Genesis 4:9

NETBible

Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” 1  And he replied, “I don’t know! Am I my brother’s guardian?” 2 

NIV ©

Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don’t know," he replied. "Am I my brother’s keeper?"

NASB ©

Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?"

NLT ©

Afterward the LORD asked Cain, "Where is your brother? Where is Abel?" "I don’t know!" Cain retorted. "Am I supposed to keep track of him wherever he goes?"

MSG ©

GOD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "How should I know? Am I his babysitter?"

BBE ©

And the Lord said to Cain, Where is your brother Abel? And he said, I have no idea: am I my brother’s keeper?

NRSV ©

Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" He said, "I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?"

NKJV ©

Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?"

KJV
And the LORD
<03068>
said
<0559> (8799)
unto Cain
<07014>_,
Where
<0335>
[is] Abel
<01893>
thy brother
<0251>_?
And he said
<0559> (8799)_,
I know
<03045> (8804)
not: [Am] I my brother's
<0251>
keeper
<08104> (8802)_?
NASB ©
Then the LORD
<3068>
said
<559>
to Cain
<7014>
, "Where
<335>
is Abel
<1893>
your brother
<251>
?" And he said
<559>
, "I do not know
<3045>
. Am I my brother's
<251>
keeper
<8104>
?"
LXXM
kai
<2532> 
CONJ
eipen {V-AAI-3S} o
<3588> 
T-NSM
yeov
<2316> 
N-NSM
prov
<4314> 
PREP
kain
<2535> 
N-PRI
pou
<4225> 
ADV
estin
<1510> 
V-PAI-3S
abel
<6> 
N-PRI
o
<3588> 
T-NSM
adelfov
<80> 
N-NSM
sou
<4771> 
P-GS
o
<3588> 
T-NSM
de
<1161> 
PRT
eipen {V-AAI-3S} ou
<3364> 
ADV
ginwskw
<1097> 
V-PAI-1S
mh
<3165> 
ADV
fulax
<5441> 
N-NSM
tou
<3588> 
T-GSM
adelfou
<80> 
N-GSM
mou
<1473> 
P-GS
eimi
<1510> 
V-PAI-1S
egw
<1473> 
P-NS
NET [draft] ITL
Then the Lord
<03068>
said
<0559>
to
<0413>
Cain
<07014>
, “Where
<0335>
is your brother
<0251>
Abel
<01893>
?” And he replied
<0559>
, “I don’t
<03808>
know
<03045>
! Am I
<0595>
my brother’s
<0251>
guardian
<08104>
?”
HEBREW
ykna
<0595>
yxa
<0251>
rmsh
<08104>
ytedy
<03045>
al
<03808>
rmayw
<0559>
Kyxa
<0251>
lbh
<01893>
ya
<0335>
Nyq
<07014>
la
<0413>
hwhy
<03068>
rmayw (4:9)
<0559>
NETBible

Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” 1  And he replied, “I don’t know! Am I my brother’s guardian?” 2 

NET Notes

1 sn Where is Abel your brother? Again the Lord confronts a guilty sinner with a rhetorical question (see Gen 3:9-13), asking for an explanation of what has happened.

2 tn Heb “The one guarding my brother [am] I?”

2 sn Am I my brother’s guardian? Cain lies and then responds with a defiant rhetorical question of his own in which he repudiates any responsibility for his brother. But his question is ironic, for he is responsible for his brother’s fate, especially if he wanted to kill him. See P. A. Riemann, “Am I My Brother’s Keeper?” Int 24 (1970): 482-91.