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 after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
• Rom 2:6–10God “will repay each one according to his deeds.”
• Isa 3:10–11Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their labor.
• Rom 6:16Do you not know that when you offer yourselves as obedient slaves, you are slaves to the one you obey, whether you are slaves to sin leading to death, or to obedience leading to righteousness?
• Heb 11:4By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous when God gave approval to his gifts. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.
• Num 32:23But if you do not do this, you will certainly sin against the LORD—and be assured that your sin will find you out.
• Rom 12:1Therefore I urge you, brothers, on account of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.
• Rom 7:8–9But sin, seizing its opportunity through the commandment, produced in me every kind of covetous desire. For apart from the law, sin is dead.
• Prov 21:27The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable—how much more so when brought with ill intent!
• Mal 1:13You also say: ‘Oh, what a nuisance!’ And you turn up your nose at it,” says the LORD of Hosts. “You bring offerings that are stolen, lame, or sick! Should I accept these from your hands?” asks the LORD.
• Eccl 8:12–13Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and still lives long, yet I also know that it will go well with those who fear God, who are reverent in His presence.
• Mal 1:10“Oh, that one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would no longer kindle useless fires on My altar! I take no pleasure in you,” says the LORD of Hosts, “and I will accept no offering from your hands.
• Acts 10:35but welcomes those from every nation who fear Him and do what is right.
• Mal 1:8When you offer blind animals for sacrifice, is it not wrong? And when you present the lame and sick ones, is it not wrong? Try offering them to your governor! Would he be pleased with you or show you favor?” asks the LORD of Hosts.
• Rom 14:18For whoever serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.
• Jer 6:20What use to Me is frankincense from Sheba or sweet cane from a distant land? Your burnt offerings are not acceptable; your sacrifices do not please Me.”
• 1 Pet 2:5you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
• Prov 18:5Showing partiality to the wicked is not good, nor is depriving the innocent of justice.
• Job 42:8So now, take seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and sacrifice a burnt offering for yourselves. Then My servant Job will pray for you, for I will accept his prayer and not deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken accurately about Me, as My servant Job has.”
• Rom 15:16to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles in the priestly service of the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
• Gen 3:16To the woman He said: “I will sharply increase your pain in childbirth; in pain you will bring forth children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”
• 2 Sam 24:23O king, Araunah gives all these to the king.” He also said to the king, “May the LORD your God accept you.”
• 1 Tim 5:4But if a widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to show godliness to their own family and repay their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.
• Gen 4:8–13Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.
• Job 29:4when I was in my prime, when the friendship of God rested on my tent,
• Eph 1:6to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the Beloved One.
• Gen 19:21“Very well,” he answered, “I will grant this request as well, and will not demolish the town you indicate.
• 2 Kgs 8:28Then Ahaziah went with Joram son of Ahab to fight against Hazael king of Aram at Ramoth-gilead, and the Arameans wounded Joram.

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