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 King James Version (NKJV)Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.”

Context of Genesis 4:1

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!” 2Later she gave birth to his brother and named him Abel. When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground. 3When it was time for the harvest, Cain presented some of his crops as a gift 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 31:17So kill all the boys and all the women who have had intercourse with a man.
• Genesis 4:25Adam had sexual relations with his wife again, and she gave birth to another son. She named him Seth, for she said, “God has granted me another son in place of Abel, whom Cain killed.”
• Genesis 3:15And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”
• Genesis 5:29Lamech named his son Noah, for he said, “May he bring us relief from our work and the painful labor of farming this ground that the Lord has cursed.”
• 1 John 3:12We must not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and killed his brother. And why did he kill him? Because Cain had been doing what was evil, and his brother had been doing what was 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