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Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

Genesis 4:7

if. The Hebrew Accent (Pashta) puts the emphasis on the 1st "well" and on this 2nd "if", to mark the solemn and Important alternative.

sin. sin offering. Hebrew. chata. See App-43. The word "offering" is actually added in Exodus 30:10; Leviticus 4:3; Leviticus 6:25; Leviticus 8:2.Psalms 40:6. Compare 2 Corinthians 5:21.Ephesians 5:2.

lieth. Lieth is mase. Sin offering is feminine. So that the Hebrew reads "at the entrance [a male] is lying,. sin offering".

shall be. Supply "is" instead.

and thou shalt rule. Compare Genesis 3:16.

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See also Genesis 4:7 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Genesis 4:7. _IF THOU DOEST WELL_] That which is right in the sight of God, _shalt thou not be accepted_? Does God reject any man who serves him in simplicity and godly sincerity? _But if thou...

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    - 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, g...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 4 After the Fall and the Two Seeds _ 1. Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:1)_ 2. Their offerings (Genesis 4:3) 3. The divine remonstrance (Genesis 4:6) 4. Abel slain by his brother ...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    The Story of Cain and Abel. This belongs to the J cycle of stories, but apparently not to the same stratum as Genesis 4:3, for it is assumed that the earth has a population from which Cain fears venge...

  • B. W. Johnson's Bible Commentary

    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...

  • Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

    _If thou doest well_, &c. A verse well known for its difficulties. The rendering in the marg. "shall it not be lifted up?" should be followed. Literally the first clause runs thus: "Is there not, if t...

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    PART SEVENTEEN THE BEGINNING OF TRUE RELIGION (Genesis 4:1-15) 1. _Preliminary Definitions_ It is doubtful that there is a more ambiguous word in our language today than the word religion. It has li...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _IF THOU DOEST WELL, SHALT THOU NOT BE ACCEPTED? AND IF THOU DOEST NOT WELL, SIN LIETH AT THE DOOR. AND UNTO THEE SHALL BE HIS DESIRE, AND THOU SHALT RULE OVER HIM._ If thou doest well, shalt thou no...

  • Darby's translation notes (1890)

    4:7 confidence]? (g-12) See Job 11:15 . Or possibly, 'shalt thou not be accepted.' But I should question 'accepted,' the rather as _ nasa_ is used for it here. Lit. 'is there not a lifting up?' sin ...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    CAIN AND ABEL. THE DESCENDANTS OF CAIN The narrative, which forms part of the Primitive document, impressively shows how sin, having once appeared, became hereditary in the human race, and speedily de...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    We may paraphrase thus, 'If thou doest well, is there not lifting up of the countenance, banishment of depression and gloom? And if thou doest not well, Sin is at the door, crouching in readiness to s...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    GOD’S ANCIENT PEOPLE GENESIS _ALUN OWEN_ CHAPTER 4 CAIN KILLS ABEL V1 Adam had sex with his wife Eve and she became *pregnant. Her son Cain was born. She said, ‘I have gained a man by the *Lord’...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    Cain was angry. That was an evil thing, but God did not accuse him. Instead, God offered to accept Cain. So when we do wrong things, God does not accuse us. Instead, he asks us to come back to him. If...

  • Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

    IF THOU DOEST WELL. — This most difficult verse is capable of a satisfactory interpretation, provided that we refuse to admit into this ancient narrative the ideas of a subsequent age. Literally, the...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    הֲ לֹ֤וא אִם ־תֵּיטִיב֙ שְׂאֵ֔ת וְ אִם֙

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    CAIN AND ABEL Genesis 4:1 IT is not the purpose of this narrator to write the history of the world. It is not his purpose to write even the history of mankind. His object is to write the history of r...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

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  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The degeneration of the first man and woman was transmitted, the firstborn being manifestly an inheritor of the fallen nature of his parents. His mother named him Cain, intimating a hope that the seed...

  • Gary Hampton Commentaries

    Even though Adam and Eve had sinned and been driven out of the garden, there were moments of joy. Eve conceived and bore Cain. She said, "I have gotten a man from the Lord" (Genesis 4:1). Her statemen...

