Genesis 4:1-2

The Story of Cain and Abel

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  4:2 Then she gave birth ⁶  to his brother Abel. ⁷  Abel took care of the flocks, while Cain cultivated the ground. ⁸ 

Genesis 16:1

The Birth of Ishmael

16:1 Now Sarai, ⁹  Abram’s wife, had not given birth to any children, ¹⁰  but she had an Egyptian servant ¹¹  named Hagar. ¹² 

Genesis 20:3

20:3 But God appeared ¹³  to Abimelech in a dream at night and said to him, “You are as good as dead ¹⁴  because of the woman you have taken, for she is someone else’s wife.” ¹⁵ 

Job 4:5

4:5 But now the same thing ¹⁶  comes to you,

and you are discouraged; ¹⁷ 

it strikes you,

and you are terrified. ¹⁸ 

Job 34:31-32

Job Is Foolish to Rebel

34:31 “Has anyone said to God,

‘I have endured chastisement, ¹⁹ 

but I will not act wrongly any more.

34:32 Teach me what I cannot see. ²⁰ 

If I have done evil, I will do so no more.’

Job 40:5

40:5 I have spoken once, but I cannot answer;

twice, but I will say no more.” ²¹ 

Matthew 3:8

3:8 Therefore produce fruit ²²  that proves your ²³  repentance,

Romans 13:12

13:12 The night has advanced toward dawn; the day is near. So then we must lay aside the works of darkness, and put on the weapons of light.

Titus 2:11-12

2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people. ²⁴  2:12 It trains us ²⁵  to reject godless ways ²⁶  and worldly desires and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age,

Titus 2:1

Conduct Consistent with Sound Teaching

2:1 But as for you, communicate the behavior that goes with ²⁷  sound teaching.

Titus 1:2-3

1:2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the ages began. ²⁸  1:3 But now in his own time ²⁹  he has made his message evident through the preaching I was entrusted with according to the command of God our Savior.

[4:1]  ¹ tn The disjunctive clause (conjunction + subject + verb) introduces a new episode in the ongoing narrative.

[4:1]  ² tn Heb “the man knew,” a frequent euphemism for sexual relations.

[4:1]  ³ tn Or “she conceived.”

[4:1]  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.

[4:1]  ⁵ tn Heb “with the Lord.” The particle אֶת־ (’et) is not the accusative/object sign, but the preposition “with” as the ancient versions attest. Some take the preposition in the sense of “with the help of” (see BDB 85 s.v. אֵת; cf. NEB, NIV, NRSV), while others prefer “along with” in the sense of “like, equally with, in common with” (see Lev 26:39; Isa 45:9; Jer 23:28). Either works well in this context; the latter is reflected in the present translation. Some understand אֶת־ as the accusative/object sign and translate, “I have acquired a man – the Lord.” They suggest that the woman thought (mistakenly) that she had given birth to the incarnate Lord, the Messiah who would bruise the Serpent’s head. This fanciful suggestion is based on a questionable allegorical interpretation of Gen 3:15 (see the note there on the word “heel”).

[4:2]  ⁶ tn Heb “And she again gave birth.”

[4:2]  ⁷ sn The name Abel is not defined here in the text, but the tone is ominous. Abel’s name, the Hebrew word הֶבֶל (hevel), means “breath, vapor, vanity,” foreshadowing Abel’s untimely and premature death.

[4:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “and Abel was a shepherd of the flock, and Cain was a worker of the ground.” The designations of the two occupations are expressed with active participles, רֹעֵה (ro’eh, “shepherd”) and עֹבֵד (’oved, “worker”). Abel is occupied with sheep, whereas Cain is living under the curse, cultivating the ground.

[16:1]  ⁹ tn The disjunctive clause signals the beginning of a new episode in the story.

[16:1]  ¹⁰ sn On the cultural background of the story of Sarai’s childlessness see J. Van Seters, “The Problem of Childlessness in Near Eastern Law and the Patriarchs of Israel,” JBL 87 (1968): 401-8.

[16:1]  ¹¹ tn The Hebrew term שִׁפְחָה (shifkhah, translated “servant” here and in vv. 2, 3, 5, 6, and 8) refers to a menial female servant.

[16:1]  ¹² sn The passage records the birth of Ishmael to Abram through an Egyptian woman. The story illustrates the limits of Abram’s faith as he tries to obtain a son through social custom. The barrenness of Sarai poses a challenge to Abram’s faith, just as the famine did in chap. 12. As in chap. 12, an Egyptian figures prominently. (Perhaps Hagar was obtained as a slave during Abram’s stay in Egypt.)

[20:3]  ¹³ tn Heb “came.”

[20:3]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “Look, you [are] dead.” The Hebrew construction uses the particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) with a second person pronominal particle הִנֵּה (hinneh) with by the participle. It is a highly rhetorical expression.

[20:3]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “and she is owned by an owner.” The disjunctive clause is causal or explanatory in this case.

[4:5]  ¹⁶ tn The sentence has no subject, but the context demands that the subject be the same kind of trouble that has come upon people that Job has helped.

[4:5]  ¹⁷ tn This is the same verb used in v. 2, meaning “to be exhausted” or “impatient.” Here with the vav (ו) consecutive the verb describes Job’s state of mind that is a consequence of the trouble coming on him. In this sentence the form is given a present tense translation (see GKC 329 §111.t).

[4:5]  ¹⁸ tn This final verb in the verse is vivid; it means “to terrify, dismay” (here the Niphal preterite). Job will go on to speak about all the terrors that come on him.

[34:31]  ¹⁹ tn The Hebrew text has only “I lift up” or “I bear” (= I endure). The reading “I have been led astray” is obtained by changing the vowels to read a passive. If the MT is retained, an object has to be supplied, such as “chastisement” (so RSV, NASB) or “punishment” (NRSV). If not, then a different reading would be followed (e.g., “I was misguided” [NAB]; “I am guilty” [NIV]).

[34:32]  ²⁰ tn Heb “what I do not see,” more specifically, “apart from [that which] I see.”

[40:5]  ²¹ tn Heb “I will not add.”

[3:8]  ²² sn Fruit worthy of repentance refers to the deeds that indicate a change of attitude (heart) on the part of John’s hearers.

[3:8]  ²³ tn Grk “fruit worthy of.”

[2:11]  ²⁴ tn Grk “all men”; but ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpois) is generic here, referring to both men and women.

[2:12]  ²⁵ tn Grk “training us” (as a continuation of the previous clause). Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started at the beginning of v. 12 by translating the participle παιδεύουσα (paideuousa) as a finite verb and supplying the pronoun “it” as subject.

[2:12]  ²⁶ tn Grk “ungodliness.”

[2:1]  ²⁷ tn Grk “say what is fitting for sound teaching” (introducing the behavior called for in this chapter.).

[1:2]  ²⁸ tn Grk “before eternal ages.”

[1:3]  ²⁹ tn The Greek text emphasizes the contrast between vv. 2b and 3a: God promised this long ago but now has revealed it in his own time.