Genesis 4:13 kjv
And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.
Genesis 4:13 nkjv
And Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is greater than I can bear!
Genesis 4:13 niv
Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is more than I can bear.
Genesis 4:13 esv
Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is greater than I can bear.
Genesis 4:13 nlt
Cain replied to the LORD, "My punishment is too great for me to bear!
Genesis 4 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 4:7 | ...If you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door... | Warning about sin's dominion before Cain acted |
| Gen 4:11-12 | ...cursed from the ground... a fugitive and a wanderer... | The curse pronounced by God on Cain |
| Gen 3:17-19 | ...Cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you shall eat... | Parallels Adam's curse; sin affects the land |
| Num 32:23 | ...be sure your sin will find you out. | Inevitable discovery of sin |
| Psa 38:4 | For my iniquities have gone over my head; like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me. | Expresses the weight of sin (from a repentant heart) |
| Psa 40:12 | For evils have encompassed me beyond number... My iniquities have overtaken me... | Acknowledgment of overwhelming iniquities |
| Psa 51:3-4 | For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned... | Contrasts Cain's self-pity with David's genuine repentance |
| Prov 13:15 | ...the way of transgressors is hard. | Consequences for wrongdoing |
| Jer 2:19 | Your own evil will chastise you... | Sin brings its own recompense |
| Lam 3:39 | Why should a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? | Challenges complaining about deserved punishment |
| Isa 59:2 | But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God... | Sin separates from God's presence |
| Isa 53:11 | ...by His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities. | Messiah bears iniquities, offering deliverance |
| Hos 13:9 | He will punish them... you have fallen by your iniquity. | God's justice for unrighteousness |
| Rom 6:23 | For the wages of sin is death... | Ultimate consequence of sin |
| Rom 7:24 | Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? | Paul's groan against sin's power (longing for deliverance) |
| 2 Cor 7:10 | For godly sorrow produces a repentance that leads to salvation... but worldly sorrow produces death. | Direct contrast between Cain's sorrow and true repentance |
| Gal 6:7-8 | Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. | Principle of sowing and reaping |
| Heb 10:26-27 | For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a fearful expectation of judgment... | Warnings against persistent, deliberate sinning |
| Heb 11:4 | By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain... | Contrast between Cain's rejection and Abel's acceptance |
| Heb 12:17 | For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no place for repentance, though he sought it with tears. | Esau's example of seeking blessing, not repentance |
| Jas 1:15 | Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. | Progression from desire to sin to death |
| 1 Jn 3:12 | We should not be like Cain, who was of the evil one and murdered his brother... | NT identification of Cain's nature and act |
| Jude 1:11 | Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain... | NT condemnation of those following Cain's example |
| Rev 2:21-23 | ...I gave her time to repent... But if she does not repent, I will throw her... on a bed of suffering... | Call to repentance and consequences of refusal |
| Matt 11:28 | Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. | Contrast to Cain's inability to bear his burden; Christ offers relief |
Genesis 4 verses
Genesis 4 13 Meaning
Genesis 4:13 conveys Cain's desperate response to God's pronounced curse. He states that the punitive consequence for his iniquity is an unbearable burden, focusing on his personal suffering rather than acknowledging the gravity of his sin against God and his brother. His expression is one of self-pity and despair regarding the future consequences, lacking genuine contrition for his murderous act.
Genesis 4 13 Context
Genesis chapter 4 recounts the narrative immediately following the Fall, detailing the first instances of sin's escalation in humanity. Prior to this verse, Abel offers an acceptable sacrifice, while Cain's is rejected, leading to envy and wrath in Cain's heart (Gen 4:3-5). God directly confronts Cain, warning him that sin "is crouching at the door" and seeking to master him (Gen 4:7). Despite this divine warning, Cain succumbs to sin, murdering his brother Abel (Gen 4:8). When God confronts Cain about Abel's blood, which "cries out from the ground," Cain denies knowledge of Abel's whereabouts (Gen 4:9). God then pronounces a curse upon Cain: he will be cursed from the ground, unable to farm, and will become a restless wanderer (Gen 4:11-12). Cain's response in Genesis 4:13 is his first verbal reaction to God's declared judgment, revealing his deep-seated self-pity and despair rather than repentance for his act.
