2
And againוַתֹּסֶףshe gave birthלָלֶדֶתto his brotherאֶת אָחִיוAbel.אֶת הָבֶלAndוַAbelהֶבֶלbecameיְהִיa keeperרֹעֵהof flocks,צֹאןand Cainוְקַיִןwasהָיָהa workerעֹבֵדof the ground.אֲדָמָה
Genesis 4:2
Study it in the app“And again she gave birth to his brother Abel. And Abel became a keeper of flocks, and Cain was a worker of the ground.”
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 4:2, word by word
- And againתֹּסֶףtosef
do again
To do again what had already been done.
Where else “tosef” appears- she gave birthלֶדֶתledet
bear
To bring a child into the world, giving birth after pregnancy.
Where else “ledet” appears- to his brotherאָחִיachi
brother
A son of the same father or the same mother.
Where else “achi” appears- Abelהָבֶלhavel
Abel
Abel, the second son of Adam and Eve, killed by his brother Cain. In Hebrew "Hevel" is the same word as "breath" or "vapor", something that does not last.
Where else “havel” appears- becameיְהִיyehi
become
To turn into something new, or fall upon someone.
Where else “yehi” appears- a keeperרֹעֵהroe
shepherd
One who looks after sheep; or one who leads a people, like YHWH.
Where else “roe” appears- of flocksצֹאןtson
flock
A flock of sheep and goats.
Where else “tson” appears- and 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- a workerעֹבֵדoved
work
To toil, till the land.
Where else “oved” appears- of the groundאֲדָמָהadama
soil
Farmland, or dust.
Where else “adama” appears
The context
1Now the man knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and she said, “I have acquired a man with YHWH.”
2 · This verse (above)
3And it happened at the end of some days that Cain brought from the fruit of the ground an offering to YHWH.
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?