Old Testament Commentary - Genesis 4

by Don R. Hender

Through the process of time and due to the Jewish compilation perpsective and process which often entails condensation due to lost, edited and abridged text; the Joseph Smith translation which restored the text to be more in line with its original content, the King James Version of what is therein chapter 4, is quite lacking of significant information and detail which was once a part of the original record of Moses. A comparison of the records found in the book of Moses, the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible and the King James Version text has been prepared and may be studied to see side by side exacltly what is missed (See Comparison).

Scriptural Text [& Editorial] Commentary & Explanation Footnotes ~ References ~ JST

             CHAPTER 4
Eve bears Cain and Abel—They offer sacrifices—Cain slays Abel and is cursed by the Lord, who also sets a mark upon him—The children of men multiply—Adam begets Seth, and Seth Begets Enos.

1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare ^aCain^a, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.
2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a ^akeeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

1^a she conceived and bare Cain Cain was born first or the firstborn of Adam and Eve. To him was the right of the firstborn, based of course upon his righteousness. This is what is so stinging a cut against Cain. If he had done well in the sight of the LORD, it is he who would have been the rightful heir of father Adam. 1^a TG Creation
   ^b Isa. 45:12; D&C 29:36;
      D&C 38:1; D&C 45:1;
      Moses 3:1; Abr. 5:1
2^a OR done
   ^b HEB stopped, ceased; from the
      verb shavat, the noun
      shabbat (Engl. Sabbath)
      means a stopping of cessation;
      D&C 77:12; Moses 3:2;
      Abr. 5:2 (1-3); TG Rest
   ^c TG Industry
3^a TG Sabbath
   ^b Ex. 20:11; Mosiah 13:19 (16-19);
      D&C 77:12; Moses 3:3 (1-3);
      Abr. 5:3 (1-3); TG Sacred
   ^c Ex. 31:17
   ^d OR created through working

3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
4 And Abel, he also brought of the ^afirstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto ^bAbel and to his ^coffering:
5 But unto ^aCain and to his ^boffering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

1^a TG Creation
   ^b Isa. 45:12; D&C 29:36;
      D&C 38:1; D&C 45:1;
      Moses 3:1; Abr. 5:1
2^a OR done
   ^b HEB stopped, ceased; from the
      verb shavat, the noun
      shabbat (Engl. Sabbath)
      means a stopping of cessation;
      D&C 77:12; Moses 3:2;
      Abr. 5:2 (1-3); TG Rest
   ^c TG Industry
3^a TG Sabbath
   ^b Ex. 20:11; Mosiah 13:19 (16-19);
      D&C 77:12; Moses 3:3 (1-3);
      Abr. 5:3 (1-3); TG Sacred
   ^c Ex. 31:17
   ^d OR created through working

6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be ^aaccepted? and if thou ^bdoest not well, ^csin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be ^dhis ^edesire, and thou shalt rule over him^a.
8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and ^aslew him.

7^a and thou shalt rule over him This verse, variously translated, could indicate that if Cain had repented of his false offering unto God, he might still have gained the birthright of the firstborn and thus 'ruled' over his brother in righteousness according to the true patriarchal order of the priesthood. But the Joseph Smith inspired establishes that Cain was already far gone down the road of sin, loving Satan more than God and doing according to the command of Satan rather than God (See JST Genesis 5:6-9). In the Joseph Smith translation it is made clear that Cain, though he would work according to the desires of Satan, that he Cain, would rule over him, as Cain had a body and Satan does not. 1^a TG Creation
   ^b Isa. 45:12; D&C 29:36;
      D&C 38:1; D&C 45:1;
      Moses 3:1; Abr. 5:1
2^a OR done
   ^b HEB stopped, ceased; from the
      verb shavat, the noun
      shabbat (Engl. Sabbath)
      means a stopping of cessation;
      D&C 77:12; Moses 3:2;
      Abr. 5:2 (1-3); TG Rest
   ^c TG Industry
3^a TG Sabbath
   ^b Ex. 20:11; Mosiah 13:19 (16-19);
      D&C 77:12; Moses 3:3 (1-3);
      Abr. 5:3 (1-3); TG Sacred
   ^c Ex. 31:17
   ^d OR created through working

9 ¶ And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my ^abrother's ^bkeeper?
10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's ^ablood crieth unto me from the ground.
11 And now art thou ^acursed from the ^bearth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;
12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a ^afugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.

13 And Cain said unto the LORD, ^aMy punishment is greater than I can bear.
14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall ^aslay me.
15 And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a ^amark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.

16 ¶ And Cain went out from the ^apresence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of ^bEden.
17 And Cain knew his ^awife; and she conceived, and bare ^bEnoch: and he builded a city, and called the ^cname of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.
18 And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech.

19 ¶ And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.
20 And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle.
21 And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the ^aharp and organ.

22 And Zillah, she also bare Tubal-cain, an ^ainstructer of every ^bartificer in ^cbrass and iron: and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.
23 And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have ^aslain a man^a to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt.
24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly ^aLamech seventy and sevenfold.

