Genesis 4:15

Genesis 4:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the Lord said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
• New International Version (NIV)But the Lord said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the Lord put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then the Lord said to him, "Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold." And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And the Lord said to him, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the Lord set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him.

Context of Genesis 4:15

13Then Cain said to the Lord, “My punishment is too great to endure! 14Look! You are driving me off the land today, and I must hide from your presence. I will be a homeless wanderer on the earth; whoever finds me will kill me.” But the Lord said to him, “All right then, if anyone kills Cain, Cain will be avenged seven times as much.” Then the Lord put a special mark on Cain so that no one who found him would strike him down. 16So Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. 17Cain had marital relations with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. Cain was building a city, and he named the city after his son Enoch.

Genesis 4:15 word by word

וַיֹּ֧אמֶר ל֣וֹ יְהוָ֗ה לָכֵן֙ כָּל־הֹרֵ֣ג קַ֔יִן שִׁבְעָתַ֖יִם יֻקָּ֑ם וַיָּ֨שֶׂם יְהוָ֤ה לְקַ֙יִן֙ א֔וֹת לְבִלְתִּ֥י הַכּוֹת־אֹת֖וֹ כָּל־מֹצְאֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• unto him, Thereforeכֵּןkên · soH3651
• whosoever slayethהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
• Cainקַ֫יִןqayin · CainH7014
• vengeance shall be takenנָקַםnâqam · to avengeH5358
• on him sevenfoldשִׁבְעָתַיִםshib‛âthayim · sevenfoldH7659
• setשׂוּםώûm ώîym · to set: putH7760
• a markאוֹת'ôth · sign: indicatorH226
• lestבִּלְתִּיbiltîy · lestH1115
• any findingמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• him should killנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221

Cross-references for Genesis 4:15

• 1 Kings 16:7The prophet Jehu son of Hanani received from the Lord the message predicting the downfall of Baasha and his family because of all the evil Baasha had done in the sight of the Lord. His actions angered the Lord (including the way he had destroyed Jeroboam’s dynasty), so that his family ended up like Jeroboam’s.
• Psalms 59:11Do not strike them dead suddenly, because then my people might forget the lesson. Use your power to make them homeless vagabonds and then bring them down, O Lord who shields us!
• Hosea 1:4Then the Lord said to Hosea, “Name him ‘Jezreel,’ because in a little while I will punish the dynasty of Jehu on account of the bloodshed in the valley of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of Israel.
• Matthew 26:52Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back in its place! For all who take hold of the sword will die by the sword.
• Genesis 4:24If Cain is to be avenged seven times as much, then Lamech seventy-seven times!”
• Leviticus 26:18“‘If, in spite of all these things, you do not obey me, I will discipline you seven times more on account of your sins.
• Psalms 79:12Pay back our neighbors in full! May they be insulted the same way they insulted you, O Lord!
• Proverbs 6:31Yet if he is caught he must repay seven times over, he might even have to give all the wealth of his house.
• Ezekiel 9:4The Lord said to him, “Go through the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of the people who moan and groan over all the abominations practiced in it.”
• Revelation 14:9A third angel followed the first two, declaring in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and takes the mark on his forehead or his hand,

Commentaries on Genesis 4:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15The Lord set a mark upon Cain - What this mark was, has given rise to a number of frivolously curious conjectures. Dr. Shuckford collects the most remarkable. Some say he was paralytic; this seems to have arisen from the version of the Septuagint, , Groaning and trembling shalt thou be. The Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel says the sign was from the great and precious name, probably one of the letters of the word Yehovah . The author of an Arabic Catena in…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. 15Sevenfold punishment was the full weight of justice. Cain complained that his punishment was too harsh. But the severe sentence for anyone who killed Cain shows how gracious the Lord was to him. Cain deserved death (see 9:5–6). The mark graciously provided protection to Cain after God's judgment (compare 3:21).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. whosoever slayeth Cain--By a special act of divine forbearance, the life of Cain was to be spared in the then small state of the human race. set a mark--not any visible mark or brand on his forehead, but some sign or token of assurance that his life would be preserved. This sign is thought by the best writers to have been a wild ferocity of aspect that rendered him an object of universal horror and avoidance.Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 4:15

• Abel
• Avenger of Blood
• Cain
• Curse
• Homicide
• Judgments
• Prayer
• Token

In the dictionaries

• Cain
• Abel
• Adam
• Blood
• 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