20 August 2022
(4:1) knew. The term refers to sexual intercourse.
(4:1) Cain. Hebrew qyn, which some have identified with the word "smith," as appears to be borne out by his later descendants, in particular Tubal-Cain. See here.
(4:1) created. The Hebrew verb here is contested. See here.
(4:1) with. Hebrew ʾet, a preposition which is disputed in meaning in this particular spot. See here.
(4:1) Yahweh. Here Genesis stops calling the deity "Yahweh God" and begins using the more common just "Yahweh."
(4:2) Cain and Abel. On how this verse portrays the two brothers, see here.
(4:2) Abel. Hebrew HBL, also a Hebrew word for a vapor or temporary or futile thing.
(4:2) sheep. Hebrew ṢʾN. Strictly speaking, the term is broader than the English "sheep", and can include goats as well. We might more precisely say Abel was a "keeper of ovicaprids", but that would be ugly. One almost imagines a congregation intoning a revised 23rd Psalm: "The Lord is my ovicaprid keeper, I shall not want. ..."
(4:2) tiller of the ground. Hebrew ʿBD ʾDMH, which by an emendation of the vowels could be read "slave of the ground". Emendation or not, Cain is living out the curse upon his father.
(4:3) produce of the ground. Hebrew pᵉri ha-ʾadama. On the meaning of this phrase, see here.
(4:4) and of its fat. On the precise meaning of this phrase, see here.
(4:4-5) looked favorably. See here.
(4:7) This verse is notoriously difficult, perhaps unintelligible, and this rendering above should be seen only as an extremely rough attempt to squeeze some meaning out of it. See |here.
(4:8) said. Said what? The text is difficult here. See here.
(4:9) On the meaning of Cain's response, see here.
(4:10) On the ancient context of this verse, see here.
(4:12) wanderer. The Hebrew word is clearly related to the "Nod" which will appear shortly.
(4:13) punishment. ASV margin suggests one could instead read, "iniquity".
(4:13) than I can bear.* ASV margin suggests one could instead read, "than can be forgiven."
(4:14) whoever finds me. How many people are on the earth at this point? See here.
(4:15) For various notes on this verse, see here.
(4:16) land of Nod. On this "land," see here.
(4:16) east of. ASV marginal note: "Or, in front of."
(4:17) For various notes on this verse, see here.
(4:18) Mehuyael, and Mehiyael. Often spelled Mehujael in English. See here.
(4:19) On Lamek and his two wives, see here.
(4:20) dwell with livestock and tents. On this phrase, see here.
(4:22) hammerer of every sharpener. On this odd phrase, see here.
(4:23) I have slain. ASV marginal note: "Or, I will slay".
(4:23) for wounding me, and a youth for hurting me. To paraphrase an ASV marginal note: "Or, to my wounding, and a youth to my hurt."
(4:25) Seth. Hebrew šet.
(4:25) appointed. Hebrew šat.
(4:25) seed. A Hebrew idiom for "offspring" or "descendant".
(4:25) because Cain killed him. It is unclear whether this is part of Eve's statement, or whether it is part of the narrator's explanation for Eve's statement. In any case, a translation without quotation marks can leave this for the reader to decide.
(4:26) Enosh means "human" or "man", and is a synonym of the name Adam. We might say that Enosh is named after his grandfather. The Enosh-Kenan lineage that will follow is a strikingly similar lineage to the Adam-Cain lineage.
(4:26) Then was begun. The phrase "calling upon the name of Yahweh" is associated with the ritual of sacrifice.
(4:26) Yahweh. The Septuagint reads the Lord God. For other notes on this verse, see here.
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