Genesis 4:9

Later, God said to Cain, “Where is your brother, Abel?” Cain said, “I don’t know where my brother is. It’s not my job to look after him.”

Plain English Version

In The King James Version

And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?

In Context

8After that, Cain went to his brother Abel, and Cain said, “Let’s go for a walk.” So Cain and Abel went out bush together. While they were there, Cain hit his brother, and killed him dead.

10God said to Cain, “You did a really bad thing. Your brother’s blood is on the ground. It’s like his blood is calling out to me. It is telling me you killed him.

Read all of Genesis 4

Cross References

Genesis 37:26One of Joseph’s brothers was called Judah. He talked to the rest of his brothers, and he said, “We talked about killing Joseph and tricking our father. But if we kill Joseph, that will be a really bad thing, and we will not get anything for ourselves.

Acts 5:4Look, that land was yours, and you didn’t have to sell it. But you sold it, and you got some money. Then you could do anything you liked with that money. You didn’t have to bring it to us. So why did you think you could trick us, and tell us that this little bit of money was all you got for that land? You lied to us. But you didn’t only lie to people, you lied to God too.”

Matthew Henry on Genesis 4:9

8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. We have here the progress of Cain's anger, and the issue of it in Abel's murder, which may be considered two ways:— I. As Cain's sin; and a scarlet, crimson, sin it was, a sin of the first magnitude, a sin against the light and law of nature, and which the consciences even of bad men have startled at. See in it, 1. The sad effects of sin's entrance into the world and… Read the whole commentary →

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Study Genesis 4:9