6
AndוַYHWHיְהוָהsaidיֹּאמֶרto Cain,אֶל קָיִן“Whyלָמָּהare you angry,חָרָה לָךְand whyוְלָמָּהhas your faceפָנֶיךָfallen?נָפְלוּ
Genesis 4:6
Study it in the app“And YHWH said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen?”
God warns Cain: sin is “crouching at the door,” yet “you will rule over it”TemptationCain is very angry, and YHWH warns him about the sin crouching at the doorConflict and Reconciliation
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 4:6, word by word
- 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- saidיֹּאמֶרyomer
say
To say with the mouth to someone what one thinks or wants, or to answer him.
Where else “yomer” appears- to Cainקָיִןkayin
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- are you angryחָרָהchara
be angry
For a person to feel strong anger at someone or something.
Where else “chara” appears- has your faceפָנֶיfane
face
The front of the head, of someone or of God.
Where else “fane” appears- fallenנָפְלוּnaflu
fall
To fall to the ground, or for a city to fall.
Where else “naflu” appears
The context
5but Cain and his offering he did not regard. And Cain was very angry, and his face fell.
6 · This verse (above)
7If you do well, will there not be a lifting up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and toward you is its desire, but you will rule over it.”
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?