Genesis 4:1-16

Genesis 4:1-16

[1] And Adam  knew  Eve  his wife;  and she conceived,  and bare  Cain,  and said,  I have gotten  a man  from  the LORD.  [2] And she again  bare  his brother  Abel.  was a keeper  of sheep,  but Cain  was a tiller  of the ground.  [3] And in process  of time  it came to pass, that Cain  brought  of the fruit  of the ground  an offering  unto the LORD.  [4] And Abel,  he  also brought  of the firstlings  of his flock  and of the fat  thereof. And the LORD  had respect  unto Abel  and to his offering:  [5] But unto Cain  and to his offering  he had not respect.  And Cain  was very  wroth,  and his countenance  fell.  [6] And the LORD  said  unto Cain,  Why art thou wroth?  and why is thy countenance  fallen?  [7] If  thou doest well,  shalt thou not be accepted?  and if thou doest not well,  sin  lieth  at the door.  And unto thee shall be his desire,  and thou shalt rule  over him. [8] And Cain  talked  with  Abel  his brother:  and it came to pass, when they were in the field,  that Cain  rose up  against  Abel  his brother,  and slew him.  [9] And the LORD  said  unto Cain,  Where  is Abel  thy brother?  And he said,  I know  not: Am I my brother's  keeper?  [10] And he said,  What  hast thou done?  the voice  of thy brother's  blood  crieth  unto me from the ground.  [11] And now art thou cursed  from the earth,  which hath opened  her mouth  to receive  thy brother's  blood  from thy hand;  [12] When  thou tillest  the ground,  it shall not henceforth  yield  unto thee her strength;  a fugitive  and a vagabond  shalt thou be in the earth.  [13] And Cain  said  unto the LORD,  My punishment  is greater  than I can bear.  [14] Behold, thou hast driven me out  this day  from the face  of the earth;  and from  thy face  shall I be hid;  and I shall be a fugitive  and a vagabond  in the earth;  and it shall come to pass,  that every one that findeth me  shall slay me.  [15] And the LORD  said  unto him, Therefore  whosoever slayeth  Cain,  vengeance shall be taken  on him sevenfold.  And the LORD  set  a mark  upon Cain,  lest  any finding  him should kill  him. [16] And Cain  went out  from the presence  of the LORD,  and dwelt  in the land  of Nod,  on the east  of Eden. 

What does Genesis 4:1-16 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Chapter4shows the spread of sin from Adam"s family to the larger society that his descendants produced. Not only did sin affect everyone, but people became increasingly more wicked as time passed. Human self-assertion leads to violence. Genesis 4:1-16 show that the Fall affected Adam and Eve"s children as well as themselves. Genesis 4:17-26 trace what became of Cain and Seth and their descendants. Note that the chapter begins and ends with the subject of worship.
God had warned Adam and Eve about sin. Even Song of Solomon , Cain murdered his brother, the beginning of sibling rivalry, because God accepted Abel"s offering but not his own. Sibling rivalry plagued each of the godly families in Genesis. Cain denied responsibility for his sin and objected to the severity of God"s punishment. God graciously provided protection for Cain in response to his complaint. Chapter3gives the cause and chapter4the effect.
There are structural and conceptual parallels between this pericope (section of verses) and the previous one ( Genesis 2:4 to Genesis 3:24). [1]
AScene1 (narrative): Cain and Abel are active, Yahweh passive ( Genesis 4:2-5).BScene2 (dialogue): Yahweh questions Cain ( Genesis 4:6-7).CScene3 (dialogue and narrative): Cain and Abel are alone ( Genesis 4:8).B"Scene4 (dialogue): Yahweh confronts Cain ( Genesis 4:9-14).A"Scene5 (narrative): Yahweh is active, Cain passive ( Genesis 4:15-16).
Both stories conclude with the sinners leaving God"s presence and going to live east of Eden ( Genesis 3:24; Genesis 4:16).
". . . though the writer of Genesis wants to highlight the parallels between the two stories, he does not regard the murder of Abel simply as a rerun of the fall. There is development: sin is more firmly entrenched and humanity is further alienated from God." [2]