Genesis 4:12 kjv

When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.

Genesis 4:12 nkjv

When you till the ground, it shall no longer yield its strength to you. A fugitive and a vagabond you shall be on the earth."

Genesis 4:12 niv

When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you. You will be a restless wanderer on the earth."

Genesis 4:12 esv

When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth."

Genesis 4:12 nlt

No longer will the ground yield good crops for you, no matter how hard you work! From now on you will be a homeless wanderer on the earth."

Genesis 4 verses

Genesis 4 12 Meaning

Genesis 4:12 declares God's twofold curse upon Cain for the murder of his brother Abel: agricultural futility and restless, perpetual wandering. It signifies the removal of divine blessing from his labor and the imposition of a life marked by instability and alienation from his land and people. This consequence highlights God's righteous judgment against bloodshed and the defilement of the earth by sin.

Genesis 4 12 Context

Genesis 4:12 is a pivotal part of God's direct judgment pronounced upon Cain immediately after he murdered his brother, Abel. The preceding verses (Gen 4:8-10) describe the first act of human bloodshed and God's confrontation with Cain, where He states that Abel's blood cries out from the ground. God's curse in verse 11 already establishes a separation of Cain "from the ground." Verse 12 elaborates on the specifics of this curse: his inability to succeed in his agricultural labor, which was his primary occupation (Gen 4:2), and a sentence of perpetual aimless wandering. This curse is fitting, as Cain used the very ground to spill his brother's blood, and now the ground itself will betray him. The context continues with Cain's complaint (Gen 4:13-14) that his punishment is too great, fearing he would be killed. In response, God places a "mark" on Cain for his protection (Gen 4:15), emphasizing God's sovereignty even in judgment, and Cain subsequently leaves the presence of the Lord to dwell in the land of Nod (Gen 4:16). This judgment establishes divine boundaries against violence and innocent bloodshed early in human history.

Genesis 4 12 Word analysis

• When thou tillest: Hebrew: כִּי תַעֲבֹד (ki ta'avod). תַּעֲבֹד (ta'avod) comes from the root עָבַד ('avad), meaning "to work," "to serve," "to labor." This word directly connects to Adam's initial calling to "work and keep" the Garden (Gen 2:15) and later his cursed labor of tilling the ground (Gen 3:23). For Cain, an agriculturalist (Gen 4:2), this specifies his primary means of livelihood, highlighting that the curse directly targets his source of provision and identity. His very occupation, intended for human sustenance, would now fail him.

• the ground: Hebrew: אֶת־הָאֲדָמָה (et-ha'adamah). אֲדָמָה ('adamah) refers to the "earth," "ground," or "soil." It's the same word used in the curse against Adam in Gen 3:17-19, establishing a thematic continuity: humanity's sin directly impacts the ground from which it derives sustenance and to which it returns. Crucially, Abel's blood was shed on and absorbed by this very adamah, implying a sense of defilement that leads the earth itself to refuse its natural yield to Cain. The ground that cried out now directly rejects its defiler.

• it shall not henceforth yield: Hebrew: לֹא תֹסֵף תֵּת (lo' tosef tet). לֹא תֹסֵף (lo' tosef) means "no longer add," or "it shall not continue." תֵּת (tet) comes from the root נָתַן (nathan), "to give" or "to yield." This emphasizes a permanent cessation of blessing for Cain's agricultural efforts. The ground will continue to produce for others, but for Cain, specifically, its natural productivity is withheld. This is a targeted, personal curse, preventing him from living securely as a settled farmer.

• unto thee her strength: Hebrew: כֹּחָהּ לָךְ (kocha lakh). כֹּחַ (koach) means "strength," "power," "might," or "vigor," but in an agricultural context, it signifies "produce," "fruit," or "yield." The הּ suffix ("her") refers back to the adamah, the ground. The phrase means the ground will not give its inherent vitality or productivity specifically to Cain. It's not just a diminished yield, but a fundamental removal of the ground's life-giving koach in his hands, paralleling his act of taking the koach (life) from Abel.

• a fugitive: Hebrew: נָע (na). This word describes someone "shaking," "trembling," "restless," "unstable." It conveys a sense of inner agitation, emotional turmoil, and an inability to settle. It implies not only physical movement but also a profound internal disquiet. Cain would not only wander but would do so in a state of unease, haunted by his sin.

• and a vagabond: Hebrew: וָנָד (va-nad). וָנָד (nad) means "a wanderer," "one who strays," or "an exile." Paired with na (fugitive), it forms a hendiadys, a common Hebrew literary device using two words to express a single, intensified concept. This combination powerfully emphasizes the unceasing, aimless, and unsettled nature of Cain's future life. He would be perpetually adrift, without roots, community, or a fixed home.

• shalt thou be in the earth: Hebrew: תִּהְיֶה בָאֲרֶץ (tihyeh va'aretz). תִּהְיֶה (tihyeh) means "you shall be," indicating a definite future state. בָּאֲרֶץ (ba'aretz) "in the earth" signifies that this condition is not an escape from judgment but rather his inescapable fate within the physical realm he inhabits. He is confined to this existence on the very earth he defiled, forever burdened by the consequences of his actions.

Genesis 4 12 Bonus section

• The Anthropomorphic Ground: The biblical narrative often portrays the ground or earth (adamah or eretz) as having a responsiveness to human actions. Here, it explicitly "cries out" and "opens its mouth" for Abel's blood (Gen 4:10-11), and then subsequently refuses its strength to Cain. This reflects a theological understanding that creation itself reacts to the spiritual and moral state of humanity, bearing witness to sin.
• Dual Aspects of Human Existence: The curse strikes at two fundamental pillars of human life after the Fall: meaningful labor (represented by cultivating the ground) and a settled existence (having a home/community). By making Cain's labor futile and condemning him to perpetual wandering, God ensures a comprehensive punishment that deprives him of the comfort, provision, and stability humanity strives for.
• Echo of Exile: Cain's forced wandering can be seen as an early type of biblical exile, foreshadowing future exiles of God's people due to their sin. Just as Adam and Eve were expelled from Eden, Cain is driven from a settled life and the direct presence of God (Gen 4:16).
• Lack of Redemption in Labor: For Cain, unlike the promise of future redemptive labor given to Adam through the coming seed, his work becomes utterly fruitless and spiritually void, directly associating labor with endless frustration outside of God's blessing.

Genesis 4 12 Commentary

Genesis 4:12 stands as a profound testament to the immediate and far-reaching consequences of sin, particularly the heinous crime of murder. Cain, having spilled the innocent blood of his brother Abel on the earth, now finds the very ground he relies upon rejecting his labor. His primary means of sustenance, cultivation, becomes futile, symbolizing a severed relationship with God's provision and blessing. This agricultural barrenness is a fitting echo of Adam's earlier curse (Gen 3:17-19) but is now intensified and personalized for Cain's unique offense.

Beyond agricultural futility, the verse sentences Cain to a life as "a fugitive and a vagabond." This is more than mere physical movement; it denotes an internal restlessness, a lack of peace and belonging. Cain is severed from his rooted existence, representing the spiritual and communal alienation that sin engenders. He cannot escape his deed or its repercussions, becoming a living monument to God's righteous judgment against human violence. This divine response underscores that God sees and acts on every transgression, particularly those against the sanctity of human life. While the immediate curse is severe, it also paradoxically sets the stage for God's sovereign decision to preserve Cain's life, demonstrating both judgment and a restrained mercy in the early dawn of human history.