Genesis 4:16 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Then Cain went away from the presence of the LORD and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

NIV: So Cain went out from the LORD's presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

NASB: Then Cain left the presence of the Lord, and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

CSB: Then Cain went out from the Lord's presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

NLT: So Cain left the Lord’s presence and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

KJV: And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

NKJV: Then Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of Nod on the east of Eden.

In prior verses, Cain has murdered his brother and received God's punishment. This included a loss of his ability to farm, and exile from his family. After receiving God's promise to take vengeance on anyone who would kill him, Cain leaves. Specifically, he leaves God's presence. This phrasing is interesting, since it implies something more than just a physical action. Apparently, before the murder of Abel, Cain, and perhaps all humans enjoyed some special relationship with God. Now Cain has lost that. The rest of the Bible will demonstrate that sin often separates us from God, as well as from other people.

Cain wanders, according to the curse given by God. However, in what seems to be a direct defiance of God's punishment, he then settles down. Cain establishes a city (Genesis 4:17) to the east of the Garden of Eden in a land called Nod. In Hebrew, the word Nod means "wandering." This society is productive (Genesis 4:17–22), but seems prone to evil and depravity (Genesis 4:19, 23–24).

Genesis 4:1–16 tells the beginning of human history in the wake of Adam's and Eve's sin and separation from God. This passage details the murder of Abel by his older brother Cain, the first son of Adam and Eve. Cain and Abel work the ground and tend sheep. They worship God, but Cain kills Abel in a fit of envy over God's rejection of Cain and his offering. The first human born on earth becomes the first murderer. God forces Cain to leave his family and wander the earth, but God also marks Cain with a promise of great vengeance on anyone who would kill him.

The consequences of sin become apparent in chapter 4: envy, arrogance, rebellion, murder, punishment, separation from family, and separation from God. Adam and Eve's firstborn son, Cain, jealously murders his brother Abel and loses everything. Adam and Eve lose them both. Cain's descendants amplify his sinfulness. Still, God provides help for Eve in childbirth and even provides protection for Cain in his wandering. Eve remains a woman of faith, even in her loss. And the sons of Seth, born after the murder of Abel, become a people who proclaim the name of the Lord.

The first three chapters of Genesis explain the creation and loss of paradise, as Adam and Eve are separated from God both physically and spiritually. Their relationship with Him does not end, however. Eve recognizes His help in bearing her son Cain and later Seth. Cain and Abel both worship God until Cain kills Abel. God provides protection for Cain, whose descendants become innovative, artful, arrogant, and violent. The descendants of Seth, however, begin to call on the Lord's name. This chapter bridges the story of Genesis from our ultimate origins to the story of Noah, introduced in the next chapter.

The book of Genesis establishes fundamental truths about God. Among these are His role as the Creator, His holiness, His hatred of sin, His love for mankind, and His willingness to provide for our redemption. We learn not only where mankind has come from, but why the world is in its present form. The book also presents the establishment of Israel, God's chosen people. Many of the principles given in other parts of Scripture depend on the basic ideas presented here in the book of Genesis. Within the framework of the Bible, Genesis explains the bare-bones history of the universe leading up to the captivity of Israel in Egypt, setting the stage for the book of Exodus.

Accessed 5/10/2024 6:42:01 AM