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Genesis · Catholic Public Domain Version

Genesis 4 Catholic Public Domain Version

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  • Catholic
  • OT: Latin Vulgate
  • NT: Latin Vulgate
  • Catholic (73 books)
  • Formal (word for word)
  • 2009
  • Public domain

Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings

Notes on this text (3)

1 Truly, Adam knew his wife Eve, who conceived and gave birth to Cain, saying, “I have obtained a man through God.” 2 And again she gave birth to his brother Abel. But Abel was a pastor of sheep, and Cain was a farmer. 3 Then it happened, after many days, that Cain offered gifts to the Lord, from the fruits of the earth. 4 Abel likewise offered from the firstborn of his flock, and from their fat. And the Lord looked with favor on Abel and his gifts. 5 Yet in truth, he did not look with favor on Cain and his gifts. And Cain was vehemently angry, and his countenance fell. 6 And the Lord said to him: “Why are you angry? And why is your face fallen? 7 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.” 8 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. 9 And the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” And he responded: “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” 10 And he said to him: “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to me from the land. 11 Now, therefore, you will be cursed upon the land, which opened its mouth and received the blood of your brother at your hand. 12 When you work it, it will not give you its fruit; a vagrant and a fugitive shall you be upon the land.” 13 And Cain said to the Lord: “My iniquity is too great to deserve kindness. 14 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.” 15 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. 16 And so Cain, departing from the face of the Lord, lived as a fugitive on the earth, toward the eastern region of Eden. 17 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. 18 Thereafter, Enoch conceived Irad, and Irad conceived Mahujael, and Mahujael conceived Mathusael, and Mathusael conceived Lamech. 19 Lamech took two wives: the name of one was Adah, and the name of the other was Zillah. 20 And Adah conceived Jabel, who was the father of those who live in tents and are shepherds. 21 And the name of his brother was Jubal; he was the father of those who sing to the harp and the organ. 22 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. 23 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. 24 Sevenfold vengeance will be given for Cain, but for Lamech, seventy-seven times.” 25 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.” 26 But to Seth also was born a son, whom he called Enos. This one began to invoke the name of the Lord.

People & places in this chapter

From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.

People

  • Abel

    The righteous shepherd

    A shepherd whose faithful offering pleased God, murdered by his own brother.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 4; Hebrews 11:4

  • Adah

    Wife of Lamech

    One of Lamech's two wives, who gave birth to Jabal and was addressed with Zillah in Lamech's boast.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 4:19; Genesis 4:20; Genesis 4:23

  • Adam

    The first man

    Formed from the dust by God's own hand, the father of all who live.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 1–5

  • Cain

    The firstborn son

    The firstborn of humanity, whose jealousy led to the first murder.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 4

  • Enoch

    Cain's firstborn son

    Cain's son, after whom Cain named the first city recorded in Scripture.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 4:17-18

  • Enosh

    Son of Seth

    In his days people first began to call on the name of the LORD.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 4:26; 5:6–11

  • Eve

    First woman, first mother

    The first woman, formed from Adam and named "the mother of all living."

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 2-4

  • Irad

    Descendant of Cain

    Son of Enoch and grandson of Cain, listed in Cain's genealogy.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 4:18

  • Jubal

    Father of musicians

    Son of Lamech, called the father of all who play the harp and flute.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 4:21

  • Lamech

    Warrior who boasted

    Descendant of Cain who took two wives and boasted of avenging himself with violence.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 4:18-24

  • Naamah

    Sister of Tubal-cain

    Named in Lamech's family as the sister of Tubal-cain.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 4:22

  • Seth

    The appointed son

    The son granted in Abel's place, through whom the godly line continued.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 4:25–5:8

  • Zillah

    Wife of Lamech

    One of Lamech's two wives, who gave birth to Tubal-cain and was addressed with Adah in Lamech's boast.

    Cited in the guide: Genesis 4:19; Genesis 4:22; Genesis 4:23

Cross references (26)

Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.

