16
AndוַCainקַיִןwent outיֵּצֵאfrom the presenceמִלִּפְנֵיof YHWHיְהוָהand settledוַיֵּשֶׁבin the landבְּאֶרֶץof Nod,נוֹדeastקִדְמַתof Eden.עֵדֶן
Genesis 4:16
Study it in the app“And Cain went out from the presence of YHWH and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.”
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 4:16, word by word
- Cainקַיִןkayin
Cain
Cain, the first son of Adam and Eve, who killed his brother Abel. In Hebrew "Qayin" sounds like "I have gotten" (Genesis 4:1). Also a place, and the tribe of the Kenites.
Where else “kayin” appears- went outיֵּצֵאyetse
go out
To go out of a place.
Where else “yetse” appears- from the presenceפְנֵיfene
presence
Literally "the face": being before someone, face to face.
Where else “fene” appears- of YHWHיְהוָהyehva
YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
Where else “yehva” appears- and settledיֵּשֶׁבyeshev
dwell
To make one's home in a place.
Where else “yeshev” appears- in the landאֶרֶץerets
land
A region or nation, above all Israel's.
Where else “erets” appears- of Nodנוֹדnod
Nod
Nod, the region where Cain went. In Hebrew it sounds like "wander", which Cain said he would do (4:14).
Where else “nod” appears- eastקִדְמַתkidmat
east of
Toward the east, east of; in front.
Where else “kidmat” appears- of Edenעֵדֶןeden
Eden
Eden, the name of the region where God planted the garden. In Hebrew the word sounds just like "delight".
Where else “eden” appears
The context
15And YHWH said to him, “Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” And YHWH put a sign on Cain, so that no one who found him would strike him.
16 · This verse (above)
17And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Enoch. And he was building a city, and he called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch.
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?