1 Ἀδὰμ δὲ ἔγνω Εὔαν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ, καὶ συλλαβοῦσα ἔτεκε τὸν Κάϊν· καὶ εἶπεν, ἐκτησάμην ἄνθρωπον διὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ. 2 Καὶ προσέθηκε τεκεῖν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν Ἄβελ· καὶ ἐγένετο Ἄβελ ποιμὴν προβάτων, Κάϊν δὲ ἦν ἐργαζόμενος τὴν γῆν. 3 Καὶ ἐγένετο μεθʼ ἡμέρας ἤνεγκε Κάϊν ἀπὸ τῶν καρπῶν τῆς γῆς θυσίαν τῷ Κυρίῳ· 4 Καὶ Ἄβελ ἤνεγκε καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπὸ τῶν πρωτοτόκων τῶν προβάτων αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν στεάτων αὐτῶν· καὶ ἐπεῖδεν ὁ Θεὸς ἐπὶ Ἄβελ, καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς δώροις αὐτοῦ. 5 Ἐπὶ δὲ Κάϊν, καὶ ἐπὶ ταῖς θυσίαις αὐτοῦ, οὐ προσέσχε· καὶ ἐλυπήθη Κάϊν λίαν, καὶ συνέπεσε τῷ προσώπῳ αὐτοῦ. 6 Καὶ εἶπε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τῷ Κάϊν, ἵνα τί περίλυπος ἐγένου, καὶ ἵνα τί συνέπεσε τὸ πρόσωπόν σου; 7 Οὐκ ἐὰν ὀρθῶς προσενέγκῃς, ὀρθῶς δὲ μὴ διέλῃς, ἥμαρτες; ἡσυχασον· πρός σὲ ἡ ἀποστροφὴ αὐτοῦ, καὶ σὺ ἄρξεις αὐτοῦ. 8 Καὶ εἶπεν Κάϊν πρὸς Ἄβελ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, διέλθωμεν εἰς τὸ πεδίον· καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ εἶναι αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ, ἀνέστη Κάϊν ἐπὶ Ἄβελ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἀπέκτεινεν αὐτόν. 9 Καὶ εἶπε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς πρὸς Κάϊν· ποῦ ἔστιν Ἄβελ ὁ ἀδελφός σου; καὶ εἶπεν, οὐ γινώσκω· μὴ φύλαξ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ μου εἰμὶ ἐγώ; 10 Καὶ εἶπε Κύριος, τί πεποίηκας; φωνὴ αἵματος τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου βοᾷ πρός με ἐκ τῆς γῆς. 11 Καὶ νῦν ἐπικατάρατος σὺ ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, ἣ ἔχανε τὸ στόμα αὐτῆς δέξασθαι τὸ αἷμα τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ σου ἐκ τῆς χειρός σου. 12 Ὅτε ἐργᾷ τὴν γῆν, καὶ οὐ προσθήσει τὴν ἰσχὺν αὐτῆς δοῦναί σοι· στένων καὶ τρέμων ἐσῃ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. 13 Καὶ εἶπε Κάϊν πρὸς Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν, μείζων ἡ αἰτία μου τοῦ ἀφεθῆναί με. 14 Εἰ ἐκβάλλεις με σήμερον ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου σου κρυβήσομαι, καὶ ἔσομαι στένων καὶ τρέμων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἔσται πᾶς ὁ εὑρίσκων με, ἀποκτενεῖ με. 15 Καὶ εἴπεν αὐτῷ Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς, οὐχ οὕτω· πᾶς ὁ ἀποκτείνας Κάϊν, ἑπτὰ ἐκδικούμενα παραλύσει. Καὶ ἔθετο Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς σημεῖον τῷ Κάϊν, τοῦ μὴ ἀνελεῖν αὐτὸν πάντα τὸν εὑρίσκοντα αὐτόν. 16 Ἐξῆλθεν δὲ Κάϊν ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ᾤκησεν ἐν γῇ Ναὶδ κατέναντι Ἐδέμ. 17 Καὶ ἔγνω Κάϊν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ· καὶ συλλαβοῦσα ἔτεκε τὸν Ἐνώχ. Καὶ ἦν οἰκοδομῶν πόλιν· καὶ ἐπῳνόμασε τὴν πόλιν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, Ἐνώχ. 18 Ἐγενήθη δὲ τῷ Ἐνὼχ Γαϊδάδ· καὶ Γαϊδὰδ ἐγέννησε τὸν Μαλελεὴλ· καὶ Μαλελεὴλ ἐγέννησε τὸν Μαθουσάλα· καὶ Μαθουσάλα ἐγέννησε τὸν Λάμεχ. 19 Καὶ ἔλαβεν ἑαυτῷ Λάμεχ δύο γυναῖκας· ὄνομα τῇ μιᾷ, Ἀδά· καὶ ὄνομα τῇ δευτέρᾳ, Σελλά. 20 Καὶ ἔτεκεν Ἀδὰ τὸν Ἰωβήλ· οὗτος ἦν πατὴρ οἰκούντων ἐν σκηναῖς κτηνοτρόφων. 21 Καὶ ὄνομα τῷ ἀδελφῷ αὐτοῦ, Ἰουβάλ· οὗτος ἦν ὁ καταδείξας ψαλτήριον καὶ κιθάραν. 22 Σελλὰ δὲ καὶ αὐτὴ ἔτεκε τὸν Θόβελ· καὶ ἦν σφυροκόπος χαλκεὺς χαλκοῦ καὶ σιδήρου. ἀδελφὴ δὲ Θόβελ, Νοεμά. 23 Εἶπε δὲ Λάμεχ ταῖς ἑαυτοῦ γυναιξίν, Ἀδὰ καὶ Σελλὰ, ἀκούσατέ μου τῆς φωνῆς, γυναῖκες Λάμεχ, ἐνωτίσασθέ μου τοὺς λόγους· ὅτι ἄνδρα ἀπέκτεινα εἰς τραῦμα ἐμοὶ, καὶ νεανίσκον εἰς μώλωπα ἐμοί. 24 Ὅτι ἑπτάκις ἐκδεδίκηται ἐκ Κάϊν· ἐκ δὲ Λάμεχ, ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά. 25 Ἔγνω δὲ Ἀδὰμ Εὔαν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ· καὶ συλλαβοῦσα ἔτεκεν υἱόν· καὶ ἐπωνόμασε τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ Σὴθ, λέγουσα, ἐξανέστησε γάρ μοι ὁ Θεὸς σπέρμα ἕτερον ἀντὶ Ἄβελ, ὃν ἀπέκτεινε Κάϊν. 26 Καὶ τῷ Σὴθ ἐγένετο υἱός· ἐπωνόμασε δὲ τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ, Ἑνώς· οὗτος ἤλπισεν ἐπικαλεῖσθαι τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ.
Genesis · Brenton's Greek Septuagint
Genesis 4 Brenton's Greek Septuagint
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Ezra and Nehemiah form one book (2 Esdras) in this edition; the reader shows them as Ezra 1–10 and Nehemiah 1–13.
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
Lamech
Descendant of Cain who took two wives and boasted of avenging himself with violence.
Cited in the guide: Genesis 4:18-24
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
Tubal-cain
Son of Lamech and Zillah, a forger of all tools of bronze and iron.
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)