  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

    If thou doest well, shalt thou not be (e) accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the (f) door. And unto thee [shall be] his (g) desire, and thou shalt rule over him. (e) Both you and your...

  • George Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

    Over it. This is a clear proof of free-will. To destroy its force, Protestants translate over him, as if Cain should still retain his privilege of the first-born, notwithstanding all his wickedness, a...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. Hebrews 12:24. In the original, it is, thy Brother's bloods; as if, not only the death of Abel was co...

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    There is one characteristic of divine revelation to which attention may be profitably called as a starting point. We have to do with facts. The Bible alone is a revelation of facts, and, we can add (n...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    7._If thou does well_. In these words God reproves Cain for having been unjustly angry, inasmuch as the blame of the whole evil lay with himself. For foolish indeed was his complaint and indignation a...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    But grace could work. The grace of a God above the evil of man, and Abel approaches Him by faith. Hereon follows the separation of the families of God and of the enemy, of the world and of faith. Abel...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    IF THOU DOEST WELL, SHALT THOU NOT BE ACCEPTED?.... That is, either if thou doest thy works well in general, doest good works in a right way and manner, according to life will of God, and directed to...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee [shall be] his desire, and thou shalt rule over him. Ver. 7. _Sin lies at the door._]...

  • Jonathan Edwards' Notes On The Scriptures

    Gen. 4:7. "If thou doest well, shalt not thou be accepted; and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door." Cain was not accepted in his offering, because he did not well - because, 1. He was a wic...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _Cain was very wroth_ Full of rage against God and his brother. _His countenance fell_ His looks became sour, dejected, and angry. _The Lord said unto Cain_ to convince him of his sin, and bring him t...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 The birth, trade, and religion of Cain and Abel. 8 The murder of Abel. 9 The curse of Cain. 17 Enoch the first citie. 19 Lamech and his two wiues. 25 The birth of Seth, 26 and Enos. 1 AND Ada...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? And if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. The fault lay altogether with Cain himself; for if he had done well, if he had had faith and shown th...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    The First Murder...

  • Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures

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  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    CAIN AND ABEL Adam and Eve, having acquired a sinful nature, could only communicate the same nature to their children. Their firstborn was named Cain, which means "smith" or "fabricator," one who plan...

  • Marginal Notes in the King James Version (1611)

    BE ACCEPTED?: Or, have the excellency? UNTO THEE: Or, subject unto thee...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    1-7 When Cain was born, Eve said, I have gotten a man from the Lord. Perhaps she thought that this was the promised seed. If so, she was wofully disappointed. Abel signifies vanity: when she thought...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    IF THOU DOEST WELL, or, for the future _shalt do well, _ i.e. repent of thy sin, amend thy life, offer thy offerings with a willing and cheerful mind and honest heart, in faith and love, as Abel did,...

  • Notes on the Pentateuch by Charles Henry Mackintosh

    & Genesis 5:1-32 As each section of the Book of Genesis opens before us, we are furnished with fresh evidence of the fact that we are travelling over, what a recent writer has well termed, "the seed-...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Genesis 4:7 If H518 well H3190 (H8686) accepted H7613 well H3190 (H8686) sin H2403 lies H7257 ...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

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  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

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  • Scofield's Bible Commentary

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  • Sermon Bible Commentary

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  • Sermon Bible Commentary

    Genesis 4:7 The key to the interpretation of these words is to remember that they describe what happens after and because of wrong-doing. They are all suspended on "If thou doest not well." The word t...

  • Sermon Bible Commentary

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  • Summarized Bible Commentary

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  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Genesis 4:1. _I have gotten._ קניתי _kaniti,_ from the root _kana,_ he possessed. The LXX have betrayed their ignorance of the Eternal Word, or Wisdom, by frequently rendering this word _created._ God...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

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  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

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  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

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  • The Pulpit Commentaries

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  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    If thou doest well. Genesis 19:21 2 Samuel 24:23 2 Kings 8:28 Job 42:8 Prov

  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

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  • Wells of Living Water Commentary

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  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    If thou dost well, shalt thou not be accepted? — Either, 1. If thou hadst done well, as thy brother did, thou shouldest have been accepted as he was. God is no respecter of persons; so that if we come...

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