Genesis

Genesis 4:9–14

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.”

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.”

Footnotes

d 4:13 Or guilt or sin

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

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

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