9
AndוַYHWHיְהוָהsaidיֹּאמֶרto Cain,אֶל קַיִן“WhereאֵיisAbelהֶבֶלyour brother?”אָחִיךָAndוַhe said,יֹּאמֶר“I do notלֹאknow.יָדַעְתִּיAmהֲIאָנֹכִיmy brother’sאָחִיkeeper?”שֹׁמֵר
Genesis 4:9
Study it in the app“And YHWH said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?””
With the Hebrew beneath
Genesis 4:9, 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 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- Abelהֶבֶלhevel
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 “hevel” appears- your brotherאָחִיachi
brother
A son of the same father or the same mother.
Where else “achi” appears- knowיָדַעְתִּיyadati
know
To know something, realize.
Where else “yadati” appears- keeperשֹׁמֵרshomer
guard
To watch over, protect from all harm.
Where else “shomer” appears
The context
8And Cain said to Abel his brother … And it happened, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.
9 · This verse (above)
10And he said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground.
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?