11
And now,וְעַתָּהcursedאָרוּרareyouאָתָּהaway from the ground,מִן הָאֲדָמָהwhichאֲשֶׁרhas openedפָּצְתָהits mouthאֶת פִּיהָto receiveלָקַחַתyour brother’sאָחִיךָbloodאֶת דְּמֵיfrom your hand.מִיָּדֶךָ
Genesis 4:11
Study it in the app“And now, cursed are you away from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.”
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 4:11, word by word
- cursedאָרוּרarur
curse
Curse: declare someone or something under punishment, deprived of blessing. It is the opposite of bless.
Where else “arur” appears- away from the groundאֲדָמָהadama
soil
Farmland, or dust.
Where else “adama” appears- has openedפָּצְתָהpatsta
open the mouth
To part the lips to speak or devour.
Where else “patsta” appears- its mouthפִּיpi
mouth
The part of the face with which one speaks, eats and kisses.
Where else “pi” appears- to receiveקַחַתkachat
accept
To accept what someone gives, such as teaching or correction.
Where else “kachat” appears- your brother’sאָחִיachi
brother
A son of the same father or the same mother.
Where else “achi” appears- bloodדְּמֵיdeme
bloodguilt
A murder, and the guilt it leaves on the killer.
Where else “deme” appears- from your handיָּדֶyade
hand
The part of the body with which one takes, gives and works; also what one does.
Where else “yade” appears
Translation note
The Hebrew preposition min can mean “away from,” “from,” or “more than.” Here it is read “away from the ground” because of what follows: the ground will no longer give him its strength (4:12), and Cain says, “you have driven me from the face of the ground” (4:14).
The context
10And he said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground.
11 · This verse (above)
12When you work the ground, it will no longer give its strength to you; a wanderer and a drifter you will be on the earth.”
To study Genesis 4 in a group
1. What it says
How did Cain feel when YHWH did not look with favor on his offering, and what did YHWH say to him (vv. 5-7)?
2. What it means
What does Cain mean by his question, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (v. 9)?
3. How I live it
How can you deal with anger or envy toward someone today before it grows?