Genesis 4:1-24 ESV

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 4:12

When thou tillest the ground ,.... Which was the business he was brought up in and followed, Genesis 4:2 . it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength ; the earth had been cursed for Adam's sin, and was not so fruitful as in its original state; and now it was cursed again for Cain's sin; not the whole earth, but that part which belonged to Cain, and was cultivated by him; and so it must be supposed to be cursed, not only in the spot where he had been settled, but in every... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 4:13

And Cain said unto the Lord ,.... In the anguish of his spirit and the distress of his mind: my punishment is greater than I can bear ; thus complaining of the mercy of God, as if he acted a cruel part, inflicting on him more than he could endure; and arraigning his justice, as if it was more than he deserved, or ought in equity to be laid on him; whereas it was abundantly less than the demerit of his sin, for his punishment was but a temporal one; for, excepting the horrors and terrors... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 4:14

Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth ,.... Not from being upon the earth, or had chased him out of the world as a wicked man is at death, but from a quiet settlement in it, and from society and converse with the inhabitants of it; and especially he was driven from that part of it, where he was born and brought up, and which he had been employed in manuring; where his parents dwelt, and other relations, friends, and acquaintance: and to be banished into a... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 4:15

And the Lord said unto him ,.... In order to satisfy him, and make him easy in this respect, that: he need not fear an immediate or bodily death, which was showing him great clemency and lenity; or in answer to his begging for death, "therefore", or as some render the word, taking them for two, "not so" F25 לכן "quasi" לא כן ουχ ουτω , Sept. "nequaquam ita fiet", V. L. ; it shall not be that whoever finds thee shall slay thee, thou needest not be afraid of that; nor shall thy... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 4:16

And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord ,.... Either from the place where the Lord was talking with him; or from the place where his glorious Majesty usually resided, where was some visible token of his presence, some stream of light and glory which showed him to be there, and which was at the east of the garden of Eden; from whence Cain was obliged to go, not being suffered to appear any more before God, or among his worshippers: there was a place near Tripoli in Syria, near where... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 4:17

And Cain knew his wife ,.... Who this woman was is not certain, nor whether it was his first wife or not; whether his sister, or one that descended from Adam by another of his sons, since this was about the one hundred and thirtieth year of the creation. At first indeed Cain could marry no other than his sister; but whether he married Abel's twin sister, or his own twin sister, is disputed; the Jews say F7 Pirke Eliezer, c. 21. , that Cain's twin sister was not a beautiful woman, and... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 4:18

And unto Enoch was born Irad ,.... But of neither of them is any other mention made, either in sacred or profane history; nor is it said how old Enoch was when Irad was born, nor how long he lived after; as is recorded of Adam, Seth, and their posterity: and Irad begat Mehujael, and Mehujael begat Methusael ; of whom also we have no other account: and Methusael begat Lamech ; and it seems for the sake of Lamech that the genealogy of Cain's posterity is described and carried... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 4:19

And Lamech took unto him two wives ,.... He was the first we read of that introduced polygamy, contrary to the first institution of marriage, whereby only one man and one woman were to be joined together, and become one flesh, Genesis 2:24 . This evil practice, though it began in the race of wicked Cain, was in later ages followed by some among the people of God, which was connived at because of the hardness of their hearts; otherwise it was not so from the beginning. This was the first... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 4:20

And Adah bare Jabal ,.... According to Hillerus F13 Onomastic. Sacr. p. 35,45, 349. , this name, and Jubal and Tubal, after mentioned, all signify a river; why Lamech should call all his sons by names signifying the same thing, is not easy to say. He was the father of such as dwelt in tents, and of such as have cattle : not in a proper sense the father of them, though his posterity might succeed him in the same business; but he was the first author and inventor of tents or... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 4:21

And his brother's name was Jubal ,.... This was another son of Lamech by Adah, and his name differs only in one letter from his brother's: he was the father of all such that handle the harp and organ : he was the inventor of instrumental music, both of stringed instruments, such as were touched by the fingers, or struck with a quill, as the "harp"; and of wind instruments, such as were blown, as the "organ", which seems not to be the same we call so, being a late invention; but however a... read more

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 4:12

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 4:13

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 4:14

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 4:15

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 4:16

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 4:17

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 4:18

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 4:19

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 4:20

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Genesis 4:21

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