the town the name of Enoch after his son.
18 And Enoch had a son Irad: and Irad became the father of Mehujael: and Mehujael became the father of Methushael: and Methushael became the father of Lamech.
19 And Lamech had two wives; the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.
20 And Adah gave birth to Jabal: he was the father of such as are living in tents and keep cattle.
21 And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all players on instruments of music.
22 And Zillah gave birth to Tubal-cain, who is the father of every maker of cutting instruments of brass and iron: and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.
23 And Lamech said to his wives, Adah and Zillah, give ear to my voice; you wives of Lamech, give attention to my words, for I would put a man to death for a wound, and a young man for a blow;
24 If seven lives are to be taken as punishment for Cain's death, seventy-seven will be taken for Lamech's.
25 And Adam had connection with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son to whom she gave the name of Seth: for she said, God has given me another seed in place of Abel, whom Cain put to death.
26 And Seth had a son, and he gave him the name of Enosh: at this time men first made use of the name of the Lord in worship.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Keil & Delitzsch Commentary » Commentary on Genesis 4
Commentary on Genesis 4 Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
The propagation of the human race did not commence till after the expulsion from paradise. Generation in man is an act of personal free-will, not a blind impulse of nature, and rests upon a moral self-determination. It flows from the divine institution of marriage, and is therefore knowing ( ידע ) the wife. - At the birth of the first son Eve exclaimed with joy, “ I have gotten ( קניתי ) a man with Jehovah ;” wherefore the child received the name Cain ( קין from קוּן = קנה , κτᾶσθαι ). So far as the grammar is concerned, the expression את־יהוה might be rendered, as in apposition to אישׁ , “ a man, the Lord ” ( Luther ), but the sense would not allow it. For even if we could suppose the faith of Eve in the promised conqueror of the serpent to have been sufficiently alive for this, the promise of God had not given her the slightest reason to expect that the promised seed would be of divine nature, and might be Jehovah , so as to lead her to believe that she had given birth to Jehovah now. את is a preposition in the sense of helpful association, as in Genesis 21:20; Genesis 39:2, Genesis 39:21, etc. That she sees in the birth of this son the commencement of the fulfilment of the promise, and thankfully acknowledges the divine help in this display of mercy, is evident from the name Jehovah , the God of salvation. The use of this name is significant. Although it cannot be supposed that Eve herself knew and uttered this name, since it was not till a later period that it was made known to man, and it really belongs to the Hebrew, which was not formed till after the division of tongues, yet it expresses the feeling of Eve on receiving this proof of the gracious help of God.
Genesis 4:2-7
But her joy was soon overcome by the discovery of the vanity of this earthly life. This is expressed in the name Abel , which was given to the second son ( הבל , in pause הבל , i.e., nothingness, vanity), whether it indicated generally a feeling of sorrow on account of his weakness, or was a prophetic presentiment of his untimely death. The occupation of the sons is noticed on account of what follows. “ Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground .” Adam had, no doubt, already commenced both occupations, and the sons selected each a different department. God Himself had pointed out both to Adam-the tilling of the ground by the employment assigned him in Eden, which had to be changed into agriculture after his expulsion; and the keeping of cattle in the clothing that He gave him (Genesis 3:21). Moreover, agriculture can never be entirely separated from the rearing of cattle; for a man not only requires food, but clothing, which is procured directly from the hides and wool of tame animals. In addition to this, sheep do not thrive without human protection and care, and therefore were probably associated with man from the very first. The different occupations of the brothers, therefore, are not to be regarded as a proof of the difference in their dispositions. This comes out first in the sacrifice, which they offered after a time to God, each one from the produce of his vocation. - “ In process of time ” (lit., at the end of days, i.e., after a considerable lapse of time: for this use of ימים cf. Genesis 40:4; Numbers 9:2) Cain brought of the fruit of the ground a gift ( מנחה ) to the Lord; and Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock, and indeed ( vav in an explanatory sense, vid., Ges. §155, 1) of their fat ,” i.e., the fattest of the firstlings, and not merely the first good one that came to hand. חלבים are not the fat portions of the animals, as in the Levitical law of sacrifice. This is evident from the fact, that the sacrifice was not connected with a sacrificial meal, and animal food was not eaten at this time. That the usage of the Mosaic law cannot determine the meaning of this passage, is evident from the word minchah , which is applied in Leviticus to bloodless sacrifices only, whereas it is used here in connection with Abel's sacrifice. “ And Jehovah looked upon Abel and his gift; and upon Cain and his gift He did not look .” The look of Jehovah was in any case a visible sign of satisfaction. It is a common and ancient opinion that fire consumed Abel's sacrifice, and thus showed that it was graciously accepted. Theodotion explains the words by καὶ ἐνεπύρισεν ὁ Θεός . But whilst this explanation has the analogy of Leviticus 9:24 and Judges 6:21 in its favour, it does not suit the words, “upon Abel and his gift.” The reason for the different reception of the two offerings was the state of mind towards God with which they were brought, and which manifested itself in the selection of the gifts. Not, indeed, in the fact that Abel brought a bleeding sacrifice and Cain a bloodless one; for this difference arose from the difference in their callings, and each necessarily took his gift from the produce of his own occupation. It was rather in the fact that Abel offered the fattest firstlings of his flock, the best that he could bring; whilst Cain only brought a portion of the fruit of the ground, but not the first-fruits. By this choice Abel brought πλείονα θυσίαν παρὰ Κάΐν , and manifested that disposition which is designated faith ( πίστις ) in Hebrews 11:4. The nature of this disposition, however, can only be determined from the meaning of the offering itself.
