Rashi on TanakhGenesis 4

The man knew. This had already [occurred] before the previous narrative [i.e.,] before he sinned and was exiled from Gan Eden. This is also [true of] the conception and birth. Had it said וַיֵּדַע אָדָם it would imply that after he was exiled children were born to him.

Kayin. [This name was given him] based on [her having said] קָנִיתִי [“I have obtained”].

With Adonoy. [אֶת ה' means] like עִם ה' [with Hashem]. [Meaning:] “When He created me and my husband He created us by Himself. However, in this one we are co-partners with Him.”

To Kayin, to his brother, to Hevel. The word אֶת is repeated thrice implying additional [facts or things]. This teaches that a girl twin was born with Kayin, and two were born with Hevel. Consequently, [concerning Hevel] it says: [Lit.] “And she increased” [in giving birth].

A shepherd. Because the earth was cursed he refrained from working it.

Some fruit of the soil. From the worst [of the fruit]. There is an Aggadah that says that it was linseed. (An alternate explanation: “from the fruit” means, from whatever was at hand neither good, and [certainly] not the best).

[He] paid regard. [Means:] and he turned towards. Similarly [in verse 5] וְאֶל מִנְחָתוֹ לֹא שָׁעָה means: “[And to his offering] he paid no regard.” Similarly: וְאַל יִשְׁעוּ [means:] “Do not turn.” Similarly: שְׁעֵה מֵעָלָיו [means:] “Turned from him.”

[He] paid regard. A fire descended and consumed his gift-offering.

Is this not so—if you improve. The explanation is as explained in Targum.

Sin rests at the opening. [Meaning:] to the opening of your grave will your sin be retained.

Its desire is unto you. [The desire] of the sin. I.e., the evil inclination constantly desires and lusts to seduce you.

But you can dominate it. If you desire you will overcome it.

Kayin said. He engaged him in argument and dispute in order to find a pretext to kill him. Concerning this there are Aggadaic expositions, but this is the plain explanation of the verse.

Where is your brother, Hevel? For the purpose of engaging him in calm conversation so that he may repent and say: “I killed him and have sinned to You.”

I know not. He became a deceiver of the Most High.

My brother’s keeper? This is a question of incredulity as is every ה"א prefix that is vocalized with a chataf patach.

Your brother’s blood. [Referring to] his blood and the blood of his descendants. An alternate explanation: he inflicted him with many wounds for he did not know from which point his soul would depart.

You are cursed from the ground. I.e., even more than it had already been cursed for its sin. Here, too, it continued to sin.

That had to open its mouth to accept your brother’s blood, etc. And I, therefore, curse it additionally concerning you: “It will no longer give you of its strength.”

Unsettled and a wanderer. “You have no permission to dwell in one place.

My sin is too great to bear. An incredulous question. [Kayin saying:] “You [Hashem] bear the [worlds] above and below and you cannot manage to bear my sin?”

Therefore, whoever kills Kayin. This is one of those verses in which words are brief and its meaning is only hinted without elaborating. [The proper explanation is:] Therefore, [the words,] “Whoever kills Kayin” convey a stern threat: thus will be done to him, such and such will be his punishment, without specifying what his punishment will be.

Revenge will be taken on him sevenfold. “I do not wish to take vengeance from Kayin now, [but, rather] at the end of seven generations I will take my vengeance from him whereby his descendant Lemech will rise up and kill him. The words שִׁבְעָתַיִם יֻקָּם at the end of the verse refers to the avenging of Hevel from Kayin. This teaches that the beginning of the verse is a stern threat that no creature injure him. Similarly: “And David said: ‘Whoever kills a Yevusite and will reach the gutter’” and it does not state what will be done to him. But, rather, the verse speaks by hinting: [meaning:] whoever kills a Yevusite and will reach the gutter and approach the gate and capture it and the blind, etc. [meaning:] and he will kill them as well for the blind and the lame having said: ‘David may not come into the house.’ He who kills these I will appoint him a leader and general.” Here his [David’s] words are abbreviated but Divrei Hayamim is explicit: “He shall be a leader and a general.”

Adonoy placed a mark on Kayin. He inscribed a letter from His Divine Name on his forehead. (Other editions of Rashi add: Another interpretation:] [The statement] “Whoever finds me will kill me” [refers to:] the animals and beasts. But there were not yet any humans from whom he had to fear except for his father and mother, and he had no fear that they would kill him. But, he said: “Until now the fear of me was upon all the animals as it is said: ‘And your fear, etc.’ And, now, as a result of this sin the beasts will not fear me and they will kill me.” Immediately: “Hashem placed a mark on Kayin” and fear of him reverted to all.)

Kayin exited. [Meaning:] he exited with humility as one who is a deceiver of the One Most High.

In the land of Nod. The land to where all exiles wander.

East of Eden. That is where his father was exiled when he was expelled from Gan Eden as it is said: “He stationed him at the east of the Garden” of Eden to guard the path of approach to the Garden, which indicates that Adam was there. [As] we find that the easterly direction always serves as a refuge for murderers as it is said: “Then Moshe set aside, etc. toward where the sun rises.” An alternate explanation of בְּאֶרֶץ נוֹד: wherever he [Kayin] walked the earth quaked beneath him and people would say: “Move away from him, for he is the one who killed his brother.”

[Kayin] was building a city and he named the city as a memorial after his son, Chanoch.

