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

13Cain said to Adonai, “My iniquity is too great to bear! 14Since You expelled me today from the face of the ground and I must be hidden from Your presence, then I will be a restless wanderer on the earth—anyone who finds me will kill me!” But Adonai said to him, “In that case, anyone who kills Cain is to be avenged seven times over.” So Adonai put a mark on Cain, so that anyone who found him would not strike him down. 16Then Cain left Adonai’s presence and dwelled in the Land of Wandering, east of Eden. 17Cain was intimate with his wife and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch. And he was building a city, and he named the city after the name of 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 16:7But the word of Adonai had already come by the hand of the prophet Jehu son of Hanani against Baasa and against his house, because of all the evil he had done in Adonai’s eyes, vexing Him with the work of his hands, becoming thus like the house of Jeroboam which He struck down.
• Psalms 59:11My God in His lovingkindness will go before me. God will let me look down on my foes.
• Hosea 1:4Then Adonai said to him: “Name him Jezreel for in yet a little while I will visit the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and I will destroy the kingdom of the house of Israel.
• Matthew 26:52Then Yeshua said to him, “Put your sword back in its place! For all who take up the sword shall perish by the sword.
• Genesis 4:24If Cain is to be avenged seven times, then Lamech—77 times!”
• Leviticus 26:18“If you, in spite of these things, will not listen to Me, then I will chastise you seven times more for your sins.
• Psalms 79:12Pay back into the midst of our neighbors sevenfold their reproach— the reproach they hurled at You, my Lord.
• Proverbs 6:31Yet if he is caught, he must repay sevenfold, giving up all the wealth of his house.
• Ezekiel 9:4Adonai said to him, “Go throughout the city, through the midst of Jerusalem. Make a mark on the foreheads of the people who sigh and moan over all the abominations that are committed in it.”
• Revelation 14:9And another angel, a third one, followed them, saying in a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives a mark on his forehead or on 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