Genesis 4:16

Genesis 4:16 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.
• New International Version (NIV)So Cain went out from the Lord’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden.

Context of Genesis 4:16

14You have forced me off this land today. I have to hide from you and become a fugitive, a wanderer on the earth. Now anyone who finds me will kill me!” 15So the Lord said to him, “Not so! Anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” The Lord gave Cain a sign so that anyone meeting him would not kill him. Then Cain left the Lord’s presence and lived in Nod [The Land of Wandering], east of Eden. 17Cain made love to his wife. She became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was building a city, and he named it Enoch after his son. 18To Enoch was born Irad. Irad was the father of Mehujael. Mehujael was the father of Methushael. And Methushael was the father of Lamech.

Genesis 4:16 word by word

וַיֵּ֥צֵא קַ֖יִן מִלִּפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב בְּאֶֽרֶץ־נ֖וֹד קִדְמַת־עֵֽדֶן׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Cainקַ֫יִןqayin · CainH7014
• went outיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• from the presenceפָּנֶהpânîym · faceH6440
• of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• and dweltיָשַׁבyâshab · to dwellH3427
• in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• of Nodנוֹדnôd · NodH5113
• on the eastקִדְמָהqidmâh · eastH6926
• of Edenעֵ֫דֶן‛êden · EdenH5731

Cross-references for Genesis 4:16

• Genesis 4:14You have forced me off this land today. I have to hide from you and become a fugitive, a wanderer on the earth. Now anyone who finds me will kill me!”
• Genesis 3:8In the cool of the evening, the man and his wife heard the Lord God walking around in the garden. So they hid from the Lord God among the trees in the garden.
• Exodus 20:18All the people heard the thunder and saw the lightning. They heard the blast of the ram’s horn and saw the mountain covered with smoke. So they shook with fear and stood at a distance.
• 2 Kings 13:23But the Lord was kind and merciful to the Israelites because of his promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He didn’t want to destroy the Israelites, and even now he hasn’t turned away from them.
• 2 Kings 24:20The Lord became angry with Jerusalem and Judah and threw the people out of his sight. Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
• Job 1:12The Lord told Satan, “Everything he has is in your power, but you must not lay a hand on him!” Then Satan left the Lord’s presence.
• Job 2:7Satan left the Lord’s presence and struck Job with painful boils from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
• Job 20:17He won’t be able to drink from the streams or from the rivers of honey and buttermilk.
• Psalms 5:11But let all who take refuge in you rejoice. Let them sing with joy forever. Protect them, and let those who love your name triumph in you.
• Psalms 68:2Blow them away like smoke. Let wicked people melt in God’s presence like wax next to a fire.
• Jeremiah 23:39I will certainly forget you. I will throw you out of my presence and out of the city that I gave you and your ancestors.
• Jeremiah 52:3The Lord became angry with Jerusalem and Judah and threw the people out of his sight. Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
• John 1:3Everything came into existence through him. Not one thing that exists was made without him.
• Matthew 18:20Where two or three have come together in my name, I am there among them.”
• Luke 13:26Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’
• 1 Thessalonians 1:9They talk about how you welcomed us when we arrived. They even report how you turned away from false gods to serve the real, living God

Commentaries on Genesis 4:16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 16The land of Nod - As נוד nod signifies the same as sa נד , a vagabond, some think this verse should be rendered, And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, from the east of Eden, and dwelt a vagabond on the earth; thus the curse pronounced on him, Genesis 4:12, was accomplished.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. 16-18Verses 16-18 Cain cast off all fear of God, and attended no more on God's ordinances. Hypocritical professors, who dissemble and trifle with God, are justly left to themselves to do something grossly scandalous. So they throw off that form of godliness to which they have been a reproach, and of which they deny the power. Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and we never find that he came into it again, to his comfort. The land Cain dwelt in was…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16The name Nod (which means "wandering") describes Cain's fate (see 4:12, 14) more than a specific place. It suggests a life of wandering, and its exact location is unknown. Cain’s sin denied him rest and a sense of belonging. Cain’s exile east of Eden is another point of connection with Adam’s story (compare 3:24). Cain did not learn from his father’s sin, so he also experienced separation from the ground and was driven east into exile (see study note on…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1616. presence of the Lord--the appointed place of worship at Eden. Leaving it, he not only severed himself from his relatives but forsook the ordinances of religion, probably casting off all fear of God from his eyes so that the last end of this man is worse than the first (Mt 12:45). land of Nod--of flight or exile--thought by many to have been Arabia-Petræa--which was cursed to sterility on his account.Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 4:16

• Cain
• Curse
• Eden
• Genealogy
• Nod

In the dictionaries

• Cain
• Eden
• Eden, garden of Eden
• Abel
• Adam
• Blood
• Call
• Cursed
• Fall
• Fat

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