Genesis 4:6–7
God warns Cain: sin is “crouching at the door,” yet “you will rule over it”
Study it word by word6And 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
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.
…
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
- יֹּאמֶרyomer· say
Say, speak. The most common verb for bringing in what someone says; sometimes "think" (say to oneself) or "command".
- יְהוָהyehva· 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.
- קָיִןkayin· 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.
- חָרָהchara· burn with anger
Burn, be kindled; said of a person, become very angry.
- נָפְלוּnaflu· fall
Fall; also fall upon (attack), lie down, desert to someone. In the causative form, "make fall", throw down, cast (lots).
- פָנֶיfane· 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".
- 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.