Hebrews 11:4

11:4 By faith Abel offered God a greater sacrifice than Cain, and through his faith ¹  he was commended as righteous, because God commended him for his offerings. And through his faith ²  he still speaks, though he is dead.

Genesis 4:10

4:10 But the Lord said, “What have you done? ³  The voice ⁴  of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground!

Matthew 23:35

23:35 so that on you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, ⁵  whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

Luke 11:51

11:51 from the blood of Abel ⁶  to the blood of Zechariah, ⁷  who was killed ⁸  between the altar and the sanctuary. ⁹  Yes, I tell you, it will be charged against ¹⁰  this generation.

¹ tn Or “through his sacrifice”; Grk “through which.”

² tn Or “through his sacrifice”; Grk “through it.”

³ sn What have you done? Again the Lord’s question is rhetorical (see Gen 3:13), condemning Cain for his sin.

⁴ tn The word “voice” is a personification; the evidence of Abel’s shed blood condemns Cain, just as a human eyewitness would testify in court. For helpful insights, see G. von Rad, Biblical Interpretations in Preaching; and L. Morris, “The Biblical Use of the Term ‘Blood,’” JTS 6 (1955/56): 77-82.

⁵ sn Spelling of this name (Βαραχίου, Baraciou) varies among the English versions: “Barachiah” (RSV, NRSV); “Berechiah” (NASB); “Berachiah” (NIV).

⁶ sn Gen 4:10 indicates that Abel’s blood cried out for justice.

⁷ sn It is not clear which Zechariah is meant here. It is probably the person mentioned in 2 Chr 24:20-25.

⁸ tn Or “who perished.”

⁹ tn Or “and the temple”; Grk “and the house,” but in this context a reference to the house of God as a place of sanctuary.

¹⁰ tn Or “required from.”