Genesis

Genesis 4:8–10

⁸Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.”^c And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.

⁹And the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”

“I do not know!” he answered. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

¹⁰“What have you done?” replied the LORD. “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.

Footnotes

c 4:8 SP, LXX, Syriac, and Vulgate; Hebrew Then Cain spoke to his brother Abel.

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 4:8

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Then 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
his brother	אָחִ֑יו	’ā·ḥîw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H251 brother
Abel	הֶ֣בֶל	he·ḇel	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1893 Hebel
And	וַֽיְהִי֙	way·hî	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
while they were	בִּהְיוֹתָ֣ם	bih·yō·w·ṯām	Preposition-b; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct; third person masculine plural	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
in the field	בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה	baś·śā·ḏeh	Preposition-b, Article; Noun - masculine singular	H7704 id.
Cain	קַ֛יִן	qa·yin	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7014 Cain
rose up	וַיָּ֥קָם	way·yā·qām	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H6965 arise, stand up, stand
against	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
his brother	אָחִ֖יו	’ā·ḥîw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H251 brother
Abel	הֶ֥בֶל	he·ḇel	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1893 Hebel
and killed him	וַיַּהַרְגֵֽהוּ׃	way·ya·har·ḡê·hū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular; third person masculine singular	H2026 kill, slay

Genesis 4:9

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And the LORD	יְהוָה֙	Yah·weh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H3068 Yahweh
said	וַיֹּ֤אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
to	אֶל־	’el-	Preposition	H413 motion to
Cain	קַ֔יִן	qa·yin	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H7014 Cain
Where	אֵ֖י	’ê	Interrogative	H335 where?
your brother	אָחִ֑יךָ	’ā·ḥî·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H251 brother
Abel	הֶ֣בֶל	he·ḇel	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H1893 Hebel
I do not	לֹ֣א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
know	יָדַ֔עְתִּי	yā·ḏa‘·tî	Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular	H3045 know
he answered	וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
I	אָנֹֽכִי׃	’ā·nō·ḵî	Pronoun - first person common singular	H595 I
my brother’s	אָחִ֖י	’ā·ḥî	Noun - masculine singular construct; first person common singular	H251 brother
keeper	הֲשֹׁמֵ֥ר	hă·šō·mêr	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H8104 keep, watch, preserve

Genesis 4:10

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
What	מֶ֣ה	meh	Interrogative	H4100 what? how? aught
have you done	עָשִׂ֑יתָ	‘ā·śî·ṯā	Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singular	H6213 do, make
replied	וַיֹּ֖אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
The voice	ק֚וֹל	qō·wl	Noun - masculine singular construct	H6963 sound, voice
of your brother’s	אָחִ֔יךָ	’ā·ḥî·ḵā	Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H251 brother
blood	דְּמֵ֣י	də·mê	Noun - masculine plural construct	H1818 blood
cries out	צֹעֲקִ֥ים	ṣō·‘ă·qîm	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural	H6817 cry, cry out, call
to Me	אֵלַ֖י	’ê·lay	Preposition; first person common singular	H413 motion to
from	מִן־	min-	Preposition	H4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
the ground	הָֽאֲדָמָֽה׃	hā·’ă·ḏā·māh	Article; Noun - feminine singular	H127 ground, land

Cross-references

Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.

Genesis 4:8 Matthew 23:35 · 1 John 3:12–15 · Jude 1:11 · Proverbs 26:24–26 · Luke 11:51 · 2 Samuel 14:6 · Psalm 24:3–6 · Hebrews 12:24 · 2 Samuel 13:26–28 · Micah 7:6 · 2 Samuel 20:9–10 · Psalm 55:21

Genesis 4:9 Proverbs 28:13 · John 8:44 · Psalm 9:12 · Psalm 10:13–14

Genesis 4:10 Hebrews 12:24 · Hebrews 11:4 · Psalm 72:14 · Isaiah 5:7 · James 5:4 · Psalm 9:12 · Revelation 6:9–10 · Numbers 35:33 · Job 16:18 · Job 31:38–39 · Genesis 9:5

Cross-references from OpenBible.info, used under CC BY 4.0. The best-supported references for each verse are shown.

Scripture text: Berean Standard Bible.