Genesis 4:7

God tells Cain that doing well brings acceptance, but sin crouches like a predator he must master. It is a sober warning about the power of sin and the call to resist it.

Cross-references · 28

• Jas 1:15Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin; and the sin, when it is full grown, produces death.
• Rom 2:6–10who “will pay back to everyone according to their works:”
• Isa 3:10–11Tell the righteous “Good!” For they shall eat the fruit of their deeds.
• Rom 6:16Don’t you know that when you present yourselves as servants and obey someone, you are the servants of whomever you obey; whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness?
• Heb 11:4By faith, Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he had testimony given to him that he was righteous, God testifying with respect to his gifts; and through it he, being dead, still speaks.
• Num 32:23“But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against Yahweh; and be sure your sin will find you out.
• Rom 12:1Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service.
• Rom 7:8–9But sin, finding occasion through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of coveting. For apart from the law, sin is dead.
• Prov 21:27The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination; how much more, when he brings it with a wicked mind!
• Mal 1:13You say also, ‘Behold, what a weariness it is!’ and you have sniffed at it”, says Yahweh of Armies; “and you have brought that which was taken by violence, the lame, and the sick; thus you bring the offering. Should I accept this at your hand?” says Yahweh.
• Eccl 8:12–13Though a sinner commits crimes a hundred times, and lives long, yet surely I know that it will be better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him.
• Mal 1:10“Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you,” says Yahweh of Armies, “neither will I accept an offering at your hand.
• Acts 10:35but in every nation he who fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him.
• Mal 1:8When you offer the blind for sacrifice, isn’t that evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, isn’t that evil? Present it now to your governor! Will he be pleased with you? Or will he accept your person?” says Yahweh of Armies.
• Rom 14:18For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men.
• Jer 6:20To what purpose comes there to me frankincense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices pleasing to me.”
• 1 Pet 2:5You also, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
• Prov 18:5To be partial to the faces of the wicked is not good, nor to deprive the innocent of justice.
• Job 42:8Now therefore, take to yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept him, that I not deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job has.”
• Rom 15:16that I should be a servant of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, serving as a priest of the Good News of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be made acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
• Gen 3:16To the woman he said, “I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth. In pain you will bear children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”
• 2 Sam 24:23All this, O king, does Araunah give to the king.” Araunah said to the king, “May Yahweh your God accept you.”
• 1 Tim 5:4But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them learn first to show piety towards their own family, and to repay their parents, for this is acceptable in the sight of God.
• Gen 4:8–13Cain said to Abel, his brother, “Let’s go into the field.” While they were in the field, Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him.
• Job 29:4as I was in the ripeness of my days, when the friendship of God was in my tent,
• Eph 1:6to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he freely gave us favor in the Beloved,
• Gen 19:21He said to him, “Behold, I have granted your request concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken.
• 2 Kgs 8:28He went with Joram the son of Ahab to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth Gilead, and the Syrians wounded Joram.

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