Genesis

Genesis 4:12–15

¹²When you till the ground, it will no longer yield its produce to you. You will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth.”

¹³But Cain said to the LORD, “My punishment^d is greater than I can bear. ¹⁴Behold, this day You have driven me from the face of the earth, and from Your face I will be hidden; I will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”

¹⁵“Not so!”^e replied the LORD. “If anyone slays Cain, then Cain will be avenged sevenfold.” And the LORD placed a mark on Cain, so that no one who found him would kill him.

Footnotes

d 4:13 Or guilt or sin
e 4:15 LXX, Vulgate, and Syriac; Hebrew “Very well!” or “Therefore:”

Read all of Genesis 4

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Genesis 4:12

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
When	כִּ֤י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
you till	תַֽעֲבֹד֙	ṯa·‘ă·ḇōḏ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H5647 work, serve
the ground	הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה	hā·’ă·ḏā·māh	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H127 ground, land
no	לֹֽא־	lō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
longer	תֹסֵ֥ף	ṯō·sêp̄	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect Jussive - third person feminine singular	H3254 add
yield	תֵּת־	têṯ-	Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H5414 give, put, set
its produce	כֹּחָ֖הּ	kō·ḥāh	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singular	H3581 strength, power
to you	לָ֑ךְ	lāḵ	Preposition; second person feminine singular
You will be	תִּֽהְיֶ֥ה	tih·yeh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
a fugitive	נָ֥ע	nā‘	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H5128 quiver, wave, waver, tremble, totter
and a wanderer	וָנָ֖ד	wā·nāḏ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H5110 move to and fro, wander, flutter, shew grief
on the earth	בָאָֽרֶץ׃	ḇā·’ā·reṣ	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H776 earth, land

Genesis 4:13

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
But Cain	קַ֖יִן	qa·yin	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7014 Cain
said	וַיֹּ֥אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
the LORD	יְהוָ֑ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
My punishment	עֲוֺנִ֖י	‘ă·wō·nî	Noun - common singular construct; first person common singular	H5771 iniquity, guilt, or punishment of iniquity
greater	גָּד֥וֹל	gā·ḏō·wl	Adjective - masculine singular	H1419 great
than I can bear	מִנְּשֹֽׂא׃	min·nə·śō	Preposition-m; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H5375 lift, take, carry

Genesis 4:14

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Behold	הֵן֩	hên	Interjection	H2005 lo! behold
this	אֹתִ֜י	’ō·ṯî	Direct object marker; first person common singular	H853 mark of the accusative
day	הַיּ֗וֹם	hay·yō·wm	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H3117 day
You have driven me	גֵּרַ֨שְׁתָּ	gê·raš·tā	Verb - Piel - Perfect - second person masculine singular	H1644 drive out, cast out
from the face	פְּנֵ֣י	pə·nê	Noun - common plural construct	H6440 face, before
of the earth	הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה	hā·’ă·ḏā·māh	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H127 ground, land
and from	מֵעַל֙	mê·‘al	Preposition-m	H5921 height
Your face	וּמִפָּנֶ֖יךָ	ū·mip·pā·ne·ḵā	Conjunctive waw, Preposition-m; Noun - common plural construct; second person masculine singular	H6440 face, before
I will be hidden	אֶסָּתֵ֑ר	’es·sā·ṯêr	Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - first person common singular	H5641 hide, conceal
I	וְהָיִ֜יתִי	wə·hā·yî·ṯî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
a fugitive	נָ֤ע	nā‘	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H5128 quiver, wave, waver, tremble, totter
and a wanderer	וָנָד֙	wā·nāḏ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H5110 move to and fro, wander, flutter, shew grief
on the earth	בָּאָ֔רֶץ	bā·’ā·reṣ	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - feminine singular	H776 earth, land
and	וְהָיָ֥ה	wə·hā·yāh	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
whoever	כָל־	ḵāl	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
finds me	מֹצְאִ֖י	mō·ṣə·’î	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H4672 attain to, find
kill me	יַֽהַרְגֵֽנִי׃	ya·har·ḡê·nî	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular; first person common singular	H2026 kill, slay

Genesis 4:15

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Not so	לָכֵן֙	lā·ḵên	Adverb	H3651 right, veritable, honest
replied	וַיֹּ֧אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
the LORD	יְהוָ֗ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
If anyone	כָּל־	kāl-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H3605 the whole, all
slays	הֹרֵ֣ג	hō·rêḡ	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct	H2026 kill, slay
Cain	קַ֔יִן	qa·yin	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7014 Cain
will be avenged	יֻקָּ֑ם	yuq·qām	Verb - Hofal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular	H5358 avenge, take vengeance
sevenfold	שִׁבְעָתַ֖יִם	šiḇ·‘ā·ṯa·yim	Number - fd	H7659 seven-fold, seven times
And the LORD	יְהוָ֤ה	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
placed	וַיָּ֨שֶׂם	way·yā·śem	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7760 put, place, set
a mark	א֔וֹת	’ō·wṯ	Noun - common singular	H226 sign
on Cain	לְקַ֙יִן֙	lə·qa·yin	Preposition-l; Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7014 Cain
so that no one	לְבִלְתִּ֥י	lə·ḇil·tî	Preposition-l	H1115 not, except
who found him	מֹצְאֽוֹ׃	mō·ṣə·’ōw	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H4672 attain to, find
would kill	הַכּוֹת־	hak·kō·wṯ-	Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct	H5221 smite
him	אֹת֖וֹ	’ō·ṯōw	Direct object marker; third person masculine singular	H853 mark of the accusative