Genesis 4:1-7

1 Forsooth Adam knew Eve his wife, which conceived, and childed Cain, and said, I have gotten a man by God. (And Adam knew his wife Eve, who conceived, and bare Cain, and she said, Now, with the Lord's help, I have begotten a man.)

2 And again she childed his brother Abel. Forsooth Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain was an earth-tiller. (And then she bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a shepherd, and Cain was a farmer, who worked the soil.)

3 Soothly it was done after many days, that Cain offered gifts to the Lord of the fruits of the earth ;

4 and Abel offered of the first engendered of his flock, and of the fatness of those. And the Lord beheld to Abel and to the gifts of him;

5 soothly he beheld not to Cain and to his gifts. And Cain was wroth greatly, and his cheer felled down (And Cain was greatly angered, and his face fell).

6 And the Lord said to him, Why art thou wroth, and why felled down thy face?

7 Whether not if thou shalt do well, thou shalt receive well; but if thou doest evil, thy sin shall be present anon in the gates? but the desire thereof, that is, of sin, shall be under thee, and thou shalt be lord thereof. (If thou shalt do well, then thou shalt be accepted; but if thou doest evil, then at once thy sin shall be present at the gates, and the desire of sin shall take thee under, and so thou must be lord of it, or rule over it.)

Genesis 4:1-7 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.