American Standard Version
Genesis 4:7
7If thou doest well, shall it not be lifted up? and if thou doest not well, sin coucheth at the door; and unto thee shall be its desire; but do thou rule over it.
Genesis 4:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
- New International Version (NIV)If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it."
- New King James Version (NKJV)If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.”
Context of Genesis 4:7
5but unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. 6And Jehovah said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? If thou doest well, shall it not be lifted up? and if thou doest not well, sin coucheth at the door; and unto thee shall be its desire; but do thou rule over it. 8And Cain told Abel his brother. And it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. 9And Jehovah said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: am I my brother’s keeper?
Read all of Genesis 4Genesis 4:7 word by word
הֲל֤וֹא אִם־תֵּיטִיב֙ שְׂאֵ֔ת וְאִם֙ לֹ֣א תֵיטִ֔יב לַפֶּ֖תַח חַטָּ֣את רֹבֵ֑ץ וְאֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ תְּשׁ֣וּקָת֔וֹ וְאַתָּ֖ה תִּמְשָׁל־בּֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Cross-references for Genesis 4:7
- Genesis 19:21And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow the city of which thou hast spoken.
- 2 Samuel 24:23all this, O king, doth Araunah give unto the king. And Araunah said unto the king, Jehovah thy God accept thee.
- 2 Kings 8:28And he went with Joram the son of Ahab to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead: and the Syrians wounded Joram.
- Job 42:8Now therefore, take unto you seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt-offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you; for him will I accept, that I deal not with you after your folly; for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.
- Proverbs 18:5To respect the person of the wicked is not good, Norto turn aside the righteous in judgment.
- Ecclesiastes 8:12Though a sinner do evil a hundred times, and prolong his days, yet surely I know that it shall be well with them that fear God, that fear before him:
- Isaiah 3:10Say ye of the righteous, that it shall be well with him; for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.
- Jeremiah 6:20To what purpose cometh there to me frankincense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt-offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices pleasing unto me.
- Malachi 1:8And when ye offer the blind for sacrifice, it is no evil! and when ye offer the lame and sick, it is no evil! Present it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee? or will he accept thy person? saith Jehovah of hosts.
- Acts 10:35but in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is acceptable to him.
- Romans 2:7to them that by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruption, eternal life:
- Romans 12:1I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service.
- Romans 14:18For he that herein serveth Christ is well-pleasing to God, and approved of men.
- Romans 15:16that I should be a minister of Christ Jesus unto the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be made acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
- Ephesians 1:6to the praise of the glory of his grace, which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved:
- 1 Timothy 5:4But if any widow hath children or grandchildren, let them learn first to show piety towards their own family, and to requite their parents: for this is acceptable in the sight of God.
Commentaries on Genesis 4:7
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 7If thou doest well - That which is right in the sight of God, shalt thou not be accepted? Does God reject any man who serves him in simplicity and godly sincerity? But if thou doest not well, can wrath and indignation against thy righteous brother save thee from the displeasure under which thou art fallen? On the contrary, have recourse to thy Maker for mercy; רבץ חטאת לפתח lappethach chattath robets, a sin-offering lieth at thy door; an animal proper to…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-16Verses 1-16 - Section IV - The Family of Adam - Cain and Abel 1. קין qayı̂n Qain (Cain), “spear-shaft,” and קנה qānah “set up, establish, gain, buy,” contain the biliteral root קן qan “set up, erect, gain.” The relations of root words are not confined to the narrow rules of our common etymology, but really extend to such instinctive usages as the unlettered speaker will invent or employ. A full examination of the Hebrew tongue leads to the conclusion…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7sin is crouching at your door … you must master it: Sin is like a wild animal ready to attack Cain (see study note on 3:16). Either sin will control Cain, or Cain will fight against the urge to sin. There is no middle ground in this struggle.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 77. If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?--A better rendering is, "Shalt thou not have the excellency"? which is the true sense of the words referring to the high privileges and authority belonging to the first-born in patriarchal times. sin lieth at the door--sin, that is, a sin offering--a common meaning of the word in Scripture (as in Ho 4:8; 2Co 5:21; He 9:28). The purport of the divine rebuke to Cain was this, "Why art thou angry, as if…Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 4:7
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Genesis 4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries