The First Book of Moses: Genesis

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- Chapter 4 -

(Hebrews 11:4)

Truly, Adam knew his wife Eve, who conceived and gave birth to Cain, saying, “I have obtained a man through God.”

And again she gave birth to his brother Abel. But Abel was a pastor of sheep, and Cain was a farmer.

Then it happened, after many days, that Cain offered gifts to the Lord, from the fruits of the earth.

Abel likewise offered from the firstborn of his flock, and from their fat. And the Lord looked with favor on Abel and his gifts.(a)

Yet in truth, he did not look with favor on Cain and his gifts. And Cain was vehemently angry, and his countenance fell.

And the Lord said to him: “Why are you angry? And why is your face fallen?

If you behave well, will you not receive? But if you behave badly, will not sin at once be present at the door? And so its desire will be within you, and you will be dominated by it.”(b)

And Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go outside.” And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and he put him to death.

And the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” And he responded: “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

And he said to him: “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to me from the land.

Now, therefore, you will be cursed upon the land, which opened its mouth and received the blood of your brother at your hand.

When you work it, it will not give you its fruit; a vagrant and a fugitive shall you be upon the land.”

And Cain said to the Lord: “My iniquity is too great to deserve kindness.

Behold, you have cast me out this day before the face of the earth, and from your face I will be hidden; and I will be a vagrant and a fugitive on the earth. Therefore, anyone who finds me will kill me.”(c)

And the Lord said to him: “By no means will it be so; rather, whoever would kill Cain, will be punished sevenfold.” And the Lord placed a seal upon Cain, so that anyone who found him would not put him to death.(d)

And so Cain, departing from the face of the Lord, lived as a fugitive on the earth, toward the eastern region of Eden.

The Descendants of Cain

Then Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. And he built a city, and he called its name by the name of his son, Enoch.(e)

(f)

Thereafter, Enoch conceived Irad, and Irad conceived Mahujael, and Mahujael conceived Mathusael, and Mathusael conceived Lamech.

Lamech took two wives: the name of one was Adah, and the name of the other was Zillah.

And Adah conceived Jabel, who was the father of those who live in tents and are shepherds.(g)

And the name of his brother was Jubal; he was the father of those who sing to the harp and the organ.(h)

Zillah also conceived Tubalcain, who was a hammerer and artisan in every work of brass and iron. In fact, the sister of Tubalcain was Noema.

And Lamech said to his wives Adah and Zillah: “Listen to my voice, you wives of Lamech, pay attention to my speech. For I have killed a man to my own harm, and an adolescent to my own bruising.(i)

Sevenfold vengeance will be given for Cain, but for Lamech, seventy-seven times.”(j)

Seth and Enosh

Adam also knew his wife again, and she gave birth to a son, and she called his name Seth, saying, “God has given me another offspring, in place of Abel, whom Cain killed.”

But to Seth also was born a son, whom he called Enos. This one began to invoke the name of the Lord.(k)

Footnotes

(a)4:4 Had respect:That is, showed his acceptance of his sacrifice (as coming from a heart full of devotion): and that, as we may suppose, by some visible token, such as sending fire from heaven upon his offerings.(Challoner)

(b)4:7 The word ‘dominaberis’ is future passive tense, but the Challoner revision translates it as if it were future active. The context makes it clear that Cain is in danger of being dominated by sin, not the other way around.(Conte)

(c)4:14 Every one that finds me shall kill me:His guilty conscience made him fear his own brothers and nephews; of whom, by this time, there might be a good number upon the earth; which had now endured near 130 years; as may be gathered from Gen. 5:3, compared with chap. 4.25, though in the compendious account given in the scriptures, only Cain and Abel are mentioned.(Challoner)

(d)4:15 Set a mark, etc:The more common opinion of the interpreters of holy writ supposes this mark to have been a trembling of the body; or a horror and consternation in his countenance.(Challoner)

(e)4:17 His wife:She was a daughter of Adam, and Cain’s own sister; God dispensing with such marriages in the beginning of the world, as mankind could not otherwise be propagated.(Challoner)

(f)4:17 He built a city:In process of time, when his race was multiplied, so as to be numerous enough to people it. For in the many hundred years he lived, his race might be multiplied even to millions.(Challoner)

(g)4:20 The word ‘atque’ implies that these persons both lived in tents and were shepherds.(Conte)

(h)4:21 The words ‘cithara et organo’ are dative, not accusative; so the translation is ‘sing to harp and organ,’ not ‘play the harp and organ.’(Conte)

(i)4:23 I have slain a man, etc:It is the tradition of the Hebrews, that Lamech in hunting slew Cain, mistaking him for a wild beast; and that having discovered what he had done, he beat so unmercifully the youth, by whom he was led into that mistake, that he died of the blows.(Challoner)

(j)4:24 The phrase ‘septuagies septies’ can mean ‘seventy-seven times,’ (77) or ‘seventy times seven times’ (490). There are 77 generations from Adam to Jesus Christ.(Conte)

(k)4:26 Began to call upon, etc:Not that Adam and Seth had not called upon God, before the birth of Enos; but that Enos used more solemnity in the worship and invocation of God.(Challoner)

(Hebrews 11:4)

The man knew

(a)

Eve his wife. She conceived,(b) and gave birth to Cain, and said, “I have gotten a man with the LORD’s help.”

Again she gave birth, to Cain’s brother Abel. Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

As time passed, Cain brought an offering to the LORD from the fruit of the ground.

Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and of its fat. The LORD respected Abel and his offering,

but he didn’t respect Cain and his offering. Cain was very angry, and the expression on his face fell.

The LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why has the expression of your face fallen?

If you do well, won’t it 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.”

Cain said to Abel, his brother, “Let’s go into the field.” While they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him.

The LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel, your brother?” He said, “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

The LORD said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries to me from the ground.

Now you are cursed because of the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.

From now on, when you till the ground, it won’t yield its strength to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth.”

Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.

Behold, you have driven me out today 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. Whoever finds me will kill me.”

The LORD said to him, “Therefore whoever slays Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” The LORD appointed a sign for Cain, so that anyone finding him would not strike him.

Cain left the LORD’s presence, and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

The Descendants of Cain

Cain knew his wife. She conceived, and gave birth to Enoch. He built a city, and named the city after the name of his son, Enoch.

Irad was born to Enoch. Irad became the father of Mehujael. Mehujael became the father of Methushael. Methushael became the father of Lamech.

Lamech took two wives: the name of the first one was Adah, and the name of the second one was Zillah.

Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.

His brother’s name was Jubal, who was the father of all who handle the harp and pipe.

Zillah also gave birth to Tubal Cain, the forger of every cutting instrument of bronze and iron. Tubal Cain’s sister was Naamah.

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.

If Cain will be avenged seven times, truly Lamech seventy-seven times.”

Seth and Enosh

Adam knew his wife again. She gave birth to a son, and named him Seth, saying, “for God has given me another child instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.”

A son was also born to Seth, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on the LORD’s name.

Footnotes

(a)4:1 or, lay with, or, had relations with

(b)4:1 or, became pregnant