Genesis 4:3–7
Cain is very angry, and YHWH warns him about the sin crouching at the door
Study it word by word3And it happened at the end of some days that Cain brought from the fruit of the ground an offering to YHWH.
4And Abel also brought, he too, from the firstborn of his flock and from their fat. And YHWH regarded Abel and his offering,
5but Cain and his offering he did not regard. And Cain was very angry, and his face fell.
6And YHWH said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen?
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.”
In its 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.”
2And again she gave birth to his brother Abel. And Abel became a keeper of flocks, and Cain was a worker of the ground.
…
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.
9And YHWH said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”
Its words in the original
- יְהִיyehi· be, become, happen
Be, exist; also "become" or "happen". It is the verb of "there was", "it was" and "it came to pass".
- קֵּץkets· end
End; "at the end of a time", "after".
- יָמִיםyamim· day
Day: the hours of light, or a whole day from one evening to the next. Also an indefinite time or age ("in the day that...", "in those days").
- יָּבֵאyave· come, go in, bring
Come, arrive, go in, enter. In the causative form, "bring" or "carry in". "Go in to" a woman is to have marital relations with her.
- קַיִןkayin· 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.
- פְּרִיperi· fruit
Fruit: what a tree or a plant bears. Figuratively, the result of something, or children ("fruit of the womb").
- אֲדָמָהadama· ground, land
The ground, the soil that is tilled; also the territory where people live. In Hebrew "adamah" sounds like "adam", the human being formed from it.
- מִנְחָהmincha· offering, gift
Offering, a gift presented to someone greater. Offered to God it can be of animals or of produce; in the later laws it means above all the grain offering. Also tribute.
- יהוָהyhva· 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.
- הֶבֶלhevel· 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.
- בְּכֹרוֹתbechorot· birthright, firstborn
The firstborn of the flock; also the right of the eldest son, the birthright.
- צֹאנtson· flock
Flock of sheep and goats, small livestock; figuratively, a people led like a flock.
- חֶלְבֵchelve· fat; best
Fat. It was considered the best part of the animal, so it also means "the best".
- יִּשַׁעyisha· look, regard
Look closely or with favor, pay attention to something.
- יִּחַרyichar· burn with anger
Burn, be kindled; said of a person, become very angry.
- מְאֹדmeod· very, much
Very, greatly, exceedingly; a word that strengthens what goes with it. As a noun, strength, might.
- יִּפְּלוּyiplu· fall
Fall; also fall upon (attack), lie down, desert to someone. In the causative form, "make fall", throw down, cast (lots).
- פָּנָיpanay· face, presence
Face. From there "surface" (the face of something) and "presence" (being before someone's face); with a preposition it means "before" or "in front of".
- יֹּאמֶרyomer· say
Say, speak. The most common verb for bringing in what someone says; sometimes "think" (say to oneself) or "command".
- תֵּיטִיבtetiv· do well, be good
Do well, act well; go well for someone; please. Also set something right, prepare it.
- שְׂאֵתseet· lifting up; swelling
Lifting up, rising; dignity. On the skin, a swelling. In Genesis 4:7 the phrase is short and difficult: "will there not be a lifting up?" may refer to lifting the face or to being accepted.
- פֶּתַחpetach· entrance, door
Entrance, doorway, door, opening.
- חַטָּאתchatat· sin, sin offering
Sin: missing the mark of what God asks; also the guilt and the punishment. In the laws the same word also names the sacrifice offered for sin.
- רֹבֵץrovets· lie down, crouch
Lie down, crouch, like an animal at rest or lying in wait.
- תְּשׁוּקָתteshukat· desire
Strong desire toward someone. It appears only three times in the Bible (Genesis 3:16; 4:7; Song of Songs 7:10) and its exact shade is debated.
- תִּמְשָׁלtimshal· rule
Rule, have dominion or authority over something or someone.