Genesis 4:2

Genesis 4:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
• New International Version (NIV)Later she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel kept flocks, and Cain worked the soil.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And again, she bore his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain a worker of the ground.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

Context of Genesis 4:2

1Now the man had relations with Eve his wife and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She said, “I produced a man with Adonai.” Then she gave birth again, to his brother Abel. Abel became a shepherd of flocks while Cain became a worker of the ground. 3So it happened after some time that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to Adonai, 4while Abel—he also brought of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions. Now Adonai looked favorably upon Abel and his offering,

Genesis 4:2 word by word

וַתֹּ֣סֶף לָלֶ֔דֶת אֶת־אָחִ֖יו אֶת־הָ֑בֶל וַֽיְהִי־הֶ֙בֶל֙ רֹ֣עֵה צֹ֔אן וְקַ֕יִן הָיָ֖ה עֹבֵ֥ד אֲדָמָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And she againיָסַףyâsaph · to add: againH3254
• bareיָלַדyâlad · to begetH3205
• his brotherאָח'âch · brother: male-siblingH251
• Abelהֶ֫בֶלhebel · AbelH1893
• was a keeperרָעָהrâ‛âh · to pastureH7462
• of sheepצֹאןtsô'n tse'ôn · flockH6629
• but Cainקַ֫יִןqayin · CainH7014
• was a tillerעָבַד‛âbad · to serve: labourH5647
• of the groundאֲדָמָה'ădâmâh · land: soilH127

Cross-references for Genesis 4:2

• Genesis 30:29Then he said to him, “You yourself know how I’ve served you and how your livestock fared with me.
• Genesis 37:13Israel said to Joseph, “Aren’t your brothers grazing the flocks in Shechem? Come, let me send you to them.” “Here I am,” he said to him.
• Genesis 46:32The men are shepherds, for they’ve been men who handle livestock, who have brought their flocks and cattle and everything that they possess.’
• Genesis 47:3Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?” So they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, both we and our fathers.”
• Exodus 3:1Now Moses was tending the flock of his father-in-law Jethro, the priest of Midian. So he led the flock to the farthest end of the wilderness, coming to the mountain of God, Horeb.
• Psalms 78:70He also chose David His servant and took him from the sheepfolds,
• Amos 7:15But Adonai took me from following the flock and Adonai said to me: ‘Go, prophesy to My people Israel.’
• Genesis 4:25Adam was intimate with his wife again, and she gave birth to a son and she named him Seth, “For God has appointed me another seed in place of Abel—since Cain killed him.”
• Psalms 127:3Behold, children are a heritage of Adonai —the fruit of the womb is a reward.
• John 8:44You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks lies he is just being himself—for he is a liar and the father of lies.
• 1 John 3:10It is clear who are the children of God and who are the children of the devil by this—anyone who does not act righteously or love his brother is not of God.
• Genesis 3:23Adonai Elohim sent him away from the Garden of Eden, to work the ground from which he had been taken.
• Genesis 9:20Then Noah, a man of the soil, was first to plant a vineyard.

Commentaries on Genesis 4:2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2And she again bare his brother Abel - Literally, She added to bear (ללדת ותסף vattoseph laledeth ) his brother. From the very face of this account it appears evident that Cain and Abel were twins. In most cases where a subject of this kind is introduced in the Holy Scriptures, and the successive births of children of the same parents are noted, the acts of conceiving and bringing forth are mentioned in reference to each child; here it is not said that she…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
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 2Cain's brother Abel: The name "Abel" may come from the Hebrew word habel, meaning "breath," "vapor," or "meaningless." This might hint at Abel's tragically short life (compare Ecclesiastes 1:2). Alternatively, it may come from the Akkadian word ablu, meaning "son."Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. Abel was a keeper of sheep--literally, "a feeder of a flock," which, in Oriental countries, always includes goats as well as sheep. Abel, though the younger, is mentioned first, probably on account of the pre-eminence of his religious character.Read the comment

Topics related to Genesis 4:2

• Abel
• Adam
• Agriculture
• Antediluvians
• Eve
• Shepherd

In the dictionaries

• Abel
• Cain
• Adam
• Agriculture
• 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