Christian Standard Bible
Genesis 4:14
14Since you are banishing me today from the face of the earth, and I must hide from your presence and become a restless wanderer on the earth, whoever finds me will kill me.”
Genesis 4:14 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.
- New International Version (NIV)Today you are driving me from the land, and I will be hidden from your presence; I will be a restless wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me."
- New King James Version (NKJV)Surely You have driven me out this day from the face of the ground; I shall be hidden from Your face; I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond on the earth, and it will happen that anyone who finds me will kill me.”
Context of Genesis 4:14
12If you work the ground, it will never again give you its yield. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.” 13But Cain answered the Lord, “My punishment is too great to bear! Since you are banishing me today from the face of the earth, and I must hide from your presence and become a restless wanderer on the earth, whoever finds me will kill me.” 15Then the Lord replied to him, “In that case, whoever kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” And he placed a mark on Cain so that whoever found him would not kill him. 16Then Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
Read all of Genesis 4Genesis 4:14 word by word
הֵן֩ גֵּרַ֨שְׁתָּ אֹתִ֜י הַיּ֗וֹם מֵעַל֙ פְּנֵ֣י הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה וּמִפָּנֶ֖יךָ אֶסָּתֵ֑ר וְהָיִ֜יתִי נָ֤ע וָנָד֙ בָּאָ֔רֶץ וְהָיָ֥ה כָל־מֹצְאִ֖י יַֽהַרְגֵֽנִי׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Behold, thou hast driven me outגָּרַשׁgârash · to drive out: drive outH1644
- this dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- from the faceפָּנֶהpânîym · face: surfaceH6440
- of the earthאֲדָמָה'ădâmâh · land: soilH127
- and fromעַל‛al · uponH5921
- thy faceפָּנֶהpânîym · faceH6440
- shall I be hidסָתַרsâthar · to hideH5641
- and I shall be a fugitiveנוּעַnûa‛ · to shakeH5128
- and a vagabondנוּדnûd · to wanderH5110
- in the earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- and it shall come to passהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
- every one that findeth meמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
- shall slay meהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
Cross-references for Genesis 4:14
- Job 15:20A wicked person writhes in pain all his days, throughout the number of years reserved for the ruthless.
- Proverbs 14:32The wicked one is thrown down by his own sin, but the righteous one has a refuge in his death.
- Proverbs 28:1The wicked flee when no one is pursuing them, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
- Isaiah 8:22They will look toward the earth and see only distress, darkness, and the gloom of affliction, and they will be driven into thick darkness.
- Hosea 13:3Therefore, they will be like the morning mist, like the early dew that vanishes, like chaff blown from a threshing floor, or like smoke from a window.
- Genesis 4:16Then Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
- Job 21:14Yet they say to God, “Leave us alone! We don’t want to know your ways.
- Psalms 51:11Do not banish me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.
- Psalms 143:7Answer me quickly, Lord; my spirit fails. Don’t hide your face from me, or I will be like those going down to the Pit.
- Matthew 25:41“Then he will also say to those on the left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels!
- 2 Thessalonians 1:9They will pay the penalty of eternal destruction from the Lord’s presence and from his glorious strength
- Deuteronomy 28:65You will find no peace among those nations, and there will be no resting place for the sole of your foot. There the Lord will give you a trembling heart, failing eyes, and a despondent spirit.
- Psalms 109:10Let his children wander as beggars, searching for food far from their demolished homes.
- Genesis 4:12If you work the ground, it will never again give you its yield. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.”
- Genesis 4:15Then the Lord replied to him, “In that case, whoever kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” And he placed a mark on Cain so that whoever found him would not kill him.
- Genesis 9:5And I will require a penalty for your lifeblood; I will require it from any animal and from any human; if someone murders a fellow human, I will require that person’s life.
Commentaries on Genesis 4:14
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 14Behold, thou hast driven me out - In Genesis 4:11, Genesis 4:12, God states two parts of Cain's punishment: The ground was cursed, so that it was not to yield any adequate recompense for his most careful tillage. He was to be a fugitive and a vagabond having no place in which he could dwell with comfort or security. To these Cain himself adds others. His being hidden from the face of God; which appears to signify his being expelled from that particular…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
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-15Verses 8-15 Malice in the heart ends in murder by the hands. Cain slew Abel, his own brother, his own mother's son, whom he ought to have loved; his younger brother, whom he ought to have protected; a good brother, who had never done him any wrong. What fatal effects were these of our first parents' sin, and how must their hearts have been filled with anguish! Observe the pride, unbelief, and impenitence of Cain. He denies the crime, as if he could…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13-14For Cain, being driven from the land (the place where he worked as a farmer; see 4:2; compare 3:23) meant being separated from God’s presence. God warned the Israelites to remain faithful to the Sinai covenant. If not, he would force them to leave the promised land. This would also mean separation from God's presence in the temple (see, for example, Leviticus 26:27–32).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 13-1413-14. And Cain said ... My punishment is greater than I can bear--What an overwhelming sense of misery; but no sign of penitence, nor cry for pardon.Read the comment
Topics related to Genesis 4:14
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
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