Genesis 4:1
in Genesis 4And Adam had relations with his wife Eve, and she conceived and gave birth to Cain. “With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man,” she said.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And the man knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man with the help of Jehovah.
KJV
And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.
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This verse in Genesis 4
Commentary
12 notes on this verseA commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
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 (Ps 39:5), or grief, lamentation.
This site's exposition
With the help of the LORD I have brought forth a man
on Genesis 4:1-2
Eve's words at Cain's birth are hard in the Hebrew and have often been read as a hope that this son is the seed promised in chapter 3. Abel's name means breath or vapour. Abel was a keeper of sheep and Cain a tiller of the soil, and the writer gives the younger brother's work first.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers4 voices
Note that the name Cain means "ownership," which explains what was said at the time of his birth by his father or mother: "I have come into possession of a man through God."
A commentator
John ChrysostomCommentary (church-history corpus) · Written in the 5th century.
proposed
"Now, Adam had intercourse with his wife Eve." Consider when this happened. After their disobedience, after their loss of the garden, then it was that the practice of intercourse had its beginning. You see, before their disobedience they followed a life like that of the angels, and there was no mention of intercourse. How could there be, when they were not subject to the needs of the body? So, at the outset and from the beginning the practice of virginity was in force, but when through their indifference disobedience came on the scene and the ways of sin were opened, virginity took its leave for the reason that they had proved unworthy of such a degree of good things, and in its place the practice of intercourse took over for the future. Accordingly, consider, I ask you, dearly beloved, how great the esteem of virginity, how elevated and important a thing it is, surpassing human nature and requiring assistance from on high. I mean, for proof that those who practice virginity with enthusiasm demonstrate in the body the characteristics of incorporeal powers, listen to the words of Christ to the Sadducees: when they were discussing the question of resurrection and wanted to learn his view, they asked, "Master, there were seven brothers of our acquaintance. The eldest married and died without children, leaving his wife to his brother. The second died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother; likewise with the third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh. So at the resurrection to which of the seven will the wife belong? After all, she belonged to them all." So what reply did Christ make to them?
(Chapter 4, Verse 1) And she conceived and gave birth to Cain, and said, I have gained a man from God. Cain, meaning acquisition or possession, is interpreted as κτῆσις in Greek, and expressing its etymology, it is said, Canithi, meaning possession of a man from God. (Ver. 4.) And God looked upon Abel and upon his offerings: but upon Cain and his offerings he did not look. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. So Cain knew that God had accepted his brother's offerings and rejected his own, unless that interpretation which Theodotion has given is true.
After his disobedience, after their loss of the garden, then it was that the practice of intercourse had its beginning. You see, before their disobedience they followed a life like that of angels, and there was not mention of intercourse.
The Medieval Church1 voice
Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, saying: I have acquired a man through God. Henceforth, after the delights of paradise and the guilt of the first transgression, the events of this world and mortal life are narrated, when the …
5 more voices on this verse
The Medieval Church1 voice
Since Adam had been blinded in the eyes of his soul and had fallen from the life imperishable, he began to look with his physical eyes.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And Adam knew Eve his wife,.... An euphemism, or modest expression of the act of coition.
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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 (Ps 39:5), or grief, lamentation.
I have gotten a man from the Lord - Cain, קין, signifies acquisition; hence Eve says קנתי kanithi, I have gotten or acquired a man, את יהוה 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 that period. It is very likely that she meant no more than to acknowledge that it was through God’s peculiar blessing that she was enabled to conceive and bring forth a son, and that she had now a well-grounded hope that the race of man should be continued on the earth. Unless she had been under Divine inspiration she could not have called her son (even supposing him to be the promised seed) Jehovah; and that she was not under such an influence her mistake sufficiently proves, for Cain, so far from being the Messiah, was of the wicked one; 1Jn 3:12. We may therefore suppose that את היוה eth Yehovah, The Lord, is an elliptical form of expression for מאת יהוה meeth Yehovah, From The Lord, or through the Divine blessing.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
- 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.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
The sense of it is that she gave birth to a son, and she called his name Cain [from the word kanah, acquisition], because she said, I have gotten a man with [the help of] the Eternal.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 3 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
14 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְהָ֣אָדָ֔ם | vehaadam | and the man | H120 → | 551 times |
| יָדַ֖ע | yada' | he knew | H3045 → | 945 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| חַוָּ֣ה | chavah | Eve | H2332 → | |
| אִשְׁתּ֑וֹ | ʾishto | wife his | H802 → | 781 times |
| וַתַּ֙הַר֙ | vatahar | and she conceived | H2029 → | 43 times |
| וַתֵּ֣לֶד | vateled | and she bore | H3205 → | 496 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| קַ֔יִן | kayin | Cain | H7014 → | 19 times |
| וַתֹּ֕אמֶר | vatomer | and she said | H559 → | 5305 times |
| קָנִ֥יתִי | kaniti | I have acquired | H7069 → | 84 times |
| אִ֖ישׁ | ʾish | a man | H376 → | 1663 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | with | H854 → | 929 times |
| יְהוָֽה׃ | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
וְהָ֣אָדָ֔םand the man
vehaadamH120 →551 times
יָדַ֖עhe knew
yada'H3045 →945 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
חַוָּ֣הEve
chavahH2332 →
אִשְׁתּ֑וֹwife his
ʾishtoH802 →781 times
וַתַּ֙הַר֙and she conceived
vataharH2029 →43 times
וַתֵּ֣לֶדand she bore
vateledH3205 →496 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
קַ֔יִןCain
kayinH7014 →19 times
וַתֹּ֕אמֶרand she said
vatomerH559 →5305 times
קָנִ֥יתִיI have acquired
kanitiH7069 →84 times
אִ֖ישׁa man
ʾishH376 →1663 times
אֶת־with
ʾet-H854 →929 times
יְהוָֽה׃Yahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Genesis 3:15And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
it leads to
- Romans 16:20
The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
- 1 John 3:8
The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the…
- Revelation 12:17
And the dragon was enraged at the woman, and went to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And the…
- Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call Him Immanuel.
- Hebrews 2:14–15
Now since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity, so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death, that is, the devil,
- Romans 16:20
Through
1 John 3:12Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous.
it leads to
- Hebrews 11:4
By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous when God gave approval to his gifts. And by faith he still speaks, even though he…
- Genesis 4:4–15
while Abel brought the best portions of the firstborn of his flock. And the LORD looked with favor on Abel and his offering,
- Proverbs 29:27
An unjust man is detestable to the righteous, and one whose way is upright is detestable to the wicked.
- Hebrews 11:4
Where this verse is studied
About Genesis
Who and where
3 names in this verse with a page on the site.
- PersonPrimevalAdamThe first man — formed of dust and God's breath, image-bearer, and federal head of the race in whom all sinned.
- PersonPrimevalEve“The mother of all living” — deceived at the Fall, yet the woman whose seed is promised the victory over the serpent (3:15, 20).
- PersonPrimevalCainAdam's firstborn; the first murderer, who killed his brother Abel out of jealousy and became the archetype of the way of self-will…
This page draws on 10 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Augustine of Hippo, City of God 15.17; Bede, Commentary on Genesis (Hexaemeron); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; Jerome, Hebrew Questions on Genesis; John Chrysostom, Commentary (church-history corpus); John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON GENESIS 18.12; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Symeon the New Theologian, DISCOURSES 15.1.