Genesis 4:1-6

Cain and Abel

1 Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain. And she said, "I have given birth to a man with [the help of] Yahweh."

2 {Then she bore} his brother Abel. And Abel became a keeper of sheep, and Cain became a tiller of the ground.

3 And {in the course of time} Cain brought an offering from the fruit of the ground to Yahweh,

4 and Abel also brought [an offering] from {the choicest firstlings of his flock}. And Yahweh looked with favor to Abel and to his offering,

5 but to Cain and to his offering he did not look with favor. And Cain became very angry, and his face fell.

6 And Yahweh said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why is your face fallen?

Genesis 4:1-6 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO GENESIS 4

In this chapter an account is given of the two eldest children of Adam and Eve, their names and calling, Ge 4:1,2 and of their different offerings to the Lord, and the different respect had unto them by him, which in Cain issued in wrath and envy, which appeared in his countenance, and were taken notice of by the Lord, and about which he reasoned with him, Ge 4:3-7 but it had no effect upon him, he murdered his brother, upon which he was examined about him, but denied he knew anything of him where he was, Ge 4:8,9 he is arraigned, convicted and condemned, sentence passed upon him, and that executed, which he complains of, and is mitigated, or however a protection is granted him, and a mark set on him for his security, Ge 4:10-15 after which we have an account of his posterity for several generations, their names, and the business of some of them, Ge 4:16-24 and the chapter is closed with the birth of another son, and of a grandson to Adam and Eve, in whose days was the beginning of social religion.

Footnotes

• [a]. Or "had intercourse with"
• [b]. Literally "And she added to bear"
• [c]. Literally "it came to pass at the end of days"
• [d]. Literally "from the firstlings of his flock and from their fat"