Genesis Chapter 4 verse 7 Holy Bible

ASV Genesis 4:7

If thou doest well, shall it not be lifted up? and if thou doest not well, sin coucheth at the door: and unto thee shall be its desire, but do thou rule over it.
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BBE Genesis 4:7

If you do well, will you not have honour? and if you do wrong, sin is waiting at the door, desiring to have you, but do not let it be your master.
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DARBY Genesis 4:7

If thou doest well, will not [thy countenance] look up [with confidence]? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door; and unto thee [shall be] his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
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KJV Genesis 4:7

If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
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WBT Genesis 4:7

If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And to thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
read chapter 4 in WBT

WEB Genesis 4:7

If you do well, will it not be lifted up? If you don't do well, sin crouches at the door. Its desire is for you, but you are to rule over it."
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YLT Genesis 4:7

Is there not, if thou dost well, acceptance? and if thou dost not well, at the opening a sin-offering is crouching, and unto thee its desire, and thou rulest over it.'
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Ellicott's Commentary

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(7) If thou doest well.--This most difficult verse is capable of a satisfactory interpretation, provided that we refuse to admit into this ancient narrative the ideas of a subsequent age. Literally, the words mean, If thou doest well, is there not lifting up? It had just been said that his countenance fell; and this lifting up is often elsewhere applied to the countenance. (Comp. Job 10:15; Job 11:15.) "Instead, then, of thy present gloomy despondent mood, in which thou goest about with downcast look, thou shalt lift up thy head, and have peace and good temper beaming in thine eyes as the result of a quiet conscience." The second half of the verse is capable of two meanings. First: "if thou doest not well, sin lieth (croucheth as a beast of prey) at the door, and its desire is to thee, to make thee its victim; but thou shalt rule over it, and overcome the temptation." The objection to this is: that while sin is feminine, the verb and pronouns are masculine. There are, indeed, numerous instances of a verb masculine with a noun feminine, but the pronouns are fatal, though most Jewish interpreters adopt this feeble explanation. The other interpretation is: "If thou doest not well, sin croucheth at the door, that is, lies dangerously near thee, and puts thee in peril. Beware, therefore, and stand on thy guard; and then his desire shall be unto thee, and thou shalt rule over him. At present thou art vexed and envious because thy younger brother is rich and prosperous, while thy tillage yields thee but scanty returns. Do well, and the Divine blessing will rest on thee, and thou wilt recover thy rights of primogeniture, and thy brother will look up to thee in loving obedience." (Comp. the loving subjection of the wife in Genesis 3:16.)We have in this verse proof of a struggle in Cain's conscience. Abel was evidently outstripping him in wealth; his flocks were multiplying, and possibly his younger brothers were attaching themselves to him in greater numbers than to Cain. Moreover, there was a more marked moral growth in him, and his virtue and piety were more attractive than Cain's harsher disposition. This had led to envy and malice on the part of Cain, increased, doubtless, by the favour of God shown to Abel's sacrifice; but he seems to have resisted these evil feelings. Jehovah would not have remonstrated thus kindly with him had he been altogether reprobate. Possibly, too, for a time he prevailed over his evil tempers. It is a gratuitous assumption that the murder followed immediately upon the sacrifice. The words of the Almighty rather show that repentance was still possible, and that Cain might still recover the Divine favour, and thereby regain that pre-eminence which was his by right of primogeniture, but which he felt that he was rapidly losing by Abel's prosperity and more loving ways.Parallel Commentaries ...HebrewIfאִם־ (’im-)ConjunctionStrong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, notyou do what is right,תֵּיטִיב֙ (tê·ṭîḇ)Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singularStrong's 3190: To be good, well, glad, or pleasing{will}הֲל֤וֹא (hă·lō·w)Adverb - Negative particleStrong's 3808: Not, noyou notלֹ֣א (lō)Adverb - Negative particleStrong's 3808: Not, nobe accepted?שְׂאֵ֔ת (śə·’êṯ)Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructStrong's 7613: An elevation, leprous scab, elation, cheerfulness, exaltation in rank, characterBut ifוְאִם֙ (wə·’im)Conjunctive waw | ConjunctionStrong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, notyou refuse to do what is right,תֵיטִ֔יב (ṯê·ṭîḇ)Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singularStrong's 3190: To be good, well, glad, or pleasingsinחַטָּ֣את (ḥaṭ·ṭāṯ)Noun - feminine singularStrong's 2403: An offence, its penalty, occasion, sacrifice, expiation, an offenderis crouchingרֹבֵ֑ץ (rō·ḇêṣ)Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularStrong's 7257: To crouch, be implication, to recline, repose, brood, lurk, imbedat your door;לַפֶּ֖תַח (lap·pe·ṯaḥ)Preposition-l, Article | Noun - masculine singularStrong's 6607: An opening, door, entrance wayyou areוְאֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ (wə·’ê·le·ḵā)Conjunctive waw | Preposition | second person masculine singularStrong's 413: Near, with, among, toits object of desire,תְּשׁ֣וּקָת֔וֹ (tə·šū·qā·ṯōw)Noun - feminine singular construct | third person masculine singularStrong's 8669: A longingbut youוְאַתָּ֖ה (wə·’at·tāh)Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - second person masculine singularStrong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and youmust masterתִּמְשָׁל־ (tim·šāl-)Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularStrong's 4910: To rule, have dominion, reignit.”בּֽוֹ׃ (bōw)Preposition | third person masculine singularStrong's Hebrew Jump to PreviousAcceptance Accepted Coucheth Couching Countenance Crouches Crouching Desire Desires Desiring Door Honour Lifted Master Mayest Opening Right Rule Rulest Sin Sin-Offering Waiting Wrong