4:1 Now 1 the man had marital relations with 2 his wife Eve, and she became pregnant 3 and gave birth to Cain. Then she said, “I have created 4 a man just as the Lord did!” 5
2:1 The heavens and the earth 6 were completed with everything that was in them. 7
1 tn The disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) introduces a new episode in the ongoing narrative.
2 tn Heb “the man knew,” a frequent euphemism for sexual relations.
3 tn Or “she conceived.”
4 tn Here is another sound play (paronomasia) on a name. The sound of the verb קָנִיתִי (qaniti, “I have created”) reflects the sound of the name Cain in Hebrew (קַיִן, qayin) and gives meaning to it. The saying uses the Qal perfect of קָנָה (qanah). There are two homonymic verbs with this spelling, one meaning “obtain, acquire” and the other meaning “create” (see Gen 14:19, 22; Deut 32:6; Ps 139:13; Prov 8:22). The latter fits this context very well. Eve has created a man.
5 tn Heb “with the
6 tn See the note on the phrase “the heavens and the earth” in 1:1.
7 tn Heb “and all the host of them.” Here the “host” refers to all the entities and creatures that God created to populate the world.
8 tn Heb “But Abel brought, also he….” The disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) stresses the contrast between Cain’s offering and Abel’s.
9 tn Two prepositional phrases are used to qualify the kind of sacrifice that Abel brought: “from the firstborn” and “from the fattest of them.” These also could be interpreted as a hendiadys: “from the fattest of the firstborn of the flock.” Another option is to understand the second prepositional phrase as referring to the fat portions of the sacrificial sheep. In this case one may translate, “some of the firstborn of his flock, even some of their fat portions” (cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV).
10 tn The Hebrew verb שָׁעָה (sha’ah) simply means “to gaze at, to have regard for, to look on with favor [or “with devotion”].” The text does not indicate how this was communicated, but it indicates that Cain and Abel knew immediately. Either there was some manifestation of divine pleasure given to Abel and withheld from Cain (fire consuming the sacrifice?), or there was an inner awareness of divine response.
11 sn The Letter to the Hebrews explains the difference between the brothers as one of faith – Abel by faith offered a better sacrifice. Cain’s offering as well as his reaction to God’s displeasure did not reflect faith. See further B. K. Waltke, “Cain and His Offering,” WTJ 48 (1986): 363-72.
12 tn Heb “and it was hot to Cain.” This Hebrew idiom means that Cain “burned” with anger.
13 tn Heb “And his face fell.” The idiom means that the inner anger is reflected in Cain’s facial expression. The fallen or downcast face expresses anger, dejection, or depression. Conversely, in Num 6 the high priestly blessing speaks of the
14 tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to clarify that the Greek pronoun and verb are plural.
15 tn Many translations read “You are of your father the devil” (KJV, ASV, RSV, NASB) or “You belong to your father, the devil” (NIV), but the Greek preposition ἐκ (ek) emphasizes the idea of source or origin. Jesus said his opponents were the devil’s very offspring (a statement which would certainly infuriate them).
16 tn Grk “the desires of your father you want to do.”
17 tn Grk “That one” (referring to the devil).
18 tn Grk “he does not stand in the truth” (in the sense of maintaining, upholding, or accepting the validity of it).
19 tn Grk “Whenever he speaks the lie.”
20 tn Grk “he speaks from his own.”
21 tn Grk “because he is a liar and the father of it.”
22 tn Grk “of the faith, the one [existing] in uncircumcision.”
23 tn Grk “that he might be,” giving the purpose of v. 11a.
24 tn Grk “through uncircumcision.”
25 tn Grk “the father of circumcision.”
26 tn Grk “the ‘in-uncircumcision faith’ of our father Abraham.”