Genesis
CHAPTER 4 1Afterward the man knew Eve his wife (had sex) which conceived and bare Cain (Man’ s nature, the estate of marriage, and God’ s blessing were not utterly abolished through sin, but the quality or condition was changed), and said, I have obtained a man by the Lord. (That is, according to the CHAPTER 4
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Lord’ s promise) *Genesis 3:15 I will also put enmity (worst kind of hatred) between thee (He chiefy means Satan, by whose motion and craftly serpent deceived the woman) and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed. He shall break thine head (That is, the power of sin and death), and thou shalt bruise his heel (Satan shall CHAPTER 4
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sting Christ and his members, but not overpower them), (some read, To the Lord, as rejoicing for the son which she had born, whom she would offer to the Lord as the firstfruits of her birth) 2And again she brought forth his brother Abel, and Abel was a keeper of sheep, and Cain was a tiller of the ground. 3And in process of CHAPTER 4
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time it came to pass, that Cain brought an oblation unto the Lord of the fruit the ground. (This declares that the father instructed his children in the knowledge of God, and also how God gave them sacrifices to signify their salvation, they were destined through God's promise of the tree of life) 4And Abel also himself CHAPTER 4
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brought of the firstfruits of his sheep, and of the fat of them, and the Lord had respect unto Abel, and to his offering, And Abel also himself brought of the firstfruits of his sheep, and of the fat of them, and the Lord had respect unto Abel, and to his offering, *Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a greater sacrifice than CHAPTER 4
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Cain, by the which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: by the which faith also he being dead, yet speaketh. 5But unto Cain and to his ofering he had no regard (Because he was an hypocrite, and offered only for an outward show without sincerity of heart): wherefore Cain was exceedingly wroth and CHAPTER 4
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his countenance fell down. 6Then the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance cast down? 7If thou do well, shalt thou not be accepted? (Both thou and thy sacrifice shall be acceptable to me) and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door (Sin shall still torment thy conscience): also unto thee his desire CHAPTER 4
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shall be subject, and thou shalt rule over him. (The dignity of the firstborn is given to Cain over Abel) 8Then Cain spake unto Abel hisbrother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. *Matthew 23:35 That upon you may come all the righteous blood that was shed upon the earth, from CHAPTER 4
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the blood of Abel the righteous, unto the blood of Zechariah the son of Berechiah, whom ye slew between the Temple and the altar; *1 John 3:11 For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; *Jude 11 W oe be unto them: for they have followed the way of Cain, and are cast away by the deceit of CHAPTER 4
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Balaam’ s wages,
and
perish
in
the
gainsaying of Korah. 9Then the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? Who answered, I cannot tell. Am I my brother’ s keeper? (This is the nature of the reprobate when they are reproved of their hypocrisy, even to neglect God and despite him) 10Again he said, What hast thou done? CHAPTER 4
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the voice of thy brother’ s blood crieth unto me, from the earth. (God revenges the wrongs
of
his
Saints,
though
none
complain: for the iniquity itself cries for vengeance) 11Now therefore thou art cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’ s blood from thine hand. (The earth is a witness CHAPTER 4
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against you, which mercifully received that blood which you have most cruelly shed) 12When thou shalt till the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength: a vagabond and a runagate (a fugitive, a runaway) shalt thou be in the earth. (Thou shalt never have rest: for thine heart shall be in continual fear and care) 13Then Cain CHAPTER 4
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said to the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear. (Or, my sin is greater than can be pardoned) (He judged God as a cruel judge because he did punish him harshly) 14Behold, thou hast cast me out this day from the earth, and from thy face shall I be hid (Hebrew, from of the face of), and shall be a vagabond, and a runagate in CHAPTER 4
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the earth, and whosoever findeth me shall slay me. 15Then the Lord said unto him, Doubtless whosoever slayeth Cain, he shall be punished seven fold (Not for the love he bare to Cain, but to suppress murder). And the Lord set a mark (curse) upon Cain, lest any man finding him, should kill him. (The mark/curse an invisible sign of CHAPTER 4
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God’ s judgment, that others should fear thereafter) 16Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod toward the East side of Eden. 17Cain
also
knew
his
wife,
which
conceived and bore Enoch: and he built a city, and called the name of the city by the name of his son, Enoch. (Thinking thereby CHAPTER 4
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to be sure, and to have less occasion to fear God’ s judgments against him) 18And to Enoch was born Irad, and Irad begat Mehujael, and Mehujael begat Methushael, and Methushael begat Lamech. 19And Lamech took to him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. (The lawful institution of CHAPTER 4
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marriage, which is, that two should be one flesh, was first corrupted in the house of Cain by Lamech) 20And Adah bare Jabal, who was the father (Or, first inventor) of such as dwell in the tents, and of such as have cattle. 21And his brother’ s name was Jubal, who was the father (Or, first inventor) of all that play on the harp and CHAPTER 4
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organs. (Or, flutes, and pipes) 22And Zillah also bore Tubal-Cain, who wrought cunningly every craft of brass and of iron: and the sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah. 23Then Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice, ye wives of Lamech; hearken unto my speech: for I would slay a man in my wound, and a CHAPTER 4
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young man to mine hurt. (His wives seeing that all men hated him for his cruelty, were afraid, therefore he bragged that there is none so lusty that were able to resist, although he were already wounded) 24If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold (or seven times as great), truly Lamech seventy times sevenfold. (or seventy seven CHAPTER 4
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times) (He was mocking Cain's suffering, joking as if God would not punish him and just give him license to murder others) 25And Adam knew his wife again, and she bare a son, and she called his name Seth: for God, said she, hath appointed me another seed for Abel, because Cain slew him. 26And to the same Seth also there CHAPTER 4
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was born a son, and he called his name Enosh. Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord. (In those days God began to move the hearts of the godly to restore religion, which a long time by the wicked had been suppressed)
CHAPTER 4