23^a I have slain a man Now Cain had slain Abel and was cursed of the Lord. But it was Lamech who also did slay a man and did father the secrect combinations of the most ancient times. For, according to the JST Genesis 5:36, Lamech entered into a covenant with Satan and became Master Mahan, the master of the great secret of murder to get gain which had also been administered unto Cain by Satan.

25 ¶ And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name ^aSeth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of ^bAbel, whom Cain slew.
26 And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to ^acall upon the name of the ^bLORD^a.

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 4 Eve bears Cain and Abel—They offer sacrifices—Cain slays Abel and is cursed by the Lord, who also sets a mark upon him—The children of men multiply—Adam begets Seth, and Seth Begets Enos.
1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare ^aCain^a, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD. 2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a ^akeeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.	1^a she conceived and bare Cain Cain was born first or the firstborn of Adam and Eve. To him was the right of the firstborn, based of course upon his righteousness. This is what is so stinging a cut against Cain. If he had done well in the sight of the LORD, it is he who would have been the rightful heir of father Adam.	1^a TG Creation ^b Isa. 45:12; D&C 29:36; D&C 38:1; D&C 45:1; Moses 3:1; Abr. 5:1 2^a OR done ^b HEB stopped, ceased; from the verb shavat, the noun shabbat (Engl. Sabbath) means a stopping of cessation; D&C 77:12; Moses 3:2; Abr. 5:2 (1-3); TG Rest ^c TG Industry 3^a TG Sabbath ^b Ex. 20:11; Mosiah 13:19 (16-19); D&C 77:12; Moses 3:3 (1-3); Abr. 5:3 (1-3); TG Sacred ^c Ex. 31:17 ^d OR created through working
3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. 4 And Abel, he also brought of the ^afirstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto ^bAbel and to his ^coffering: 5 But unto ^aCain and to his ^boffering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.		1^a TG Creation ^b Isa. 45:12; D&C 29:36; D&C 38:1; D&C 45:1; Moses 3:1; Abr. 5:1 2^a OR done ^b HEB stopped, ceased; from the verb shavat, the noun shabbat (Engl. Sabbath) means a stopping of cessation; D&C 77:12; Moses 3:2; Abr. 5:2 (1-3); TG Rest ^c TG Industry 3^a TG Sabbath ^b Ex. 20:11; Mosiah 13:19 (16-19); D&C 77:12; Moses 3:3 (1-3); Abr. 5:3 (1-3); TG Sacred ^c Ex. 31:17 ^d OR created through working
6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be ^aaccepted? and if thou ^bdoest not well, ^csin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be ^dhis ^edesire, and thou shalt rule over him^a. 8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and ^aslew him.	7^a and thou shalt rule over him This verse, variously translated, could indicate that if Cain had repented of his false offering unto God, he might still have gained the birthright of the firstborn and thus 'ruled' over his brother in righteousness according to the true patriarchal order of the priesthood. But the Joseph Smith inspired establishes that Cain was already far gone down the road of sin, loving Satan more than God and doing according to the command of Satan rather than God (See JST Genesis 5:6-9). In the Joseph Smith translation it is made clear that Cain, though he would work according to the desires of Satan, that he Cain, would rule over him, as Cain had a body and Satan does not.	1^a TG Creation ^b Isa. 45:12; D&C 29:36; D&C 38:1; D&C 45:1; Moses 3:1; Abr. 5:1 2^a OR done ^b HEB stopped, ceased; from the verb shavat, the noun shabbat (Engl. Sabbath) means a stopping of cessation; D&C 77:12; Moses 3:2; Abr. 5:2 (1-3); TG Rest ^c TG Industry 3^a TG Sabbath ^b Ex. 20:11; Mosiah 13:19 (16-19); D&C 77:12; Moses 3:3 (1-3); Abr. 5:3 (1-3); TG Sacred ^c Ex. 31:17 ^d OR created through working
9 ¶ And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my ^abrother's ^bkeeper? 10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's ^ablood crieth unto me from the ground. 11 And now art thou ^acursed from the ^bearth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; 12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a ^afugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.
13 And Cain said unto the LORD, ^aMy punishment is greater than I can bear. 14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall ^aslay me. 15 And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a ^amark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
16 ¶ And Cain went out from the ^apresence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of ^bEden. 17 And Cain knew his ^awife; and she conceived, and bare ^bEnoch: and he builded a city, and called the ^cname of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch. 18 And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech.
19 ¶ And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. 20 And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle. 21 And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the ^aharp and organ.
22 And Zillah, she also bare Tubal-cain, an ^ainstructer of every ^bartificer in ^cbrass and iron: and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah. 23 And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have ^aslain a man^a to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. 24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly ^aLamech seventy and sevenfold.	23^a I have slain a man Now Cain had slain Abel and was cursed of the Lord. But it was Lamech who also did slay a man and did father the secrect combinations of the most ancient times. For, according to the JST Genesis 5:36, Lamech entered into a covenant with Satan and became Master Mahan, the master of the great secret of murder to get gain which had also been administered unto Cain by Satan.
25 ¶ And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name ^aSeth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of ^bAbel, whom Cain slew. 26 And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to ^acall upon the name of the ^bLORD^a.