Genesis 4:4

Genesis 4:4 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
• New International Version (NIV)And Abel also brought an offering—fat portions from some of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering,
• English Standard Version (ESV)and Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions. And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering,
• New King James Version (NKJV)Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering,

Context of Genesis 4:4

2Some time later, Eve gave birth to Cain's brother. She called him Abel. When they had grown to become men, Abel took care of sheep. Cain worked on the land as a farmer. 3One day, it was time for the harvest. Cain brought to the Lord some of his crops as an offering. But Abel brought to God some of the first lambs that his sheep had given birth to. He brought pieces of fat from the best of his lambs to offer them to God. Abel and his gift pleased the Lord. 5But God was not pleased with Cain and his gift. So Cain became very angry. His face looked sad. 6Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? Why do you look sad?

Genesis 4:4 word by word

וְהֶ֨בֶל הֵבִ֥יא גַם־ה֛וּא מִבְּכֹר֥וֹת צֹאנ֖וֹ וּמֵֽחֶלְבֵהֶ֑ן וַיִּ֣שַׁע יְהוָ֔ה אֶל־הֶ֖בֶל וְאֶל־מִנְחָתֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Abelהֶ֫בֶלhebel · AbelH1893
• heהוּאhû' hîy' · he/she/itH1931
• also broughtבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): bringH935
• of the firstlingsבְּכֹרָהbekôrâh bekôrâh · birthrightH1062
• of his flockצֹאןtsô'n tse'ôn · flockH6629
• and of the fatחֵ֫לֶבcheleb chêleb · fatH2459
• thereof. And the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• had respectשָׁעָהshâ‛âh · to gazeH8159
• and to his offeringמִנְחָהminchâh · offeringH4503

Cross-references for Genesis 4:4

• Exodus 13:12You must give to the Lord all the firstborn males. That includes your own firstborn sons, and the male animals that are born first. They belong to the Lord.
• Numbers 18:12I will give to you the best olive oil, the best wine and the best grain. The people give to the Lord the first part of these that they get.
• Proverbs 3:9Show that you respect the Lord in the way that you use your money. Offer the first part of the harvest from your farm to him.
• Hebrews 9:22God's Law taught that blood was necessary to make almost everything clean. We see that God does not forgive people for their sins unless there is blood from a death.
• 1 Peter 1:19Instead, he bought you with the very valuable blood of Christ, who died as a sacrifice for our sins. He died like a lamb that is completely good and has nothing wrong with it.
• Revelation 13:8Nearly all the people who live on the earth will worship the wild animal. But those people whose names are in the Lamb's book of life will not worship it. The Lamb wrote the names of these believers in his book from the beginning of the world. He is the Lamb that people killed as a sacrifice.
• Leviticus 3:16The priest will burn them as food on the altar. The smell of them while they are burning will give the Lord pleasure.
• Genesis 15:17Then the sun went down and it became dark. Abram saw a pot that had coals in it. The coals were burning and making smoke. There was also a branch that burned with bright fire. These passed between the halves of the animals that Abram had cut in two pieces.
• Leviticus 9:24Then the Lord sent a fire to show that he accepted the gifts. It completely burnt all the fat and the offerings that were on the altar. The people were very happy when they saw this. They shouted and they fell down with their faces to the ground.
• Numbers 16:35Then the Lord sent fire down. It killed the 250 men who were offering the incense to God.
• Judges 6:21Then the Lord's angel touched the meat and the bread with the end of the stick that he held in his hand. Fire came from the rock and it burnt up the meat and the bread. Then the Lord's angel disappeared.
• 1 Kings 18:24Then, you pray to your god, and I will pray to the Lord. The god who answers and who sends fire to light the wood, he is the true God!’ All the people agreed that this was a good idea.
• 1 Chronicles 21:26Then he built an altar there to worship the Lord. He offered burnt offerings and friendship offerings on it. He prayed to the Lord and the Lord answered him. The Lord sent fire from the sky to burn up the sacrifice on the altar.
• 2 Chronicles 7:1When King Solomon had finished his prayer, fire came down from heaven. It destroyed the burnt offerings and the other sacrifices. The Lord's bright glory filled the temple.
• Psalms 20:3He will remember the gifts that you have offered to him. He will accept your burnt offerings Selah
• Hebrews 11:4Abel believed God. So he offered a better sacrifice to God than Cain did. And because of Abel's faith, God accepted him as right with him. God said that he was happy with Abel's gifts. Because Abel trusted God, we can still learn from his faith. Abel died long ago, but it is like he is still speaking to us.

Commentaries on Genesis 4:4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock - Dr. Kennicott contends that the words he also brought, הוא גם הביא hebi gam hu, should be translated, Abel brought it also, i.e. a minchah or gratitude offering; and beside this he brought of the first-born (מבכרות mibbechoroth ) of his flock, and it was by this alone that he acknowledged himself a sinner, and professed faith in the promised Messiah. To this circumstance the apostle seems evidently 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. 4-5the best portions of the firstborn of his flock (or the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions): Abel gave God the best animals and their richest parts. Unlike Cain, Abel offered the best he had. True worship is a costly privilege.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. the Lord had respect unto Abel, not unto Cain, &c.--The words, "had respect to," signify in Hebrew,--"to look at any thing with a keen earnest glance," which has been translated, "kindle into a fire," so that the divine approval of Abel's offering was shown in its being consumed by fire (see Ge 15:17; Jud 13:20).Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 4:4

• Abel
• Animals
• Antediluvians
• Atonement
• Cain
• Consecration
• Envy
• Martyrdom
• Religion
• Sheep
• Worship

In the dictionaries

• Abel
• Adam
• Blood
• Burnt offering
• Cain
• Call
• Cursed
• Fall
• Fat
• Firstborn, Sanctification of the

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