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New Testament
Genesis 4
The First Children: Cain and Abel
41The man was intimate with Eve, his wife. She conceived and gave birth to Cain. She said, “I have gotten a man with the Lord.”[] 2She also gave birth to Cain's brother Abel.
Abel tended sheep, but Cain worked the ground. 3As time passed, one day Cain brought an offering to the Lord from the fruit of the soil. 4Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions. The Lord looked favorably on Abel and his offering, 5but he did not look favorably on Cain and his offering. Cain was very angry, and his face showed it.
6The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why do you have that angry look on your face?[] 7If you do good, will you not be lifted up? If you do not do good, sin is crouching at the door. It has a strong desire for you, but you must rule over it.”
8Cain said to Abel, his brother, “Let's go into the field.”[] When they were in the field, Cain attacked Abel, his brother, and killed him.
9The Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel, your brother?”
He said, “I don't know. Am I my brother's keeper?”
10The Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the soil. 11Now you are cursed and sent away from the soil[] which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 12When you work the soil, it will no longer give its strength to you. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”
13Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is too great for me to bear. 14Look, today you have driven me away from the soil. I will be hidden from your face, and I will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth. And whoever finds me will kill me.”
15The Lord said to him, “No![] If anyone kills Cain, he will face sevenfold revenge.” And the Lord appointed a sign for Cain,[] so that anyone who found him would not strike him down.
The Descendants of Cain
17Cain was intimate with his wife. She conceived and gave birth to Enoch. Cain built a city and named the city after his son Enoch. 18To Enoch, Irad was born. Irad became the father of Mehujael. Mehujael became the father of Methushael. Methushael became the father of Lamech.
19Lamech took two wives. The name of one was Adah, and the name of the other was Zillah. 20Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the predecessor[] of those who dwell in tents and have livestock. 21His brother's name was Jubal, who was the predecessor of all who play the lyre and flute. 22Zillah also gave birth to Tubal Cain, who made all kinds of tools and weapons from bronze and iron. Tubal Cain's sister was Na'amah.
23Lamech said to his wives:
Adah and Zillah, hear my voice.
You wives of Lamech, listen to my speech.
Look, I have killed a man for wounding me,
a young man for bruising me.
24If Cain will be avenged seven times,
then Lamech will be avenged seventy-seven times.
The Family Line of Seth
Footnotes
- 4:1 Or, following Martin Luther's translation, I have gotten a man, the Lord. Luther understood this comment as a statement of faith by Eve that the promise of Genesis 3:15 was already being fulfilled with Cain's birth. The Jerusalem Targum seems to support this interpretation with the reading I have acquired a man, the Angel of the Lord. The Hebrew verb qayin means get or acquire and is similar in sound to Cain's name.
- 4:6 Literally why has your face fallen
- 4:8 The words let's go into the field, which are missing from the Hebrew text, are supplied from the ancient versions.
- 4:11 Here and in verse 14 the Hebrew wordadamah, which can be translated ground or land, refers to the soil that Cain worked.
- 4:15 The translation no is supported by the ancient versions. The Hebrew reads very well then.
- 4:15 Or placed a mark on
- 4:16 Nod means wandering.
- 4:20 Literally father, that is, the founder of this way of life
- 4:25 Seth sounds like the Hebrew word for set or place.
- 4:26 call on This is the beginning of public worship and evangelism.