The sacrifices offered by Adam's sons, and that not in consequence of a divine command, but from the free impulse of their nature as determined by God, were the first sacrifices of the human race. The origin of sacrifice, therefore, is neither to be traced to a positive command, nor to be regarded as a human invention. To form an accurate conception of the idea which lies at the foundation of all sacrificial worship, we must bear in mind that the first sacrifices were offered after the fall, and therefore presupposed the spiritual separation of man from God, and were designed to satisfy the need of the heart for fellowship with God. This need existed in the case of Cain, as well as in that of Abel; otherwise he would have offered no sacrifice at all, since there was no command to render it compulsory. Yet it was not the wish for forgiveness of sin which led Adam's sons to offer sacrifice; for there is no mention of expiation, and the notion that Abel, by slaughtering the animal, confessed that he deserved death on account of sin, is transferred to this passage from the expiatory sacrifices of the Mosaic law. The offerings were expressive of gratitude to God, to whom they owed all that they had; and were associated also with the desire to secure the divine favour and blessing, so that they are to be regarded not merely as thank-offerings, but as supplicatory sacrifices, and as propitiatory also, in the wider sense of the word. In this the two offerings are alike. The reason why they were not equally acceptable to God is not to be sought, as Hoffmann thinks, in the fact that Cain merely offered thanks “for the preservation of this present life,” whereas Abel offered thanks “for the forgiveness of sins,” or “for the sin-forgiving clothing received by man from the hand of God.” To take the nourishment of the body literally and the clothing symbolically in this manner, is an arbitrary procedure, by which the Scriptures might be made to mean anything we chose. The reason is to be found rather in the fact, that Abel's thanks came from the depth of his heart, whilst Cain merely offered his to keep on good terms with God-a difference that was manifested in the choice of the gifts, which each one brought from the produce of his occupation. This choice shows clearly “that it was the pious feeling, through which the worshiper put his heart as it were into the gift, which made the offering acceptable to God” ( Oehler ); that the essence of the sacrifice was not the presentation of a gift to God, but that the offering was intended to shadow forth the dedication of the heart to God. At the same time, the desire of the worshipper, by the dedication of the best of his possessions to secure afresh the favour of God, contained the germ of that substitutionary meaning of sacrifice, which was afterwards expanded in connection with the deepening and heightening of the feeling of sin into a desire for forgiveness, and led to the development of the idea of expiatory sacrifice. - On account of the preference shown to Abel, “ it burned Cain sore (the subject, 'wrath,' is wanting, as it frequently is in the case of חרה , cf. Genesis 18:30, Genesis 18:32; Genesis 31:36, etc.), and his countenance fell ” (an indication of his discontent and anger: cf. Jeremiah 3:12; Job 29:24). God warned him of giving way to this, and directed his attention to the cause and consequences of his wrath.
