Genesis 4 Geneva Bible (1599)
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Original 16th-century spelling.
1 Afterward the man knew Heuah his wife, which conceiued and bare Kain, and said, I haue obteined a man by the Lord.
1 The man knew Eve his wife. She conceived, and gave birth to Cain, and said, “I have gotten a man with Yahweh’s help.”
2 And againe she brought foorth his brother Habel, and Habel was a keeper of sheepe, and Kain was a tiller of the ground.
2 Again she gave birth, to Cain’s brother Abel. Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
3 And in processe of time it came to passe, that Kain brought an oblation vnto the Lord of the fruite of the ground.
3 As time passed, Cain brought an offering to Yahweh from the fruit of the ground.
4 And Habel also him selfe brought of the first fruites of his sheepe, and of the fat of them, and the Lord had respect vnto Habel, and to his offering,
4 Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and of its fat. Yahweh respected Abel and his offering,
5 But vnto Kain and to his offering he had no regarde: wherefore Kain was exceeding wroth, and his countenance fell downe.
5 but he didn’t respect Cain and his offering. Cain was very angry, and the expression on his face fell.
6 Then ye Lord said vnto Kain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance cast downe?
6 Yahweh said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why has the expression of your face fallen?
7 If thou do well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sinne lieth at the doore: also vnto thee his desire shalbe subiect, and thou shalt rule ouer him.
7 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.”
8 Then Kain spake to Habel his brother. And when they were in the fielde, Kain rose vp against Habel his brother, and slewe him.
8 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.
9 Then the Lord said vnto Kain, Where is Habel thy brother? Who answered, I cannot tell. Am I my brothers keeper?
9 Yahweh said to Cain, “Where is Abel, your brother?” He said, “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”
10 Againe he said, What hast thou done? the voyce of thy brothers blood cryeth vnto me from the earth.
10 Yahweh said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries to me from the ground.
11 Now therefore thou art cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receiue thy brothers blood from thine hand.
11 Now you are cursed because of the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
12 When thou shalt till the grounde, it shall not henceforth yeelde vnto thee her strength: a vagabond and a runnagate shalt thou be in the earth.
12 From now on, when you till the ground, it won’t yield its strength to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”
13 Then Kain said to the Lord, My punishment is greater, then I can beare.
13 Cain said to Yahweh, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.
14 Behold, thou hast cast me out this day from the earth, and from thy face shall I be hid, and shalbe a vagabond, and a runnagate in the earth, and whosoeuer findeth me, shall slay me.
14 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 on the earth. Whoever finds me will kill me.”
15 Then the Lord said vnto him, Doubtlesse whosoeuer slayeth Kain, he shalbe punished seue folde. And the Lord set a marke vpon Kain, lest any man finding him should kill him.
15 Yahweh said to him, “Therefore whoever slays Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” Yahweh appointed a sign for Cain, so that anyone finding him would not strike him.
16 Then Kain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod towarde the Eastside of Eden.
16 Cain left Yahweh’s presence, and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
17 Kain also knewe his wife, which conceiued and bare Henoch: and he built a citie, and called the name of the citie by ye name of his sonne, Henoch.
17 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.
18 And to Henoch was borne Irad, and Irad begate Mehuiael, and Mehuiael begate Methushael, and Methushael begate Lamech.
18 Irad was born to Enoch. Irad became the father of Mehujael. Mehujael became the father of Methushael. Methushael became the father of Lamech.
19 And Lamech tooke him two wiues: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.
19 Lamech took two wives: the name of the first one was Adah, and the name of the second one was Zillah.
20 And Adah bare Iabal, who was the father of such as dwell in the tents, and of such as haue cattell.
20 Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.
21 And his brothers name was Iubal, who was the father of all that play on the harpe and organes.
21 His brother’s name was Jubal, who was the father of all who handle the harp and pipe.
22 And Zillah also bare Tubal-kain, who wrought cunningly euery craft of brasse and of yron: and the sister of Tubal-kain was Naamah.
22 Zillah also gave birth to Tubal Cain, the forger of every cutting instrument of bronze and iron. Tubal Cain’s sister was Naamah.
23 Then Lamech saide vnto his wiues Adah and Zillah, Heare my voyce, ye wiues of Lamech: hearken vnto my speach: for I would slay a man in my wound, and a yong man in mine hurt.
23 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.
24 If Kain shalbe auenged seuen folde, truely Lamech, seuentie times seuen folde.
24 If Cain will be avenged seven times, truly Lamech seventy-seven times.”
25 And Adam knewe his wife againe, and she bare a sonne, and she called his name Sheth: for God, saide she, hath appointed me another seede for Habel, because Kain slewe him.
25 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.”
26 And to ye same Sheth also there was borne a sonne, and he called his name Enosh. Then beganne men to call vpon the name of the Lord.
26 A son was also born to Seth, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on Yahweh’s name.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
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
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
Irad
Son of Enoch and grandson of Cain, listed in Cain's genealogy.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 4:18
Lamech
Descendant of Cain who took two wives and boasted of avenging himself with violence.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 4:18-24
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
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)