LXX Gen 4:1–16: gifts, “let us go through”, and “not so”
Says At 4:1 Eve says Ἐκτησάμην ἄνθρωπον διὰ τοῦ θεοῦ. Ἐκτησάμην (ektēsamēn, “I got for myself”) renders קָנִיתִי (qaniti), and διὰ τοῦ θεοῦ (“through God”) stands for אֶת־יְהוָה ('et-YHWH).
Says At 4:3 Cain brings θυσίαν (thysian, “an offering”) for מִנְחָה (minhah). At 4:4 God looks ἐπὶ τοῖς δώροις αὐτοῦ, Abel’s gifts (δῶρον, dōron, “a gift”); the 4:4 verb is printed ἔπιδεν (“regarded, looked upon”), for וַיִּשַׁע (wayyisha').
Says 4:7 reads οὐκ ἐὰν ὀρθῶς προσενέγκῃς, ὀρθῶς δὲ μὴ διέλῃς, ἥμαρτες; ἡσύχασον· πρὸς σὲ ἡ ἀποστροφὴ αὐτοῦ, καὶ σὺ ἄρξεις αὐτοῦ. διέλῃς is from διαιρέω (diaireō, “divide into parts”), and ἡσύχασον from ἡσυχάζω (hēsychazō, “be still”). The Greek lacks “crouching at the door” (רֹבֵץ, rovets). ἀποστροφή stands for תְּשׁוּקָתוֹ (teshuqato), as at 3:16.
Says At 4:8 Cain says Διέλθωμεν εἰς τὸ πεδίον (“let us go through into the plain”); the MT has וַיֹּאמֶר קַיִן אֶל־הֶבֶל אָחִיו with no words following. 4:10 has the singular αἵματος for דְּמֵי (deme). At 4:13 Μείζων ἡ αἰτία μου τοῦ ἀφεθῆναί με stands for גָּדוֹל עֲוֺנִי מִנְּשֹׂא; at 4:15 Οὐχ οὕτως (“not so”) stands for לָכֵן (lakhen), and σημεῖον (sēmeion, “a sign, mark”) for אוֹת ('ot).
Uncertain Whether the Greek at 4:7, 4:8, and 4:15 reflects a different Hebrew or the translator’s reading is not settled; see the textual notes on 4:8 and 4:15. No lean is taken on אֶת־יְהוָה, on why Abel’s gifts were regarded, on the syntax of 4:7, or on what the sign was. The link with 3:16 stands as xref.Gen.3.16.Gen.4.7.heb states it.
Claims
- SaysAt 4:1 Ἐκτησάμην renders קָנִיתִי, and διὰ τοῦ θεοῦ stands for אֶת־יְהוָה.
- SaysAt 4:3 θυσίαν stands for מִנְחָה; at 4:4 God looks ἐπὶ τοῖς δώροις αὐτοῦ, the 4:4 verb is printed ἔπιδεν, for וַיִּשַׁע.
- Says4:7 reads προσενέγκῃς … διέλῃς … ἡσύχασον, with no “crouching at the door” (רֹבֵץ), and ἀποστροφή for תְּשׁוּקָתוֹ, as at 3:16.
- SaysAt 4:8 Cain says Διέλθωμεν εἰς τὸ πεδίον, where the MT has no words after וַיֹּאמֶר קַיִן אֶל־הֶבֶל אָחִיו; 4:10 has the singular αἵματος for דְּמֵי; 4:13 has αἰτία … ἀφεθῆναι for עֲוֺנִי מִנְּשֹׂא; 4:15 has Οὐχ οὕτως for לָכֵן and σημεῖον for אוֹת.
- UncertainWhether the Greek at 4:7, 4:8, and 4:15 reflects a different Hebrew or the translator’s reading is not settled. No lean is taken on אֶת־יְהוָה, on why Abel’s gifts were regarded, on the syntax of 4:7, or on what the sign was.
Citations
- LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 Gen 4:1–16, vol. 1, p. 6 (oldtestamentingr01swetuoft, viewer leaf n37), text and apparatus; read on the page images
- OSHB CC BY 4.0 Gen 4:1–16 (WLC/OSHB)
- Abbott-Smith public domain s.vv. κτάομαι (to procure for oneself, get; LXX chiefly for the verb of קָנִיתִי), θυσία (an offering, sacrifice; LXX chiefly for מִנְחָה), δῶρον (a gift, present), ἐπεῖδον (to regard with attention, look upon), διαιρέω (to divide into parts), ἡσυχάζω (to be still), διέρχομαι (to go through, pass through), αἰτία (cause, reason; LXX Gen 4:13 for עֲוֺנִי), σημεῖον (a sign, mark; LXX chiefly for אוֹת); paraphrased
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2026-11-10
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