But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
Parallel translations
- WEB but he didn’t respect Cain and his offering. Cain was very angry, and the expression on his face fell.
- BSB but He had no regard for Cain and his offering. So Cain became very angry, and his countenance fell.
- NKJV but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.
- NASB but for Cain and his offering He had no regard. So Cain became very angry and his face was gloomy.
- NLT but he did not accept Cain and his gift. This made Cain very angry, and he looked dejected.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God does not regard Cain or his offering, and Cain becomes angry and downcast. It shows the danger of resentment when worship is not offered rightly.
Overview
God's lack of regard for Cain's offering, contrasted with Abel's faith, points to a deficiency in Cain's heart rather than merely his produce. Instead of repenting, Cain responds with anger and a fallen countenance. This rising resentment, left unchecked, becomes the seedbed of the first murder, warning that unaddressed anger leads to sin.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Heb 11:4By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.
- Job 5:2For wrath killeth the foolish man, and envy slayeth the silly one.
- Acts 13:45But when the Jews saw the multitudes, they were filled with envy, and spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming.
- Isa 3:10–11Say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well with him: for they shall eat the fruit of their doings.
- Luke 15:28–30And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.
- Matt 20:15Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good?
- Ps 20:3Remember all thy offerings, and accept thy burnt sacrifice; Selah.
- Num 16:15And Moses was very wroth, and said unto the LORD, Respect not thou their offering: I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them.
- Gen 31:5And said unto them, I see your father’s countenance, that it is not toward me as before; but the God of my father hath been with me.
- Gen 31:2And Jacob beheld the countenance of Laban, and, behold, it was not toward him as before.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
From the first promise that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent (3:15), through Abraham's blessing to all nations and Judah's coming ruler, Genesis sows every seed that flowers in Christ — the true offspring, the better Adam, the ram caught for Isaac.
How Genesis 4:5 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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