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14 | Genesis 4:1
Cain and Abel

4

Adam a made love to his wife Eve , and she became preg nant and gave birth to Cain . b She said , “ With the help of the Lord I have brought forth c a man .” 2 Lat er she gave birth to his brother Abel .
Now Abel kept flocks , and Cain worked the soil . 3 In the course of time Cain brought some of the fruits of the soil as an of fer ing to the Lord .
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And Abel also brought an of fer ing — ​fat por tions from some of the first born of his flock . The Lord looked with fa vor on Abel and his of fer ing , 5 but on Cain and his of fer ing he did not look with fa vor . So Cain was very an gry , and his face was down cast .
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Then the Lord said to Cain , “ Why are you angry ? Why is your face down cast ? 7 If you do what is right , will you not be ac cept ed ? But if you do not do what is right , sin is crouch ing at your door ; it de sires to have you , but you must rule over it .”
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Now Cain said to his broth er Abel , “ Let ’ s go out to the field .” d While they were in the field , Cain at tacked his broth er Abel and killed him .
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Then the Lord said to Cain , “ Where is your broth er Abel ?”
“ I don ’ t know ,” he re plied . “ Am I my broth er ’ s keep er ?”
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The Lord said , “ What have you done ? Listen ! Your broth er ’ s blood cries out to me from the ground . 11 Now you are un der a curse and driv en from the ground , which opened its mouth to receive your broth er ’ s blood from your hand . 12 When you work the ground , it will no lon ger yield its crops for you . You will be a rest less wan der er on the earth .”
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Cain said to the Lord , “ My pun ish ment is a
1 Or The man b
1 Cain sounds like the Hebrew for brought forth or acquired . c
1 Or have acquired d
8 Samaritan Pentateuch , Septuagint , Vulgate and Syriac ; Masoretic Text does not have “ Let ’ s go out to the field .” refers to a divine throne guardian . These guardians are often depicted in sculptures as sphinx-like — ​having the body of a lion and the head of a man . They are commonly depicted as guarding the throne of a deity . This fits the context , as the cherubim are placed as guardians of Eden , God ’ s dwelling place ( see note on 2:8 ). flaming sword flashing back and forth This phrase occurs only here in the OT . Fire is a very common motif for the presence of Yahweh — ​as demonstrated by the descriptions of Yahweh on Sinai ( Ex 19:18 ; 24:17 ; Dt 4:11 ; 5:4 – 5 ) and the fiery throne of Eze 1 ( which also includes cherubim ; compare Da 7:9 ).
4:1 – 26 Genesis 4 introduces the theme of conflict between brothers . This theme will return in the story of Jacob and Esau ( 25:19 – 34 ; 27:1 – 45 ) and again with Joseph and his brothers ( 37:1 – 35 ). In each story an older brother is passed over in favor of the younger . The narrative illustrates the deepening effects of sin in the world .
4:1 Cain The meaning of this name is disputed . It likely relates to smithing or metalworking , as in the name Tubal- Cain , forefather of metalworkers ( see v . 22 ). the Lord The Hebrew here uses the divine name yhwh ( Yahweh ). See the table “ Names of God in the Old Testament ” on p . 917 . 4:2 Later she gave birth to his brother The text subtly indicates that this story is really about Cain . Instead of stating that Eve bore Abel , the narrator says Eve bore Cain ’ s brother . Abel Abel ’ s name in Hebrew , hevel , means “ breath .” Since the chapter does not tie the name to Abel ’ s early death , it may refer generally to brevity of life . Alternatively , the name hevel could refer to Abel ’ s occupation , as the related Syriac word habla means “ herdsman .” 4:3 some of the fruits of the soil as an offering The Hebrew word order here may hint that Cain brought whatever was close at hand while Abel brought the best of what he had ( v . 4 ). Cain ’ s offering could also be of poor quality , but there is no direct statement about this in the text . 4:4 firstborn of his flock Abel ’ s offering seems to demonstrate great care and attention to his relationship with Yahweh . He offers exactly what later texts indicate Yahweh requests of his people ( Ex 13:12 ; Nu 18:17 ). By offering the firstborn and best portions , Abel makes the greater sacrifice and reflects a righ teous attitude ( Pr 3:9 ). 4:5 he did not look with favor Later laws in Leviticus ask for both animal and plant offerings , so it is highly unlikely that Abel ’ s offering was more highly regarded because it was an animal sacrifice ( e . g ., Lev 2 ). Rather , Yahweh ’ s favor of Abel ’ s offering may have been related to something about both Cain and Abel as people — ​such as their intentions . Cain could have been insincere in his devotion to Yahweh , whereas Abel was not ( compare Heb 11:4 ). Compare note on Ge 4:3 . 4:7 is crouching The Hebrew verb used here , ravats , normally indicates lying down , as in resting ( 29:2 ; Isa 11:6 ); it can also refer to lying in wait like a predator does when waiting for prey ( Ge 49:9 ). The Hebrew word ravats is also associated with the Akkadian word rabitsu , which in Mesopotamian religion is used in reference to demons that were believed to guard entrances to buildings . Thus , it is possible that sin is being personified here as a demonic force , waiting to pounce on Cain . This fits with the curse of the serpent who God says will strike at the heel of people ( 3:15 ). it desires to have you The Hebrew word used here , teshuqah , also occurs in 3:16 in relation to Eve ’ s desire for her husband . Both here and in the curse of 3:16 , the context is negative : The desire represents something to be resisted , as it is connected to sin . 4:8 Cain said to his brother Abel The traditional Hebrew text ( the Masoretic Text ) does not include what Cain says before he murders Abel . This omission may come from a scribal error in the transmission of the text . Another Hebrew text , the Septuagint ( the ancient Greek translation of the OT ) and later translations into Syriac preserve a brief statement : “ Let ’ s go out to the field .” 4:9 I don ’ t know When God confronted Adam and Eve with their sin , they readily confessed ( 3:11 – 13 ). Here , Cain lies to God outright , denying any knowledge of his brother ’ s whereabouts . my brother ’ s keeper Cain not only denies knowing anything about Abel ’ s fate but also defiantly objects to the implication that he should be responsible for his brother in any way . 4:11 under a curse and driven from the ground Because Cain spilled Abel ’ s blood on the ground , Yahweh makes Cain ’ s efforts as a farmer futile ( compare v . 14 ). 4:13 punishment The Hebrew word used here , awon ,