“ Why art thou wroth, and why is thy countenance fallen? ” The answer to this is given in the further question, “ Is there not, if thou art good, a lifting up ” (sc., of the countenance)? It is evident from the context, and the antithesis of falling and lifting up ( נפל and נשׂא ), that פּנים must be supplied after שׂאת . By this God gave him to understand that his look was indicative of evil thoughts and intentions; for the lifting up of the countenance, i.e., a free, open look, is the mark of a good conscience (Job 11:15). “ But if thou art not good, sin lieth before the door, and its desire is to thee (directed towards thee); but thou shouldst rule over it .” The fem. חטּאת is construed as a masculine, because, with evident allusion to the serpent, sin is personified as a wild beast, lurking at the door of the human heart, and eagerly desiring to devour his soul (1 Peter 5:8). היטיב , to make good, signifies here not good action, the performance of good in work and deed, but making the disposition good, i.e., directing the heart to what is good. Cain is to rule over the sin which is greedily desiring him, by giving up his wrath, not indeed that sin may cease to lurk for him, but that the lurking evil foe may obtain no entrance into his heart. There is no need to regard the sentence as interrogative, “Wilt thou, indeed, be able to rule over it?” ( Ewald ), nor to deny the allusion in בּו to the lurking sin, as Delitzsch does. The words do not command the suppression of an inward temptation, but resistance to the power of evil as pressing from without, by hearkening to the word which God addressed to Cain in person, and addresses to us through the Scriptures. There is nothing said here about God appearing visibly; but this does not warrant us in interpreting either this or the following conversation as a simple process that took place in the heart and conscience of Cain. It is evident from Genesis 4:14 and Genesis 4:16 that God did not withdraw His personal presence and visible intercourse from men, as soon as He had expelled them from the garden of Eden. “God talks to Cain as to a wilful child, and draws out of him what is sleeping in his heart, and lurking like a wild beast before his door. And what He did to Cain He does to every one who will but observe his own heart, and listen to the voice of God” ( Herder ). But Cain paid no need to the divine warning.
Genesis 4:8
He “ said to his brother Abel .” What he said is not stated. We may either supply “ it ,” viz., what God had just said to him, which would be grammatically admissible, since אמר is sometimes followed by a simple accusative (Genesis 22:3; Genesis 44:16), and this accusative has to be supplied from the context (as in Exodus 19:25); or we may supply from what follows some such expressions as “ let us go into the field ,” as the lxx, Sam ., Jonathan , and others have done. This is also allowable, so that we need not imagine a gap in the text, but may explain the construction as in Genesis 3:22-23, by supposing that the writer hastened on to describe the carrying out of what was said, without stopping to set down the words themselves. This supposition is preferable to the former, since it is psychologically most improbable that Cain should have related a warning to his brother which produced so little impression upon his own mind. In the field “ Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him .” Thus the sin of Adam had grown into fratricide in his son. The writer intentionally repeats again and again the words “ his brother ,” to bring clearly out the horror of the sin. Cain was the first man who let sin reign in him; he was “of the wicked one” (1 John 3:12). In him the seed of the woman had already become the seed of the serpent; and in his deed the real nature of the wicked one, as “a murderer from the beginning,” had come openly to light: so that already there had sprung up that contrast of two distinct seeds within the human race, which runs through the entire history of humanity.
Defiance grows with sin, and punishment keeps pace with guilt. Adam and Eve fear before God, and acknowledge their sin; Cain boldly denies it, and in reply to the question, “ Where is Abel thy brother? ” declares, “ I know not, am I my brother's keeper? ” God therefore charges him with his crime: “ What hast thou done! voice of thy brother's blood crying to Me from the earth .” The verb “ crying ” refers to the “ blood ,” since this is the principal word, and the voice merely expresses the adverbial idea of “aloud,” or “ listen ” ( Ewald , §317 d ). דּמים (drops of blood) is sometimes used to denote natural hemorrhage (Leviticus 12:4-5; Leviticus 20:18); but is chiefly applied to blood shed unnaturally, i.e., to murder. “Innocent blood has no voice, it may be, that is discernible by human ears, but it has one that reaches God, as the cry of a wicked deed demanding vengeance” ( Delitzsch ). Murder is one of the sins that cry to heaven. “ Primum ostendit Deus se de factis hominum cognoscere utcunque nullus queratur vel accuset; deinde sibi magis charam esse homonum vitam quam ut sanguinem innoxium impune effundi sinat; tertio curam sibi piorum esse non solum quamdiu vivunt sed etiam post mortem ” (Calvin). Abel was the first of the saints, whose blood is precious in the sight of God (Psalms 116:15); and by virtue of his faith, he being dead yet speaketh through his blood which cried unto God (Hebrews 11:4).
