The Bible — World English Bible
Genesis 4
In brief
Genesis 4 tells what happens after the fall: sin now touches the family. Cain and Abel each bring an offering, God looks favorably on Abel's and not on Cain's, and Cain becomes angry. God warns him that sin is crouching at his door, but Cain kills his brother. God confronts him, condemns him to wandering and yet protects him. The chapter then follows Cain's descendants, the beginnings of civilization and the violence of Lamech, and ends with the birth of Seth, through whom people begin again to call on the name of Yahweh.
The chapter in 4 parts
1The man knew Eve his wife. She conceived, and gave birth to Cain, and said, “I have gotten a man with Yahweh’s help.”
2Again she gave birth, to Cain’s brother Abel. Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
3As time passed, Cain brought an offering to Yahweh from the fruit of the ground.
4Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and of its fat. Yahweh respected Abel and his offering,
5but he didn’t respect Cain and his offering. Cain was very angry, and the expression on his face fell.
6Yahweh said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why has the expression of your face fallen?
7If 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.”
8Cain 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.
9Yahweh said to Cain, “Where is Abel, your brother?” He said, “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”
10Yahweh said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries to me from the ground.
11Now you are cursed because of the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
12From 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.”
13Cain said to Yahweh, “My punishment is greater than I can bear.
14Behold, 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.”
15Yahweh 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.
16Cain left Yahweh’s presence, and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
17Cain 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.
18Irad was born to Enoch. Irad became the father of Mehujael. Mehujael became the father of Methushael. Methushael became the father of Lamech.
19Lamech took two wives: the name of the first one was Adah, and the name of the second one was Zillah.
20Adah gave birth to Jabal, who was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.
21His brother’s name was Jubal, who was the father of all who handle the harp and pipe.
22Zillah also gave birth to Tubal Cain, the forger of every cutting instrument of bronze and iron. Tubal Cain’s sister was Naamah.
23Lamech 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.
24If Cain will be avenged seven times, truly Lamech seventy-seven times.”
25Adam 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.”
26A son was also born to Seth, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on Yahweh’s name.
Key verses
Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and of its fat. Yahweh 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 text says that Yahweh respected Abel, then his offering. Several sermons see in it the importance of the heart of the one who brings, even before what he brings. The passage does not spell out what was lacking in Cain's offering.
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.”
God speaks to Cain before the tragedy. Sin is compared to an animal crouching at the door, ready to pounce, and yet Cain can rule over it. God warns and opens a way before the evil is done.
Yahweh said to Cain, “Where is Abel, your brother?” He said, “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”
Cain's answer, “Am I my brother’s keeper?”, has become proverbial. It dodges God's question, which is trying to bring Cain to admit what he has done.
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.
Even after the murder, God puts a sign on Cain so that no one will kill him. It is not an approval of the crime, but the sign of a God who stays present, even toward a guilty man.
A son was also born to Seth, and he named him Enosh. At that time men began to call on Yahweh’s name.
After the violence, another line appears: in the days of Enosh, people begin to call on the name of Yahweh. The chapter ends on prayer, as a sign that God continues his work.
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What the sermons say
Frequently asked questions about Genesis 4
Why did God refuse Cain's offering?
The text does not say clearly: it only indicates that God looks at Abel and his offering, but not at Cain and his. Preachers offer readings that converge: Abel brings the firstborn of his flock, the best he has, with a heart that seeks God, while Cain seems to give without putting the same weight on it. God also tells Cain that he can do well and lift up his face.
What does “Am I my brother’s keeper?” mean?
It is Cain's answer when God asks him where Abel is. He pretends ignorance and denies any responsibility. God does not answer the question with words but with what he does: he hears Abel's blood and holds Cain responsible. The text suggests that we are indeed called to take care of our brothers and sisters.
What is the mark of Cain?
After being condemned to wander, Cain fears he will be killed. God puts a sign on him so that no one will strike him. The Bible does not say what the sign was. It is not an extra curse but a protection granted by God, even to the one who killed his brother.
What is the main message of Genesis 4?
That sin grows when it is not mastered: from jealousy comes violence, and the fracture touches the family. But God speaks first, warns, questions, protects and then brings hope back to life with Seth, when people once more call on his name.
Articles quoting Genesis 4
World English Bible translation — public domain.