Genesis 4:1

Genesis 4:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.
• New International Version (NIV)Adam made love to his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “With the help of the Lord I have brought forth a man.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying, "I have gotten a man with the help of the Lord."
• New Living Translation (NLT)Now Adam had sexual relations with his wife, Eve, and she became pregnant. When she gave birth to Cain, she said, “With the Lord’s help, I have produced a man!”

Context of Genesis 4:1

Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.” 2Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord.

Genesis 4:1 word by word

וְהָ֣אָדָ֔ם יָדַ֖ע אֶת־חַוָּ֣ה אִשְׁתּ֑וֹ וַתַּ֙הַר֙ וַתֵּ֣לֶד אֶת־קַ֔יִן וַתֹּ֕אמֶר קָנִ֥יתִי אִ֖ישׁ אֶת־יְהוָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And Adamאָדָם'âdâm · the man (Adam)H120
• knewאֵת'êth · [Obj.]H853
• knewיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• Eveחַוָּהchavvâh · EveH2332
• his wifeאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · woman: wifeH802
• and she conceivedהָרָהhârâh · to conceiveH2029
• and bareיָלַדyâlad · to begetH3205
• Cainקַ֫יִןqayin · CainH7014
• and saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• I have gottenקָנָהqânâh · to buyH7069
• a manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• fromאֵת'êth · withH854
• the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068

Cross-references for Genesis 4:1

• Numbers 31:17Now therefore, kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman who has known a man intimately.
• Genesis 4:25And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and named him Seth, “For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel, whom Cain killed.”
• Genesis 3:15And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”
• Genesis 5:29And he called his name Noah, saying, “This one will comfort us concerning our work and the toil of our hands, because of the ground which the Lord has cursed.”
• 1 John 3:12not as Cain who was of the wicked one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous.

Commentaries on Genesis 4:1

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1I have gotten a man from the Lord - Cain, קין , signifies acquisition; hence Eve says קנתי kanithi, I have gotten or acquired a man, יהוה את eth Yehovah, the Lord. It is extremely difficult to ascertain the sense in which Eve used these words, which have been as variously translated as understood. Most expositors think that Eve imagined Cain to be the promised seed that should bruise the head of the serpent. This exposition really seems too refined for…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. 1The birth, employment, and religion of Cain and Abel. (1-7) Cain murders Abel, The curse of Cain. (8-15) The conduct of Cain, His family. (16-18) Lamech and his wives, The skill of Cain's descendants. (19-24) The birth of another son and grandson of Adam. (25-26) Verses 1-7 When Cain was born, Eve said, I have gotten a man from the Lord. Perhaps she thought that this was the promised seed. If so, she was wofully disappointed. Abel signifies vanity: when…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1had relations (literally knew): In some contexts, the Hebrew word meaning "to know" is a way to describe having sexual relations with someone (4:17; 19:33, 35). It is never used for animals, which mate by instinct. With the help of the LORD: Eve fulfilled her God-given role of having children despite the negative effects of sin (see 3:16, 20). I have brought forth a man: Cain (Hebrew qayin) sounds like a Hebrew word (qanah) that can mean “produce” or…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-261. Eve said, I have gotten a man from the Lord--that is, "by the help of the Lord"--an expression of pious gratitude--and she called him Cain, that is, "a possession," as if valued above everything else; while the arrival of another son reminding Eve of the misery she had entailed on her offspring, led to the name Abel, that is, either weakness, vanity (Psa 39:5), or grief, lamentation. Cain and Abel were probably twins; and it is thought that, at this…Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 4:1

• Abel
• Adam
• Cain
• Children
• Eve
• Thankfulness

In the dictionaries

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

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