“ And now (sc., because thou hast done this) be cursed from the earth .” From: i.e., either away from the earth, driven forth so that it shall no longer afford a quiet resting-place ( Gerlach , Delitzsch , etc.), or out of the earth , through its withdrawing its strength, and thus securing the fulfilment of perpetual wandering ( Baumgarten , etc.). It is difficult to choose between the two; but the clause, “ which hath opened her mouth ,” etc. seems rather to favour the latter. Because the earth has been compelled to drink innocent blood, it rebels against the murderer, and when he tills it, withdraws its strength, so that the soil yields no produce; just as the land of Canaan is said to have spued out the Canaanites, on account of their abominations (Leviticus 18:28). In any case, the idea that “the soil, through drinking innocent blood, became an accomplice in the sin of murder,” has no biblical support, and is not confirmed by Isaiah 26:21 or Numbers 35:33. The suffering of irrational creatures through the sin of man is very different from their participating in his sin. “ A fugitive and vagabond ( ונד נע , i.e., banished and homeless) shalt thou be in the earth .” Cain is so affected by this curse, that his obduracy is turned into despair, “ My sin ,” he says in Genesis 4:13, “ is greater than can be borne .” עון נשׁא signifies to take away and bear sin or guilt, and is used with reference both to God and man. God takes guilt away by forgiving it (Exodus 34:7); man carries it away and bears it, by enduring its punishment (cf. Numbers 5:31). Luther , following the ancient versions, has adopted the first meaning; but the context sustains the second: for Cain afterwards complains, not of the greatness of the sin, but only of the severity of the punishment. “ Behold, Thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth, and from Thy face shall I be hid;...and it shall come to pass that every one that findeth me shall slay me .” The adamah , from the face of which the curse of Jehovah had driven Cain, was Eden (cf. Genesis 4:16), where he had carried on his agricultural pursuits, and where God had revealed His face, i.e., His presence, to the men after their expulsion from the garden; so that henceforth Cain had to wander about upon the wide world, homeless and far from the presence of God, and was afraid lest any one who found him might slay him. By “ every one that findeth me ” we are not to understand omnis creatura , as though Cain had excited the hostility of all creatures, but every man; not in the sense, however, of such as existed apart from the family of Adam, but such as were aware of his crime, and knew him to be a murderer. For Cain is evidently afraid of revenge on the part of relatives of the slain, that is to say, of descendants of Adam, who were either already in existence, or yet to be born. Though Adam might not at this time have had “many grandsons and great-grandson,” yet according to Genesis 4:17 and Genesis 5:4, he had undoubtedly other children, who might increase in number, and sooner or later might avenge Abel's death. For, that blood shed demands blood in return, “is a principle of equity written in the heart of every man; and that Cain should see that earth full of avengers is just like a murderer, who sees avenging spirits ( Ἐρινύες ) ready to torture him on every hand.”
Although Cain expressed not penitence, but fear of punishment, God displayed His long-suffering and gave him the promise, “ Therefore ( לכן not in the sense of כן לא , but because it was the case, and there was reason for his complaint) whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold .” קין כּל־הרג , is cas . absolut . as in Genesis 9:6; and הקּם avenged, i.e., resented, punished, as Exodus 21:20-21. The mark which God put upon Cain is not to be regarded as a mark upon his body, as the Rabbins and others supposed, but as a certain sign which protected him from vengeance, though of what kind it is impossible to determine. God granted him continuance of life, not because banishment from the place of God's presence was the greatest possible punishment, or because the preservation of the human race required at that time that the lives of individuals should be spared, - for God afterwards destroyed the whole human race, with the exception of one family, - but partly because the tares were to grow with the wheat, and sin develop itself to its utmost extent, partly also because from the very first God determined to take punishment into His own hands, and protect human life from the passion and wilfulness of human vengeance.
