Genesis 4:1–25
Genesis 4:1-26
A Tale of Two Offspring
#CainandAble
Published September 21st, 2022
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Genesis 4:1-26
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Now Adam knew Eve his wife,
וְהָ֣אָדָ֔ם יָדַ֖ע אֶת־חַוָּ֣ה אִשְׁתּ֑וֹ
and she conceived
וַתַּ֙הַר֙
actionresult
and bore Cain,
וַתֵּ֣לֶד אֶת־קַ֔יִן
saying, “I have gotten 1 a man with the help of the Lord .”
וַתֹּ֕אמֶר קָנִ֥יתִי אִ֖ישׁ אֶת־יְהוָֽה׃
situationresponse
And again, she bore his brother Abel.
וַתֹּ֣סֶף לָלֶ֔דֶת אֶת־אָחִ֖יו אֶת־הָ֑בֶל
progression
Now Abel was a keeper of sheep,
וַֽיְהִי־הֶ֙בֶל֙ רֹ֣עֵה צֹ֔אן
and Cain a worker of the ground.
וְקַ֕יִן הָיָ֖ה עֹבֵ֥ד אֲדָמָֽה׃
series
ideaexplanation
In the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of u the fruit of the ground,
וַֽיְהִ֖י מִקֵּ֣ץ יָמִ֑ים וַיָּבֵ֨א קַ֜יִן מִפְּרִ֧י הָֽאֲדָמָ֛ה מִנְחָ֖ה לַֽיהוָֽה׃
and Abel also brought of v the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions.
וְהֶ֨בֶל הֵבִ֥יא גַם־ה֛וּא מִבְּכֹר֥וֹת צֹאנ֖וֹ וּמֵֽחֶלְבֵהֶ֑ן
And the Lord w had regard for Abel and his offering,
וַיִּ֣שַׁע יְהוָ֔ה אֶל־הֶ֖בֶל וְאֶל־מִנְחָתֽוֹ׃
but x for Cain and his offering he had no regard.
וְאֶל־קַ֥יִן וְאֶל־מִנְחָת֖וֹ לֹ֣א שָׁעָ֑ה
negativepositive
So Cain was very angry,
וַיִּ֤חַר לְקַ֙יִן֙ מְאֹ֔ד
and his face fell.
וַֽיִּפְּל֖וּ פָּנָֽיו׃
The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry,
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־קָ֑יִן לָ֚מָּה חָ֣רָה לָ֔ךְ
and why has your face fallen?
וְלָ֖מָּה נָפְל֥וּ פָנֶֽיךָ׃
y If you do well,
הֲל֤וֹא אִם ־תֵּיטִיב֙
will you not be accepted? 1
שְׂאֵ֔ת
conditional
And if you do not do well,
וְ אִם֙ לֹ֣א תֵיטִ֔יב
sin is crouching at the door.
לַפֶּ֖תַח חַטָּ֣את רֹבֵ֑ץ
z Its desire is for 2 you,
וְאֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ תְּשׁ֣וּקָת֔וֹ
but you must rule over it.”
וְאַתָּ֖ה תִּמְשָׁל־בּֽוֹ׃
Cain spoke to Abel his brother. 1
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר קַ֖יִן אֶל־הֶ֣בֶל אָחִ֑יו
And when they were in the field,
וַֽיְהִי֙ בִּהְיוֹתָ֣ם בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה
Cain rose up against his brother Abel
וַיָּ֥קָם קַ֛יִן אֶל־הֶ֥בֶל אָחִ֖יו
and a killed him.
וַיַּהַרְגֵֽהוּ׃
temporal
Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?”
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־קַ֔יִן אֵ֖י הֶ֣בֶל אָחִ֑יךָ
He said, b “I do not know;
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א יָדַ֔עְתִּי
am I my brother’s keeper?”
הֲשֹׁמֵ֥ר אָחִ֖י אָנֹֽכִי׃
questionanswer
And the Lord said, “What have you done?
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר מֶ֣ה עָשִׂ֑יתָ
The voice of your brother’s blood c is crying to me from the ground.
ק֚וֹל דְּמֵ֣י אָחִ֔יךָ צֹעֲקִ֥ים אֵלַ֖י מִן־הָֽאֲדָמָֽה׃
And now d you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
וְעַתָּ֖ה אָר֣וּר אָ֑תָּה מִן־הָֽאֲדָמָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר פָּצְתָ֣ה אֶת־פִּ֔יהָ לָקַ֛חַת אֶת־דְּמֵ֥י אָחִ֖יךָ מִיָּדֶֽךָ׃
When you work the ground,
כִּ֤י תַֽעֲבֹד֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה
it shall no longer yield to you its strength.
לֹֽא־תֹסֵ֥ף תֵּת־כֹּחָ֖הּ לָ֑ךְ
You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”
נָ֥ע וָנָ֖ד תִּֽהְיֶ֥ה בָאָֽרֶץ׃
inference
Cain said to the Lord , “My e punishment is greater than I can bear. 1
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר קַ֖יִן אֶל־יְהוָ֑ה גָּד֥וֹל עֲוֺנִ֖י מִנְּשֹֽׂא׃
Behold, f you have driven me today away from the ground,
הֵן֩ גֵּרַ֨שְׁתָּ אֹתִ֜י הַיּ֗וֹם מֵעַל֙ פְּנֵ֣י הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה
and g from your face I shall be hidden.
וּמִפָּנֶ֖יךָ אֶסָּתֵ֑ר
I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth,
וְהָיִ֜יתִי נָ֤ע וָנָד֙ בָּאָ֔רֶץ
h and whoever finds me will kill me.”
