24 Jun 2025 – jeffersonvann

Genesis 4

Genesis 4:1 Now Adam was intimate with Eve his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, saying, “I have gotten a man with the help of Yahveh.”

Genesis 4:2 And again, she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel shepherded sheep, and Cain was a worker of the ground.

Genesis 4:3 In the course of time Cain brought to Yahveh an offering of the fruit of the ground,

Genesis 4:4 and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And Yahveh had regard for Abel and his offering,

Genesis 4:5 but for Cain and his offering, he had no regard. So, Cain was very angry, and his face fell.

Genesis 4:6 Yahveh said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen?

Genesis 4:7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must control it.”

Genesis 4:8 Cain called for Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose against his brother Abel and killed him.

Genesis 4:9 Then Yahveh asked Cain, “Where is Abel, your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s watcher?”

Genesis 4:10 And Yahveh said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground.

Genesis 4:11 So now you are prohibited from using the ground, which has opened its mouth to drink your brother’s blood from your hand.

Genesis 4:12 When you try to work the ground, it will no longer produce what it can for you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer in the land.”

Genesis 4:13 Cain told Yahveh, “My guilt is greater than I can carry.

Genesis 4:14 Notice, you have driven me today away from the ground, from your face I will be hidden also. I will be a fugitive and a wanderer in the land, and whoever finds me will kill me.”

Genesis 4:15 Then Yahveh said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, he will receive revenge seven times.” And Yahveh put a mark on Cain so that anyone who found him should not attack him.

Genesis 4:16 Then Cain left Yahveh’s presence and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

Genesis 4:17 Cain was intimate with his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. When he built a city, he called the city’s name after the name of his son, Enoch.

Genesis 4:18 To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad fathered Mehujael, Mehujael fathered Methushael, and Methushael fathered Lamech.

Genesis 4:19 And Lamech took two wives. The name of the one was Adah, and the other was Zillah.

Genesis 4:20 Adah gave birth to Jabal; he fathered those who lived in tents and raised livestock.

Genesis 4:21 His brother was Jubal; he fathered all who played the lyre and pipe.

Genesis 4:22 Zillah also bore Tubal-Cain; he was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron. The sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah.

Genesis 4:23 Lamech said to his wives: “Adah and Zillah, listen to my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to what I say: I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for striking me.

Genesis 4:24 If Cain’s revenge is seven times, then Lamech’s is seventy-seven times.”

Genesis 4:25 And Adam was intimate with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has provided for me another seed in place of Abel because Cain killed him.”

Genesis 4:26 To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of Yahveh.

Genesis 4 quotes:

“As for the woman, she showed her hope when she named her firstborn “Cain,” a name that in the Hebrew conveyed her conviction, “I have given life to a man with the Lord’s help” (Genesis 4:1). I am impressed by Eve’s sense of partnership with God. She saw her role as a divine assignment, carrying on God’s breath of life. More than that, I hear her hope. She saw this child as the one who would strike the head of the serpent. By contrast, no special significance is given in the name of the second son, “Abel”; indeed, he is simply “Cain’s brother” (4:2).”

Kalas, J. Ellsworth. Genesis. Abingdon Press, 2011. p. 23.

“The way you feel and the way you view yourself, your relationships, and your circumstances are often indications of whether you are living to please yourself or living to please God (Genesis 4:6-7; Psalm 119:165; John 14:27, 15:10-11; Romans 14:17-18; II Corinthians 7:10; Philippians 4:6-7; I John 4:18-21).”

Broger, John C, and Biblical Counseling Foundation. Self-Confrontation: A Manual for In-Depth Discipleship : Based on the Old and New Testaments As the Only Authoritative Rule of Faith and Conduct. Biblical Counseling Foundation, 1991. p. 97.

“The story of Cain and Abel as well as the genealogy tucked into Genesis 4 are powerful reminders that though sin abounds, we can choose to be people who call on the name of the Lord. We do not have to allow sin to get the best of us.”

Feinberg, Margaret. Pursuing God’s Love: Participant’s Guide: Stories from the Book of Genesis. Zondervan, 2011. p. 37.