1 And Man knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bore Cain, and said, I have acquired a man with Jehovah. 2 And she further bore his brother Abel. And Abel was a shepherd, but Cain was a husbandman. 3 And in process of time it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering to Jehovah. 4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of their fat. And Jehovah looked upon Abel, and on his offering; 5 and upon Cain, and on his offering, he did not look. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. 6 And Jehovah said to Cain, Why art thou angry, and why is thy countenance fallen? 7 If thou doest well, will not [thy countenance] look up [with confidence]? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door; and unto thee [shall be] his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. 8 And Cain spoke to Abel his brother, and it came to pass when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. 9 And Jehovah said to Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: am I my brother's keeper? 10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood is crying to me from the ground. 11 And now be thou cursed from the ground, which hath opened its mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand. 12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield thee its strength; a wanderer and fugitive shalt thou be on the earth. 13 And Cain said to Jehovah, My punishment is too great to be borne. 14 Behold, thou hast driven me this day from the face of the ground, and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a wanderer and fugitive on the earth; and it will come to pass, [that] every one who finds me will slay me. 15 And Jehovah said to him, Therefore, whoever slayeth Cain, it shall be revenged sevenfold. And Jehovah set a mark on Cain, lest any finding him should smite him. 16 And Cain went out from the presence of Jehovah, and dwelt in the land of Nod, toward the east of Eden. 17 And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bore Enoch. And he built a city; and he called the name of the city after the name of his son Enoch. 18 And to Enoch was born Irad; and Irad begot Mehujael; and Mehujael begot Methushael; and Methushael begot Lemech. 19 And Lemech took two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the second, Zillah. 20 And Adah bore Jabal: he was the father of those who dwell in tents, and [breed] cattle. 21 And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of those who handle the harp and pipe. 22 And Zillah, she also bore Tubal-Cain, the forger of every kind of tool of brass and iron. And the sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah. 23 And Lemech said to his wives: Adah and Zillah, hear my voice, Ye wives of Lemech, listen to my speech. For I have slain a man for my wound, and a youth for my bruise. 24 If Cain shall be avenged seven-fold; Lemech seventy and seven fold. 25 And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son, and called his name Seth: ...For God has appointed me another seed instead of Abel, because Cain has slain him. 26 And to Seth, to him also was born a son; and he called his name Enosh. Then people began to call on the name of Jehovah.
Genesis 4 Darby Translation
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Abel
A shepherd whose faithful offering pleased God, murdered by his own brother.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 4; Hebrews 11:4
Adah
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
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 of humanity, whose jealousy led to the first murder.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 4
Enoch
Cain's son, after whom Cain named the first city recorded in Scripture.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 4:17-18
Enosh
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
The first woman, formed from Adam and named "the mother of all living."
Cited in the guide: Genesis 2-4
Irad
Son of Enoch and grandson of Cain, listed in Cain's genealogy.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 4:18
Jabal
Son of Lamech, called the father of those who live in tents and raise livestock.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 4:20
Jubal
Son of Lamech, called the father of all who play the harp and flute.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 4:21
Mehujael
Son of Irad in the line of Cain, named only in the genealogy.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 4:18
Methushael
Son of Mehujael and father of Lamech in the line of Cain.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 4:18
Naamah
Named in Lamech's family as the sister of Tubal-cain.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 4:22
Seth
The son granted in Abel's place, through whom the godly line continued.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 4:25–5:8
Zillah
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 John 3:12; Genesis 3:15; Genesis 4:25
- 2 1 John 3:12; 1 John 3:15; Luke 11:51; John 8:44; 1 John 3:10
- 3 Numbers 18:12; Leviticus 2:1–11
- 4 Hebrews 11:4; Proverbs 3:9; Exodus 13:12; Numbers 18:17; 1 Peter 1:19–20
- 5 Hebrews 11:4; Job 5:2; Isaiah 3:10–11; Luke 15:28–30; Matthew 20:15
- 6 Isaiah 1:18; Job 5:2; Luke 15:31–32; Jeremiah 2:31; Matthew 20:15
- 7 James 1:15; Romans 2:6–10; Isaiah 3:10–11; Romans 6:16; Hebrews 11:4
- 8 Matthew 23:35; 1 John 3:12–15; Jude 11; Proverbs 26:24–26; Luke 11:51
- 9 Proverbs 28:13; John 8:44; Psalm 9:12; Psalm 10:13–14; Genesis 37:32
- 10 Hebrews 12:24; Psalm 72:14; Hebrews 11:4; Isaiah 5:7; James 5:4
- 11 Galatians 3:10; Job 16:18; Genesis 3:14; Deuteronomy 28:15–20; Job 31:38–40
- 12 Hosea 9:17; Leviticus 26:20; Leviticus 26:36; Deuteronomy 28:23–24; Psalm 109:10
- 13 Job 15:22; Revelation 16:9
- 14 Numbers 35:19; Psalm 143:7; Job 15:20–24; Proverbs 28:1; Deuteronomy 28:65
- 15 Ezekiel 9:4; Psalm 79:12; Genesis 4:24; Ezekiel 9:6; Revelation 14:11
- 16 Job 2:7; Genesis 4:14; 2 Kings 13:23; Jeremiah 23:39; Genesis 3:8
- 17 Daniel 4:30; Ecclesiastes 2:4–11; Psalm 49:11; Genesis 5:18; Luke 17:28–29
- 18 Genesis 36:2; Genesis 5:21
- 19 Genesis 2:24; Genesis 2:18; Matthew 19:4–6; Matthew 19:8
- 20 Genesis 25:27; Romans 4:11–12; John 8:44; Jeremiah 35:9–10; 1 Chronicles 2:50–52
- 21 Amos 6:5; Job 21:12; Romans 4:11–12; Isaiah 5:12; Genesis 31:27
- 22 Deuteronomy 33:25; 2 Chronicles 2:7; Numbers 31:22; Deuteronomy 8:9; Exodus 25:3
- 23 Numbers 23:18; Leviticus 19:18; Exodus 20:13; Judges 9:7
- 24 Matthew 18:22; Genesis 4:15
- 25 Genesis 4:8; Luke 3:38; Genesis 5:3–4; Genesis 4:10–11; 1 Chronicles 1:1
- 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).
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.
… 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 …
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)
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)
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)