The two offerings, and the Lord's warning (Genesis 4:3–7)
Says Each brother brings a מִנְחָה, a gift or offering. Cain brings of the fruit of the ground; Abel brings of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat portions, which the BSB renders as the best portions of the firstborn of his flock. The Lord regarded Abel and his offering, and did not regard Cain and his. Cain is angry, and his face falls. The Lord asks why, and says that if he does well there is שְׂאֵת, lifting up — the BSB has will you not be accepted? If not, sin is crouching at your door; its desire is toward him, and you must master it. Desire and rule stand in the same order as in 3:16, with sin as the one who desires. See the Hebrew notes, and the Genesis 3 note on 3:16.
Says Hebrews 11:4 says that by faith Abel offered a better sacrifice, and 1 John 3:12 that Cain's own deeds were evil. These are stated as those texts say, not used to choose among the readings below.
Uncertain Why Abel's offering was regarded is open, and no lean is taken here. (1) The giver's heart and faith. (2) The quality of the gift. (3) The kind, animal against produce. (4) God's free choice, with no reason stated. The options for שְׂאֵת, for the crouching and the masculine forms, and for command, promise or question, are set out in the Hebrew note. No lean is taken on the parallel with 3:16.
Claims
- SaysEach brother brings a gift-offering; the Lord regards Abel and his offering and not Cain and his; the Lord warns Cain about lifting up, sin crouching at the door, desire and mastery, in a sequence like 3:16 but not the same wording.
- SaysHebrews 11:4 and 1 John 3:12 are stated as those texts say, not used to choose why Abel's offering was regarded.
- UncertainWhy Abel's offering was regarded, and the options for the hard syntax of 4:7, are open. No lean is taken here, including on the parallel with 3:16.
Citations
- BSB public domain Gen 4:1–26
- OSHB CC BY 4.0 Gen 4:1–26 (WLC/OSHB), cantillation removed
- LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 Gen 4:1–26, vol. 1, pp. 6–7 (oldtestamentingr01swetuoft, viewer leaves n37–n38); read on the page images
- Josephus (Whiston) public domain Ant. 1.2.1–3 = 1.52–71 (Whiston, 1817, vol. 1), pp. 11–13 (n20–n22); read on the page images; paraphrased
- APOT public domain vol. 2 (1913): Jub 4:2, 9, 11–12, 31, pp. 17–19 (n36–n38); read on the page images; “to call on the name of the Lord on the earth” (4:12) quoted, otherwise paraphrased
- APOT 1 public domain vol. 1 (1913): Wis 10:3, p. 551 (n568); read on the page image; paraphrased
- Philo (Yonge) public domain Sacr. 2 (Yonge ch. I, p. 207 (n220)); Det. 47–48 (Yonge ch. XIV, p. 253 (n266)); Post. 40–42 (Yonge ch. XII, p. 295 (n308)); read on the page images; paraphrased
- Etheridge public domain Etheridge, vol. 1 (1862), Targum of Palestine (Pseudo-Jonathan) on Gen 4:8, 15, pp. 170–172 (n182–n184), and 4:26, p. 174 (n186); read on the page images; quoted, otherwise paraphrased
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2026-11-10
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