The family of the Cainites . - Genesis 4:16. The geographical situation of the land of Nod , in the front of Eden ( קדמת , see Genesis 2:14), where Cain settled after his departure from the place or the land of the revealed presence of God (cf. Jonah 1:3), cannot be determined. The name Nod denotes a land of flight and banishment, in contrast with Eden, the land of delight, where Jehovah walked with men. There Cain knew his wife. The text assumes it as self-evident that she accompanied him in his exile; also, that she was a daughter of Adam, and consequently a sister of Cain. The marriage of brothers and sisters was inevitable in the case of the children of the first men, if the human race was actually to descend from a single pair, and may therefore be justified in the face of the Mosaic prohibition of such marriages, on the ground that the sons and daughters of Adam represented not merely the family but the genus, and that it was not till after the rise of several families that the bands of fraternal and conjugal love became distinct from one another, and assumed fixed and mutually exclusive forms, the violation of which is sin. (Comp. Lev 18.) His son he named Hanoch (consecration), because he regarded his birth as a pledge of the renovation of his life. For this reason he also gave the same name to the city which he built, inasmuch as its erection was another phase in the development of his family. The construction of a city by Cain will cease to surprise us, if we consider that at the commencement of its erection, centuries had already passed since the creation of man, and Cain's descendants may by this time have increased considerably in numbers; also, that עיר does not necessarily presuppose a large town, but simply an enclosed space with fortified dwellings, in contradistinction to the isolated tents of shepherds; and lastly, that the words בנה ויהי , “he was building,” merely indicate the commencement and progress of the building, but not its termination. It appears more surprising that Cain, who was to be a fugitive and a vagabond upon the earth, should have established himself in the land of Nod. This cannot be fully explained, either on the ground that he carried on the pursuits of agriculture, which lead to settled abodes, or that he strove against the curse. In addition to both the facts referred to, there is also the circumstance, that the curse, “the ground shall not yield to thee her strength,” was so mollified by the grace of God, that Cain and his descendants were enabled to obtain sufficient food in the land of his settlement, though it was by dint of hard work and strenuous effort; unless, indeed, we follow Luther and understand the curse, that he should be a fugitive upon the earth, as relating to his expulsion from Eden, and his removal ad incertum locum et opus, non addita ulla vel promissione vel mandato, sicut avis quae in libero caelo incerta vagatur . The fact that Cain undertook the erection of a city, is also significant. Even if we do not regard this city as “the first foundation-stone of the kingdom of the world, in which the spirit of the beast bears sway,” we cannot fail to detect the desire to neutralize the curse of banishment, and create for his family a point of unity, as a compensation for the loss of unity in fellowship with God, as well as the inclination of the family of Cain for that which was earthly.
The powerful development of the worldly mind and of ungodliness among the Cainites was openly displayed in Lamech, in the sixth generation. Of the intermediate links, the names only are given. (On the use of the passive with the accusative of the object in the clause “ to Hanoch was born (they bore) Irad ,” see Ges. §143, 1.) Some of these names resemble those of the Sethite genealogy, viz., Irad and Jared, Mehujael and Mahalaleel, Methusael and Methuselah, also Cain and Cainan; and the names Enoch and Lamech occur in both families. But neither the recurrence of similar names, nor even of the same names, warrants the conclusion that the two genealogical tables are simply different forms of one primary legend. For the names, though similar in sound, are very different in meaning. Irad probably signifies the townsman, Jared , descent, or that which has descended; Mehujael , smitten of God, and Mahalaleel , praise of God; Methusael , man of prayer, and Methuselah, man of the sword or of increase. The repetition of the two names Enoch and Lamech even loses all significance, when we consider the different places which they occupy in the respective lines, and observe also that in the case of these very names, the more precise descriptions which are given so thoroughly establish the difference of character in the two individuals, as to preclude the possibility of their being the same, not to mention the fact, that in the later history the same names frequently occur in totally different families; e.g., Korah in the families of Levi (Exodus 6:21) and Esau (Genesis 36:5); Hanoch in those of Reuben (Genesis 46:9) and Midian (Genesis 25:4); Kenaz in those of Judah (Numbers 32:12) and Esau (Genesis 36:11). The identity and similarity of names can prove nothing more than that the two branches of the human race did not keep entirely apart from each other; a fact established by their subsequently intermarrying. - Lamech took two wives, and thus was the first to prepare the way for polygamy, by which the ethical aspect of marriage, as ordained by God, was turned into the lust of the eye and lust of the flesh. The names of the women are indicative of sensual attractions: Adah , the adorned; and Zillah , either the shady or the tinkling. His three sons are the