Genesis
Genesis 4:9–11
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. 11Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.
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 4:9
| 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 |
Genesis 4:11
| English | Hebrew | Sounds like | Grammar | Word study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Now | וְעַתָּ֖ה | wə·‘at·tāh | Conjunctive waw; Adverb | H6258 now |
| you | אָ֑תָּה | ’āt·tāh | Pronoun - second person masculine singular | H859 thou |
| cursed and banished | אָר֣וּר | ’ā·rūr | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular | H779 curse |
| from | מִן־ | min- | Preposition | H4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not |
| the ground | הָֽאֲדָמָה֙ | hā·’ă·ḏā·māh | Article; Noun - feminine singular | H127 ground, land |
| which | אֲשֶׁ֣ר | ’ă·šer | Pronoun - relative | H834 particle of relation |
| has opened | פָּצְתָ֣ה | pā·ṣə·ṯāh | Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singular | H6475 part, open |
| its mouth | פִּ֔יהָ | pî·hā | Noun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singular | H6310 mouth |
| to receive | לָקַ֛חַת | lā·qa·ḥaṯ | Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct | H3947 take |
| your brother’s | אָחִ֖יךָ | ’ā·ḥî·ḵā | Noun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular | H251 brother |
| blood | דְּמֵ֥י | də·mê | Noun - masculine plural construct | H1818 blood |
| from your hand | מִיָּדֶֽךָ׃ | mî·yā·ḏe·ḵā | Preposition-m; Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singular | H3027 hand |
Cross-references
Other passages that speak to the same thing. Point at one to read it.
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
Genesis 4:11 Galatians 3:10 · Job 16:18 · Deuteronomy 28:15–20 · Genesis 3:14 · Isaiah 26:21 · Genesis 4:14 · Job 31:38–40 · Deuteronomy 27:16–26 · Revelation 12:16 · Deuteronomy 29:19–21
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.