2 And she again H3254 bare H3205 his brother H251 Abel. H1893 And Abel H1893 was a keeper H7462 of sheep, H6629 but Cain H7014 was a tiller H5647 of the ground. H127
Whosoever G3956 hateth G3404 his G846 brother G80 is G2076 a murderer: G443 and G2532 ye know G1492 that G3754 no G3756 G3956 murderer G443 hath G2192 eternal G166 life G2222 abiding G3306 in G1722 him. G846
From G575 the blood G129 of Abel G6 unto G2193 the blood G129 of Zacharias, G2197 which G3588 perished G622 between G3342 the altar G2379 and G2532 the temple: G3624 verily G3483 I say G3004 unto you, G5213 It shall be required G1567 of G575 this G5026 generation. G1074
In G1722 this G5129 the children G5043 of God G2316 are G2076 manifest, G5318 and G2532 the children G5043 of the devil: G1228 whosoever G3956 doeth G4160 not G3361 righteousness G1343 is G2076 not G3756 of G1537 God, G2316 neither G2532 he that loveth G25 not G3361 his G846 brother. G80
Not G3756 as G2531 Cain, G2535 who was G2258 of G1537 that wicked one, G4190 and G2532 slew G4969 his G846 brother. G80 And G2532 wherefore G5484 G5101 slew G4969 he him? G846 Because G3754 his own G846 works G2041 were G2258 evil, G4190 and G1161 his G846 brother's G80 righteous. G1342
Ye G5210 are G2075 of G1537 your father G3962 the devil, G1228 and G2532 the lusts G1939 of your G5216 father G3962 ye will G2309 do. G4160 He G1565 was G2258 a murderer G443 from G575 the beginning, G746 and G2532 abode G2476 not G3756 in G1722 the truth, G225 because G3754 there is G2076 no G3756 truth G225 in G1722 him. G846 When G3752 he speaketh G2980 a lie, G5579 he speaketh G2980 of G1537 his own: G2398 for G3754 he is G2076 a liar, G5583 and G2532 the father G3962 of it. G846
Therefore the LORD H3068 God H430 sent him forth H7971 from the garden H1588 of Eden, H5731 to till H5647 the ground H127 from whence he was taken. H3947
And Adam H120 knew H3045 his wife H802 again; H5750 and she bare H3205 a son, H1121 and called H7121 his name H8034 Seth: H8352 For God, H430 said she, hath appointed H7896 me another H312 seed H2233 instead H8478 of Abel, H1893 whom H3588 Cain H7014 slew. H2026 And to Seth, H8352 to him H1931 also there was born H3205 a son; H1121 and he called H7121 his name H8034 Enos: H583 then began men H2490 to call H7121 upon the name H8034 of the LORD. H3068
And he said H559 unto him, Thou knowest H3045 how H834 I have served H5647 thee, and how H834 thy cattle H4735 was with me. For it was little H4592 which thou hadst before I H6440 came, and it is now increased H6555 unto a multitude; H7230 and the LORD H3068 hath blessed H1288 thee since my coming: H7272 and now when H4970 shall I provide H6213 for mine own house H1004 also? And he said, H559 What shall I give thee? H5414 And Jacob H3290 said, H559 Thou shalt not give H5414 me any thing: H3972 if thou wilt do H6213 this thing H1697 for me, I will again H7725 feed H7462 and keep H8104 thy flock: H6629
And Israel H3478 said H559 unto Joseph, H3130 Do not thy brethren H251 feed H7462 the flock in Shechem? H7927 come, H3212 and I will send thee H7971 unto them. And he said H559 to him, Here am I.
