Genesis

Genesis 4:9–12

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. 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.”

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 4:9

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
And the LORDיְהוָה֙Yah·wehNoun - proper - masculine singularH3068 Yahweh
saidוַיֹּ֤אמֶרway·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
toאֶל־’el-PrepositionH413 motion to
Cainקַ֔יִןqa·yinNoun - proper - masculine singularH7014 Cain
Whereאֵ֖י’êInterrogativeH335 where?
your brotherאָחִ֑יךָ’ā·ḥî·ḵāNoun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singularH251 brother
Abelהֶ֣בֶלhe·ḇelNoun - proper - masculine singularH1893 Hebel
I do notלֹ֣אlōAdverb - Negative particleH3808 not
knowיָדַ֔עְתִּיyā·ḏa‘·tîVerb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singularH3045 know
he answeredוַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙way·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
Iאָנֹֽכִי׃’ā·nō·ḵîPronoun - first person common singularH595 I
my brother’sאָחִ֖י’ā·ḥîNoun - masculine singular construct; first person common singularH251 brother
keeperהֲשֹׁמֵ֥רhă·šō·mêrVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularH8104 keep, watch, preserve

Genesis 4:10

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Whatמֶ֣הmehInterrogativeH4100 what? how? aught
have you doneעָשִׂ֑יתָ‘ā·śî·ṯāVerb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine singularH6213 do, make
repliedוַיֹּ֖אמֶרway·yō·merConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singularH559 utter, say
The voiceק֚וֹלqō·wlNoun - masculine singular constructH6963 sound, voice
of your brother’sאָחִ֔יךָ’ā·ḥî·ḵāNoun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singularH251 brother
bloodדְּמֵ֣יdə·mêNoun - masculine plural constructH1818 blood
cries outצֹעֲקִ֥יםṣō·‘ă·qîmVerb - Qal - Participle - masculine pluralH6817 cry, cry out, call
to Meאֵלַ֖י’ê·layPreposition; first person common singularH413 motion to
fromמִן־min-PrepositionH4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
the groundהָֽאֲדָמָֽה׃hā·’ă·ḏā·māhArticle; Noun - feminine singularH127 ground, land

Genesis 4:11

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Nowוְעַתָּ֖הwə·‘at·tāhConjunctive waw; AdverbH6258 now
youאָ֑תָּה’āt·tāhPronoun - second person masculine singularH859 thou
cursed and banishedאָר֣וּר’ā·rūrVerb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singularH779 curse
fromמִן־min-PrepositionH4480 out of, from, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not
the groundהָֽאֲדָמָה֙hā·’ă·ḏā·māhArticle; Noun - feminine singularH127 ground, land
whichאֲשֶׁ֣ר’ă·šerPronoun - relativeH834 particle of relation
has openedפָּצְתָ֣הpā·ṣə·ṯāhVerb - Qal - Perfect - third person feminine singularH6475 part, open
its mouthפִּ֔יהָpî·hāNoun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singularH6310 mouth
to receiveלָקַ֛חַתlā·qa·ḥaṯPreposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructH3947 take
your brother’sאָחִ֖יךָ’ā·ḥî·ḵāNoun - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singularH251 brother
bloodדְּמֵ֥יdə·mêNoun - masculine plural constructH1818 blood
from your handמִיָּדֶֽךָ׃mî·yā·ḏe·ḵāPreposition-m; Noun - feminine singular construct; second person masculine singularH3027 hand

Genesis 4:12

EnglishHebrewSounds likeGrammarWord study
Whenכִּ֤יkîConjunctionH3588 burning, branding
you tillתַֽעֲבֹד֙ṯa·‘ă·ḇōḏVerb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularH5647 work, serve
the groundהָ֣אֲדָמָ֔הhā·’ă·ḏā·māhArticle; Noun - feminine singularH127 ground, land
noלֹֽא־lō-Adverb - Negative particleH3808 not
longerתֹסֵ֥ףṯō·sêp̄Verb - Hifil - Imperfect Jussive - third person feminine singularH3254 add
yieldתֵּת־têṯ-Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructH5414 give, put, set
its produceכֹּחָ֖הּkō·ḥāhNoun - masculine singular construct; third person feminine singularH3581 strength, power
to youלָ֑ךְlāḵPreposition; second person feminine singular
You will beתִּֽהְיֶ֥הtih·yehVerb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularH1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
a fugitiveנָ֥עnā‘Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularH5128 quiver, wave, waver, tremble, totter
and a wandererוָנָ֖דwā·nāḏConjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularH5110 move to and fro, wander, flutter, shew grief
on the earthבָאָֽרֶץ׃ḇā·’ā·reṣPreposition-b, Article; Noun - feminine singularH776 earth, land

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

Genesis 4:12 Hosea 9:17 · Leviticus 26:36 · Leviticus 26:20 · Deuteronomy 28:23–24

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.