authors of inventions which show how the mind and efforts of the Cainites were directed towards the beautifying and perfecting of the earthly life. Jabal (probably = jebul , produce) became the father of such as dwelt in tents , i.e., of nomads who lived in tents and with their flocks, getting their living by a pastoral occupation, and possibly also introducing the use of animal food, in disregard of the divine command (Genesis 1:29). Jubal (sound), the father of all such as handle the harp and pipe, i.e., the inventors of stringed and wind instruments. כּנּור a guitar or harp; עוּגב the shepherd's reed or bagpipe. Tubal-Cain , “ hammering all kinds of cutting things (the verb is to be construed as neuter) in brass and iron ;” the inventor therefore of all kinds of edge-tools for working in metals: so that Cain, from קין to forge, is probably to be regarded as the surname which Tubal received on account of his inventions. The meaning of Tubal is obscure; for the Persian Tupal , iron- scoria , can throw no light upon it, as it must be a much later word. The allusion to the sister of Tubal-Cain is evidently to be attributed to her name, Naamah , the lovely, or graceful, since it reflects the worldly mind of the Cainites. In the arts, which owed their origin to Lamech's sons, this disposition reached its culminating point; and it appears in the form of pride and defiant arrogance in the song in which Lamech celebrates the inventions of Tubal-Cain (Genesis 4:23, Genesis 4:24): “ Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: Men I slay for my wound, and young men for my stripes. For sevenfold is Cain avenged, and Lamech seven and seventy-fold .” The perfect הרגתּי is expressive not of a deed accomplished, but of confident assurance ( Ges. §126, 4; Ewald , §135 c ); and the suffixes in חבּרתי and פּצעי are to be taken in a passive sense. The idea is this: whoever inflicts a wound or stripe on me, whether man or youth, I will put to death; and for every injury done to my person, I will take ten times more vengeance than that with which God promised to avenge the murder of my ancestor Cain. In this song, which contains in its rhythm, its strophic arrangement of the thoughts, and its poetic diction, the germ of the later poetry, we may detect “that Titanic arrogance, of which the Bible says that its power is its god (Habakkuk 1:11), and that it carries its god, viz., its sword, in its hand (Job 12:6)” ( Delitzsch ). - According to these accounts, the principal arts and manufactures were invented by the Cainites, and carried out in an ungodly spirit; but they are not therefore to be attributed to the curse which rested upon the family. They have their roots rather in the mental powers with which man was endowed for the sovereignty and subjugation of the earth, but which, like all the other powers and tendencies of his nature, were pervaded by sin, and desecrated in its service. Hence these inventions have become the common property of humanity, because they not only may promote its intended development, but are to be applied and consecrated to this purpose for the glory of God.
The character of the ungodly family of Cainites was now fully developed in Lamech and his children. The history, therefore, turns from them, to indicate briefly the origin of the godly race. After Abel's death a third son was born to Adam, to whom his mother gave the name of Seth ( שׁת , from שׁית , a present participle, the appointed one, the compensation); “ for ,” she said, “ God hath appointed me another seed (descendant) for Abel, because Cain slew him .” The words “because Cain slew him” are not to be regarded as an explanatory supplement, but as the words of Eve; and כּי by virtue of the previous תּחת is to be understood in the sense of כּי תּחת . What Cain ( human wickedness) took from her, that has Elohim ( divine omnipotence) restored. Because of this antithesis she calls the giver Elohim instead of Jehovah , and not because her hopes had been sadly depressed by her painful experience in connection with the first-born.
Genesis 4:26
“ To Seth, to him also ( הוּא גּם , intensive, vid., Ges. §121, 3) there was born a son, and he called his name Enosh .” אנושׁ , from אנשׁ to be weak, faint, frail, designates man from his frail and mortal condition (Psalms 8:4; Psalms 90:3; Psalms 103:15, etc.). In this name, therefore, the feeling and knowledge of human weakness and frailty were expressed (the opposite of the pride and arrogance displayed by the Canaanitish family); and this feeling led to God, to that invocation of the name of Jehovah which commenced under Enos. יהוה בּשׁם קרא , literally to call in (or by) the name of Jehovah , is used for a solemn calling of the name of God. When applied to men, it denotes invocation (here and Genesis 12:8; Genesis 13:4, etc.); to God, calling out or proclaiming His name (Exodus 33:19; Exodus 34:5). The name of God signifies in general “the whole nature of God, by which He attests His personal presence in the relation into which He has entered with man, the divine self-manifestation, or the whole of that revealed side of the divine nature, which is turned towards man” ( Oehler ). We have here an account of the commencement of that worship of God which consists in prayer, praise, and thanksgiving, or in the acknowledgment and celebration of the mercy and help of Jehovah . While the family of Cainites, by the erection of a city, and the invention and development of worldly arts and business, were laying the foundation for the kingdom of this world; the family of the Sethites began, by united invocation of the name of God of grace, to found and to erect the kingdom of God.