Genesis 4:10

Genesis 4:10 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground.
• New International Version (NIV)The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And the Lord said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.

Context of Genesis 4:10

8Cain talked to his brother Abel; and it happened that when they were in the field Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. 9Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?” Then He said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to Me from the ground. 11Now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. 12When you cultivate the ground, it will no longer yield its strength to you; you will be a wanderer and a drifter on the earth.”

Genesis 4:10 word by word

וַיֹּ֖אמֶר מֶ֣ה עָשִׂ֑יתָ ק֚וֹל דְּמֵ֣י אָחִ֔יךָ צֹעֲקִ֥ים אֵלַ֖י מִן־הָֽאֲדָמָֽה׃Read the interlinear

• Then He saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Whatמָהmâh mah mâ ma meh · what?H4100
• have you doneעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• The voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
• of your brother’sאָח'âch · brother: male-siblingH251
• bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
• is cryingצָעַקtsâ‛aq · to cryH6817
• to Me from the groundאֲדָמָה'ădâmâh · land: soilH127

Cross-references for Genesis 4:10

• Genesis 3:13Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
• Joshua 7:19Then Joshua said to Achan, “My son, I implore you, give glory to the Lord, the God of Israel, and give praise to Him; and tell me now what you have done. Do not hide it from me.”
• Psalms 50:21These things you have done and I kept silent; You thought that I was just like you; I will rebuke you and present the case before your eyes.
• Genesis 18:20And the Lord said, “The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah is indeed great, and their sin is exceedingly grave.
• Exodus 3:7And the Lord said, “I have certainly seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their outcry because of their taskmasters, for I am aware of their sufferings.
• 2 Kings 9:26‘I have certainly seen yesterday the blood of Naboth and the blood of his sons,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will repay you on this property,’ declares the Lord. Now then, pick him up and throw him on the property, in accordance with the word of the Lord.”
• Job 16:18“Earth, do not cover my blood, And may there be no resting place for my cry.
• Job 24:12From the city people groan, And the souls of the wounded cry for help; Yet God does not pay attention to the offensiveness.
• Job 31:38“If my land cries out against me, And its furrows weep together;
• Psalms 9:12For He who requires blood remembers them; He does not forget the cry of the needy.
• Psalms 72:14He will rescue their life from oppression and violence, And their blood will be precious in his sight;
• Isaiah 5:7For the vineyard of the Lord of armies is the house of Israel, And the people of Judah are His delightful plant. So He waited for justice, but behold, there was bloodshed; For righteousness, but behold, a cry for help.
• Acts 5:3But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the proceeds of the land?
• Hebrews 11:4By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he was attested to be righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.
• Hebrews 12:24and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel.
• James 5:4Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of armies.

Commentaries on Genesis 4:10

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 10The voice of thy brother's blood - It is probable that Cain, having killed his brother, dug a hole and buried him in the earth, hoping thereby to prevent the murder from being known; and that this is what is designed in the words, Thy brother's blood crieth unto me From The Ground - which hath opened her mouth to receive it from thy hand. Some think that by the voice of thy brother's blood the cries of Abel's widow and children are to be understood, as it…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. 10What have you done?: This is more an expression of horror and blame than a question seeking answers (see 3:13). Abel’s blood acts as a legal witness that accuses Cain of a crime. from the ground: See study note on 4:11–12.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1010. the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me--Cain, to lull suspicion, had probably been engaging in the solemnities of religion when he was challenged directly from the Shekinah itself.Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 4:10

• Abel
• Cain
• Escape
• Homicide
• Sin
• Types
• Will

In the dictionaries

• Abel
• Adam
• Blood
• Cain
• Call
• Cursed
• Fall
• Fat
• Hurt
• Mark

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