God’s Word Translation
Genesis 4:7
7If you do well, won’t you be accepted? But if you don’t do well, sin is lying outside your door ready to attack. It wants to control you, but you must master 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 he didn’t approve of Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry and was disappointed. 6Then the Lord asked Cain, “Why are you angry, and why do you look disappointed? If you do well, won’t you be accepted? But if you don’t do well, sin is lying outside your door ready to attack. It wants to control you, but you must master it.” 8Cain talked to his brother Abel. Later, when they were in the fields, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. 9The Lord asked Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he answered. “Am I supposed to take care of my brother?”
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
Words taken from the KJV.
- Ifאִם'im · ifH518
- thou doest wellיָטַבyâţab · be goodH3190
- shalt thou not be acceptedשְׂאֵתώe'êth · elevationH7613
- sinחַטָּאתchaţţâ'âh chaţţâ'th · sinH2403
- liethרָבַץrâbats · to stretchH7257
- at the doorפֶּ֫תַחpethach · entranceH6607
- his desireתְּשׁוּקָהteshûqâh · desireH8669
- and thou shalt ruleמָשַׁלmâshal · to ruleH4910
Cross-references for Genesis 4:7
- Genesis 19:21The angel said to him, “Alright, I will grant you this request too. I will not destroy the city you’re talking about.
- 2 Samuel 24:23All this Araunah gave to the king and said, “May the Lord your God accept you.”
- 2 Kings 8:28Ahaziah went with Ahab’s son Joram to fight against King Hazael of Aram at Ramoth Gilead. There the Arameans wounded Joram.
- Job 42:8So take seven young bulls and seven rams. Go to my servant Job, and make a burnt offering for yourselves. My servant Job will pray for you. Then I will accept his prayer not to treat you as godless fools. After all, you didn’t speak what is right about me as my servant Job has done.”
- Proverbs 18:5It is not good to be partial toward a wicked person, thereby depriving an innocent person of justice.
- Ecclesiastes 8:12A sinner may commit a hundred crimes and yet live a long life. Still, I know with certainty that it will go well for those who fear God, because they fear him.
- Isaiah 3:10Tell the righteous that blessings will come to them. They will taste the fruit of their labor.
- Jeremiah 6:20Incense that comes from Sheba is no good to me. Sugar cane that comes from a distant land is no good to me. I won’t accept your burnt offerings. I’m not pleased with your sacrifices.
- Malachi 1:8When you bring a blind animal to sacrifice, isn’t that wrong? When you bring a lame or a sick animal, isn’t that wrong? Try offering it to your governor. Would he accept it from you? Would he welcome you?” asks the Lord of Armies.
- Acts 10:35Rather, whoever respects God and does what is right is acceptable to him in any nation.
- Romans 2:7He will give everlasting life to those who search for glory, honor, and immortality by persisting in doing what is good. But he will bring
- Romans 12:1Brothers and sisters, in view of all we have just shared about God’s compassion, I encourage you to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, dedicated to God and pleasing to him. This kind of worship is appropriate for you.
- Romans 14:18The person who serves Christ with this in mind is pleasing to God and respected by people.
- Romans 15:16to be a servant of Christ Jesus to people who are not Jewish. I serve as a priest by spreading the Good News of God. I do this in order that I might bring the nations to God as an acceptable offering, made holy by the Holy Spirit.
- Ephesians 1:6so that the kindness he had given us in his dear Son would be praised and given glory.
- 1 Timothy 5:4The children or grandchildren of a widow must first learn to respect their own family by repaying their parents. This is pleasing in God’s sight.
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
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