וְהָיָ֥ה כָל־מֹצְאִ֖י יַֽהַרְגֵֽנִי׃
Then the Lord said to him, “Not so!
וַיֹּ֧אמֶר ל֣וֹ יְהוָ֗ה לָכֵן֙
If anyone kills Cain,
כָּל־הֹרֵ֣ג קַ֔יִן
vengeance shall be taken on him i sevenfold.”
שִׁבְעָתַ֖יִם יֻקָּ֑ם
And the Lord j put a mark on Cain,
וַיָּ֨שֶׂם יְהוָ֤ה לְקַ֙יִן֙ א֔וֹת
lest any who found him should attack him.
לְבִלְתִּ֥י הַכּוֹת־אֹת֖וֹ כָּל־מֹצְאֽוֹ׃
actionpurpose
Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord
וַיֵּ֥צֵא קַ֖יִן מִלִּפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה
and settled in the land of Nod, 1 east of Eden.
וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב בְּאֶֽרֶץ־נ֖וֹד קִדְמַת־עֵֽדֶן׃
Cain knew his wife,
וַיֵּ֤דַע קַ֙יִן֙ אֶת־אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ
and she conceived
וַתַּ֖הַר
and bore Enoch.
וַתֵּ֣לֶד אֶת־חֲנ֑וֹךְ
When he built a city,
וַֽיְהִי֙ בֹּ֣נֶה עִ֔יר
he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch.
וַיִּקְרָא֙ שֵׁ֣ם הָעִ֔יר כְּשֵׁ֖ם בְּנ֥וֹ חֲנֽוֹךְ׃
To Enoch was born Irad,
וַיִּוָּלֵ֤ד לַֽחֲנוֹךְ֙ אֶת־עִירָ֔ד
and Irad fathered Mehujael,
וְעִירָ֕ד יָלַ֖ד אֶת־מְחֽוּיָאֵ֑ל
and Mehujael fathered Methushael,
וּמְחִיּיָאֵ֗ל יָלַד֙ אֶת־מְת֣וּשָׁאֵ֔ל
and Methushael fathered Lamech.
וּמְתוּשָׁאֵ֖ל יָלַ֥ד אֶת־לָֽמֶךְ׃
And Lamech took two wives.
וַיִּֽקַּֽח־ל֥וֹ לֶ֖מֶךְ שְׁתֵּ֣י נָשִׁ֑ים
The name of the one was Adah,
שֵׁ֤ם הָֽאַחַת֙ עָדָ֔ה
and the name of the other Zillah.
וְשֵׁ֥ם הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית צִלָּֽה׃
Adah bore Jabal;
וַתֵּ֥לֶד עָדָ֖ה אֶת־יָבָ֑ל
he was the father of those who dwell in tents and have livestock.
ה֣וּא הָיָ֔ה אֲבִ֕י יֹשֵׁ֥ב אֹ֖הֶל וּמִקְנֶֽה׃
His brother’s name was Jubal;
וְשֵׁ֥ם אָחִ֖יו יוּבָ֑ל
he was the father of all those who play the lyre and pipe.
ה֣וּא הָיָ֔ה אֲבִ֕י כָּל־תֹּפֵ֥שׂ כִּנּ֖וֹר וְעוּגָֽב׃
Zillah also bore Tubal-cain;
וְצִלָּ֣ה גַם־הִ֗וא יָֽלְדָה֙ אֶת־תּ֣וּבַל קַ֔יִן
he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron.
לֹטֵ֕שׁ כָּל־חֹרֵ֥שׁ נְחֹ֖שֶׁת וּבַרְזֶ֑ל
The sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.
וַֽאֲח֥וֹת תּֽוּבַל־קַ֖יִן נַֽעֲמָֽה׃
Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, hear my voice;
וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לֶ֜מֶךְ לְנָשָׁ֗יו עָדָ֤ה וְצִלָּה֙ שְׁמַ֣עַן קוֹלִ֔י
you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say:
נְשֵׁ֣י לֶ֔מֶךְ הַאְזֵ֖נָּה אִמְרָתִ֑י
I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me.
כִּ֣י אִ֤ישׁ הָרַ֙גְתִּי֙ לְפִצְעִ֔י וְיֶ֖לֶד לְחַבֻּרָתִֽי׃
k If Cain’s revenge is sevenfold,
כִּ֥י שִׁבְעָתַ֖יִם יֻקַּם־קָ֑יִן
then Lamech’s is seventy-sevenfold.”
וְלֶ֖מֶךְ שִׁבְעִ֥ים וְשִׁבְעָֽה׃
And Adam knew his wife again,
וַיֵּ֨דַע אָדָ֥ם עוֹד֙ אֶת־אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ
and she bore a son
וַתֵּ֣לֶד בֵּ֔ן
and called his name Seth,
וַתִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ שֵׁ֑ת
for she said, “God has appointed 1 for me another offspring instead of Abel,
כִּ֣י שָֽׁת־לִ֤י אֱלֹהִים֙ זֶ֣רַע אַחֵ֔ר תַּ֣חַת הֶ֔בֶל
for Cain killed him.”
כִּ֥י הֲרָג֖וֹ קָֽיִן׃
ground
To l Seth also a son was born,
וּלְשֵׁ֤ת גַּם־הוּא֙ יֻלַּד־בֵּ֔ן
and he called his name m Enosh.
וַיִּקְרָ֥א אֶת־שְׁמ֖וֹ אֱנ֑וֹשׁ
At that time people began n to call upon the name of the Lord .
אָ֣ז הוּחַ֔ל לִקְרֹ֖א בְּשֵׁ֥ם יְהוָֽה׃פ
discourse
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