And the men H582 are shepherds, H7462 H6629 for their trade hath been to feed cattle; H4735 and they have brought H935 their flocks, H6629 and their herds, H1241 and all that they have. And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh H6547 shall call H7121 you, and shall say, H559 What is your occupation? H4639 That ye shall say, H559 Thy servants' H5650 trade H582 hath been about cattle H4735 from our youth H5271 even until now, both we, and also our fathers: H1 that ye may dwell H3427 in the land H776 of Goshen; H1657 for every shepherd H7462 H6629 is an abomination H8441 unto the Egyptians. H4714
Now Moses H4872 kept H1961 H7462 the flock H6629 of Jethro H3503 his father in law, H2859 the priest H3548 of Midian: H4080 and he led H5090 the flock H6629 to the backside H310 of the desert, H4057 and came H935 to the mountain H2022 of God, H430 even to Horeb. H2722
He chose H977 David H1732 also his servant, H5650 and took H3947 him from the sheepfolds: H4356 H6629 From following H310 the ewes great with young H5763 he brought H935 him to feed H7462 Jacob H3290 his people, H5971 and Israel H3478 his inheritance. H5159 So he fed H7462 them according to the integrity H8537 of his heart; H3824 and guided H5148 them by the skilfulness H8394 of his hands. H3709
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Genesis 4
Commentary on Genesis 4 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 4
In this chapter we have both the world and the church in a family, in a little family, in Adam's family, and a specimen given of the character and state of both in after-ages, nay, in all ages, to the end of time. As all mankind were represented in Adam, so that great distinction of mankind into saints and sinners, godly and wicked, the children of God and the children of the wicked one, was here represented in Cain and Abel, and an early instance is given of the enmity which was lately put between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. We have here,
Gen 4:1-2
Adam and Eve had many sons and daughters, ch. 5:4. But Cain and Abel seem to have been the two eldest. Some think they were twins, and, as Esau and Jacob, the elder hated and the younger loved. Though God had cast our first parents out of paradise, he did not write them childless; but, to show that he had other blessings in store for them, he preserved to them the benefit of that first blessing of increase. Though they were sinners, nay, though they felt the humiliation and sorrow of penitents, they did not write themselves comfortless, having the promise of a Saviour to support themselves with. We have here,
Gen 4:3-5
Here we have,
Gen 4:6-7
God is here reasoning with Cain, to convince him of the sin and folly of his anger and discontent, and to bring him into a good temper again, that further mischief might be prevented. It is an instance of God's patience and condescending goodness that he would deal thus tenderly with so bad a man, in so bad an affair. He is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Thus the father of the prodigal argued the case with the elder son (Lu. 15:28, etc.), and God with those Israelites who said, The way of the Lord is not equal, Eze. 18:25.
Gen 4:8
We have here the progress of Cain's anger, and the issue of it in Abel's murder, which may be considered two ways:-
Gen 4:9-12
We have here a full account of the trial and condemnation of the first murderer. Civil courts of judicature not being yet erected for this purpose, as they were afterwards (ch. 9:6), God himself sits Judge; for he is the God to whom vengeance belongs, and who will be sure to make inquisition for blood, especially the blood of saints. Observe,
This was the sentence passed upon Cain; and even in this there was mercy mixed, inasmuch as he was not immediately cut off, but had space given him to repent; for God is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish.
Gen 4:13-15
We have here a further account of the proceedings against Cain.
Gen 4:16-18
We have here a further account of Cain, and what became of him after he was rejected of God.
Gen 4:19-22
We have here some particulars concerning Lamech, the seventh from Adam in the line of Cain. Observe,
Gen 4:23-24
By this speech of Lamech, which is here recorded, and probably was much talked of in those times, he further appears to have been a wicked man, as Cain's accursed race generally were. Observe,
Now this is all we have upon record in scripture concerning the family and posterity of cursed Cain, till we find them all cut off and perishing in the universal deluge.
Gen 4:25-26
This is the first mention of Adam in the story of this chapter. No question, the murder of Abel, and the impenitence and apostasy of Cain, were a very great grief to him and Eve, and the more because their own wickedness did now correct them and their backslidings did reprove them. Their folly had given sin and death entrance into the world; and now they smarted by it, being, by means thereof, deprived of both their sons in one day, ch. 27:45. When parents are grieved by their children's wickedness they should take occasion thence to lament that corruption of nature which was derived from them, and which is the root of bitterness. But here we have that which was a relief to our first parents in their affliction.