Irad had a son. There are places where it says concerning the male— הוֹלִיד and other places where it says יָלַד because the verb יָלַד can be used [to convey] two ideas: 1) [in reference] to a woman giving birth, naître in Old French [to give birth] and 2) the man’s begetting engendrer in Old French [to beget]. When it says הוֹלִיד in the הִפְעִיל form it speaks of the woman’s giving birth, [i.e.,] so-and-so caused his wife to give birth [to] a son or a daughter. When it says יָלַד it speaks of the man’s begetting.

Lemech married. It would not be necessary to detail all this except to teach us, from the end of the narrative, that Hashem fulfilled the promise He made when He said: “Revenge will be taken on Kayin sevenfold.” Lemech arose after begetting children and producing a seventh generation and killed Kayin. This is the intent when it says: “For I have killed a man by my wounding,” etc.

Two women. This was the custom of the Flood generation— one [wife] for child-bearing and one for conjugal relations. The one for conjugal relations would be given a sterilizing medicine so that she should become barren. She would be adorned like a bride and fed delicious foods, while her fellow-wife would be neglected and mourn as a widow. This was expressed by Iyov: “He supports the barren one that bears no children and does nothing good for the widow,” as is explained in the Aggadah of Chapter Chelek.

Adah. She was the one intended for child-bearing. So called because she was repulsive to him and was kept away from him. (Other versions: from dining with him). עָדָה is Aramaic for “kept away.”

Tzillah. She was the one intended for conjugal relations. So called because she resided always in his shadow. These are Aggadaic interpretations in Bereishis Rabbah.

Father of those who live in tents and breed cattle. He was the first one of those who pastured cattle in the wilderness, dwelling in tents, a month here and a month there on account of pasture for his sheep and when the pasture would be consumed in this place he would go and pitch his tent in another place. A Midrashic exposition [states] that he built temples for idol-worship as it is said: “The image of jealousy which provokes jealousy.” Similarly, his brother. [Father of] all who handle [play] the harp and flute. To make music for idol-worship.

Tuval Kayin. [He was so called because:] He refined the craft of Kayin. תּוּבַל is related to the word תַּבְלִין [spices] because he enhanced and refined the craft of Kayin to produce weapons for murderers.

Who sharpened everything that cuts copper and iron. [Meaning:] sharpens the tools [used for working with] copper and iron as in: “He sharpened his eyes upon me.” The word חוֹרֵשׁ is not in the פֹּעֶל form but, rather in the פּוֹעֵל form, for it is vocalized with a צֵירֵה with the accent on the last syllable thereby saying: he sharpens and polishes all tools of crafts for copper and iron.

Naamah. She was Noah’s wife, (according to Bereishis Rabbah.)

Hear my voice. For they had separated from him because he had killed Kayin and his son Tuval Kayin. Lemech was blind and Tuval Kayin would lead him. He [Tuval-Kayin] saw Kayin but he appeared to him to be a beast. He told his father to draw the bow and he [Lemech] killed him. When he realized that he was his forefather, Kayin, he slapped his hands together and struck his son between them and killed him. His wives, [thereupon] separated from him and he was attempting to appease them.

Hear my voice. [Meaning:] “Agree to have conjugal relations with me. Was then the man whom I killed killed by my wounding?” [I.e.,] did I wound him intentionally, that the wounding be attributed to me? And the child that I killed, was it killed by my blow? I.e., by my [intentional] blow.” [Lemech’s statement being] an exclamatory question, “Did I not act accidentally and not intentionally? That is not a wound attributable to me and that is not a blow attributable to me.”

By my wounding. [Means:] a wound inflicted by sword or arrow macheure, in Old French.

If Kayin shall be avenged sevenfold. If Kayin who killed intentionally, [nevertheless] his punishment was suspended for seven generations, [then,] I, who killed unintentionally, certainly should have my punishment suspended for many seven-generation periods.

Seventy-seven [fold]. A term meaning many periods of seven generations is used here. So expounds R. Tanchuma. But the Midrash Bereishis Rabbah [states:] Lemech killed no one. His wives separated from him once they fulfilled “Be fruitful and multiply,’’ because it had been decreed to annihilate the descendants of Kayin after seven generations. They said “Why should we give birth in vain? Tomorrow the Flood will come and sweep everything away.” And he responded to them: “Did I kill a man with my wound?” [Meaning:] “Did I kill [anyone like] Hevel who was manly in stature and young in years, that my children be annihilated for that sin? Just as Kayin, who committed murder yet his punishment was suspended for seven generations, then, I who have killed no one, certainly should have my punishment suspended for many seven-generation periods!” This is an absurd kal vachomer for, if so, then Hashem could never exact his debt nor fulfill his word.

Adam knew, etc. Lemech came to Adam horishon and complained about his wives. He [Adam] said to them: “Is it proper for you to be so particular concerning the decree of Hashem? You do what you have been commanded and He will do His.” They responded to him: “Correct yourself first. Haven’t you been apart from your wife [these] 130 years from the time that, through you, death was decreed?” Immediately… Adam knew, etc. What does עוֹד [again] signify? It comes to teach that his desire for her was greater than before.

Then [men] began. It is a term related to the word חוּלִין [profane], i.e., by calling the names of men as well as the names of the idols by the name of Hashem making them into idolatrous worship and to refer to them as deities.