Genesis 4:7

If you did right you would have been happy. You were doing badly. You should straighten yourself up to do good. If you do that you will make me happy. If you don't you will keep doing evil.” [Missed concept of need to resist temptation.]

Nyangumarta (portions)

In The King James Version

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.

In Context

6God said to him, “Why are you angry with me? Why did your face change towards me? You should not be sullen.

8Cain didn't listen to God. He kept on being sullen. Because of that he said to his younger brother, “Let's go somewhere a long way off.” They went off. Then Cain killed his younger brother.

Read all of Genesis 4

Cross References

Genesis 3:16To the woman he said, “I will give you a lot of pain when you have a child. Knowing about pain when you have a child, continually you will long for a/the man. He will be a boss for you truly.”

Genesis 19:21One said to him, “Yes. You (pl) go there. I will not burn that small town.

Matthew Henry on Genesis 4:7-8

6 And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen? 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. God is here reasoning with Cain, to convince him of the sin and folly of his anger and discontent, and to bring him into a good temper again, that further mischief might be prevented. It is an instance of God's patience and condescending goodness that he would deal… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Genesis 4:7