Genesis 4:8

Hebrew Bible

6 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why is your expression downcast? 7 Is it not true that if you do what is right, you will be fine? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at the door. It desires to dominate you, but you must subdue it.” 8 Cain spoke to his brother Abel.21 While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. 9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” And he replied, “I don’t know! Am I my brother’s guardian?” 10 But the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground!

LXX Genesis 4:8

Septuagint

6 And the Lord God said to Kain, “Why have you become deeply grieved, and why has your countenance collapsed? 7 If you offer correctly but do not divide correctly, have you not sinned? Be still; his recourse is to you, and you will rule over him.” 8 And Kain said to his brother Habel, “Let us go through into the plain.” And it came about when they were in the plain, that then Kain rose up against his brother Habel and killed him. 9 And God said to Kain, “Where is your brother Habel?” And he said, “I do not know; surely I am not my broth- er’s keeper?” 10 And God said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the earth!

 Notes and References

"... Within the interval of silence between God and Cain, the narrative unfolds in a moment of conversation between Cain and his brother, which culminated in the murder of Abel. Several ancient versions (such as the Septuagint [LXX], Vulgate [Vg.], Syriac, Samaritan Pentateuch) provide the textual gap in the Masoretic Text’s rendering of Genesis 4:8, ‘And Cain said to his brother Abel …’ Modern versions such as New Jerusalem Bible (NJB), New International Version (NIV), and New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), insert ‘Let us go out to the field’ to verse 8 ..."

Boloje, B.O. Rethinking Violence Through the Narrative of Genesis 4:1-16 (pp. 1-8) In die Skriflig 55(1), 2021

 User Comments

Do you have questions or comments about these texts? Please submit them here.