Genesis 4:7

If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted?

His rejection is placed upon the ground of his own acts. He can secure favor by. change of his course.

Sin lieth at the door.

Sin is personified and thought of as some animal,. beast of prey, ready to spring upon him and drag him to deeper depths. It is only enabled to lurk there by him "not doing well."

Unto thee shall be his (its) desire, and thou shalt rule over him (it).

Many have held that this is. statement that he was the superior by birth of Abel and should be his ruler. Cowles more correctly says: "And its (sin's, not his) desire is toward thee; its Satanic purpose is to ensnare and ruin thee, but thou shouldst rule over it, master its temptations, and rule them out of thy heart."