  1. 1 1 John 3:12; Genesis 3:15; Genesis 4:25
  2. 2 1 John 3:12; 1 John 3:15; Luke 11:51; John 8:44; 1 John 3:10
  3. 3 Numbers 18:12; Leviticus 2:1–11
  4. 4 Hebrews 11:4; Proverbs 3:9; Exodus 13:12; Numbers 18:17; 1 Peter 1:19–20
  5. 5 Hebrews 11:4; Job 5:2; Isaiah 3:10–11; Luke 15:28–30; Matthew 20:15
  6. 6 Isaiah 1:18; Job 5:2; Luke 15:31–32; Jeremiah 2:31; Matthew 20:15
  7. 7 James 1:15; Romans 2:6–10; Isaiah 3:10–11; Romans 6:16; Hebrews 11:4
  8. 8 Matthew 23:35; 1 John 3:12–15; Jude 11; Proverbs 26:24–26; Luke 11:51
  9. 9 Proverbs 28:13; John 8:44; Psalm 9:12; Psalm 10:13–14; Genesis 37:32
  10. 10 Hebrews 12:24; Psalm 72:14; Hebrews 11:4; Isaiah 5:7; James 5:4
  11. 11 Galatians 3:10; Job 16:18; Genesis 3:14; Deuteronomy 28:15–20; Job 31:38–40
  12. 12 Hosea 9:17; Leviticus 26:20; Leviticus 26:36; Deuteronomy 28:23–24; Psalm 109:10
  13. 13 Job 15:22; Revelation 16:9
  14. 14 Numbers 35:19; Psalm 143:7; Job 15:20–24; Proverbs 28:1; Deuteronomy 28:65
  15. 15 Ezekiel 9:4; Psalm 79:12; Genesis 4:24; Ezekiel 9:6; Revelation 14:11
  16. 16 Job 2:7; Genesis 4:14; 2 Kings 13:23; Jeremiah 23:39; Genesis 3:8
  17. 17 Daniel 4:30; Ecclesiastes 2:4–11; Psalm 49:11; Genesis 5:18; Luke 17:28–29
  18. 18 Genesis 36:2; Genesis 5:21
  19. 19 Genesis 2:24; Genesis 2:18; Matthew 19:4–6; Matthew 19:8
  20. 20 Genesis 25:27; Romans 4:11–12; John 8:44; Jeremiah 35:9–10; 1 Chronicles 2:50–52
  21. 21 Amos 6:5; Job 21:12; Romans 4:11–12; Isaiah 5:12; Genesis 31:27
  22. 22 Deuteronomy 33:25; 2 Chronicles 2:7; Numbers 31:22; Deuteronomy 8:9; Exodus 25:3
  23. 23 Numbers 23:18; Leviticus 19:18; Exodus 20:13; Judges 9:7
  24. 24 Matthew 18:22; Genesis 4:15
  25. 25 Genesis 4:8; Luke 3:38; Genesis 5:3–4; Genesis 4:10–11; 1 Chronicles 1:1
  26. 26 Psalm 116:17; 1 Kings 18:24; Joel 2:32; Zephaniah 3:9; Luke 3:38

Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences

What the Fathers said

Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).

How these were chosen

“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).

  1. Quotes verse 4:3–8 Clement of Rome, First Epistle to the Corinthians (Chapters I–VI)

    And it came to pass, while they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him." Ye see, brethren, how envy and jealousy led to the murder of a brother.

    Read in context · Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1 (1885)

  2. Quotes verse 4:7 Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies (Book IV, Chapter XVIII)

    … is without blame, and worketh no evil --that God who reveals what is hidden [in the heart], but who worketh not evil--when Cain was by no means at rest, He saith to him: "To thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him." Thus did He in like manner speak to Pilate: "Thou shouldest have no power at …

    Read in context · Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1 (1885)

  3. Quotes verse 4:17 Augustine of Hippo, The City of God (Book XV, Chapters 8–9)

    Therefore, although it is written, "And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bare Enoch, and he builded a city and called the name of the city after the name of his son Enoch," it does not follow that we are to believe this to have been his first-born; for we cannot suppose that this is proved by the …

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 2 (1887)

  4. Quotes verse 4:24 John Chrysostom, Homilies on the Gospel of Matthew (Homily LXXIV)

    Heardest thou not Lamech saying, "Of Lamech vengeance shall be taken seventy times sevenfold;" that is, "I am deserving of more punishment than Cain." Why could this be?

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)

  5. Quotes verse 4:26 Gregory of Nazianzus, Theological Orations (The Second Theological Oration)

    Thus Enos "hoped to call upon the Name of the Lord." Hope was that for which he is commended; and that, not that he should know God, but that he should call upon him.

    Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)