Genesis 4 13 Word analysis
- And Cain said (וַיֹּאמֶר קַיִן, vayyo'mer Qayin): This direct address from Cain to the LORD signifies an ongoing dialogue and a confrontation with the divine Judge. It shows God is giving Cain an opportunity to speak.
- to the LORD (אֶל יְהוָה, ʾel Yahweh): Cain addresses the covenant God, the one who revealed Himself to Adam and Eve, and who spoke to Cain directly about his sin. Despite acknowledging God's identity, there is no reverence or submissiveness in Cain's tone; rather, it is a complaint.
- My punishment (עֲוֺנִי, 'avoniy): This is a pivotal term. The root word 'awon (עָוֹן) can carry the meaning of "iniquity," "guilt," or the "punishment/consequence resulting from iniquity." In Cain's statement, the focus shifts from his active sin (murder) to the resulting "punishment." Cain primarily feels the burden of the consequence of his act, not the burden of his sinfulness itself. It implies a focus on personal suffering rather than moral failing or broken relationship with God.
- is greater (גָדוֹל, gadol): "Great," "large," or "heavy." This adjective emphasizes the immense perceived magnitude of his affliction. Cain views the divine judgment as excessive or overly burdensome.
- than I can bear. (מִנְּשׂוֹא, minneso): This phrase stems from the verb נָשָׂא (nasa), meaning "to lift," "to carry," or "to bear." It describes a weight or burden that Cain perceives himself physically or emotionally incapable of enduring. This expresses despair and hopelessness about his future.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- "And Cain said to the LORD,": Establishes a direct, unmediated confrontation between man and God after God has pronounced a curse. It sets the stage for Cain's immediate and self-focused reaction to divine judgment.
- "My punishment is greater than I can bear.": This phrase captures the essence of Cain's response. It is characterized by self-pity and a focus on his future plight rather than on past sin. He acknowledges the consequence ("my punishment") but not his guilt. This contrasts sharply with a genuinely contrite heart, which would mourn the sin itself and seek forgiveness. Cain expresses despair over his condition ("greater than I can bear"), revealing a mind fixed on his own discomfort rather than an admission of his depravity or an appeal for mercy rooted in repentance. It also subtly implies a questioning of God's justice—that the punishment is somehow unfair or excessive for him to manage.
Genesis 4 13 Bonus section
- The immediate focus on "my punishment" instead of "my sin" (עֲוֺנִי instead of חַטָּאתִי hatta’ti) underscores the unrepentant nature of Cain's heart. He laments the consequences he is to face rather than the offense committed against God and his brother, reflecting a self-centered outlook.
- Though steeped in his complaint, Cain’s plea (even in despair) elicits further interaction from God, who proceeds to put a mark on Cain for his protection (Gen 4:15). This demonstrates God’s continued, though tempered, patience and a paradoxical display of mercy even amidst deserved judgment, highlighting divine preservation of life in fallen humanity.
- The severity of Cain's felt burden echoes the earlier curse on Adam (Gen 3:17-19), connecting the unfolding narrative of human sin and its escalating consequences to the foundational rupture with the created order and God's benevolent provision. The land itself rejects Cain, much as it was cursed for Adam.
Genesis 4 13 Commentary
Cain's lament in Genesis 4:13 is not a cry of repentance, but a raw outpouring of self-pity and despair. Confronted by the weight of God's righteous judgment for shedding innocent blood, Cain’s concern is solely for his own perceived suffering rather than his heinous crime. He sees the punishment as his problem, not his sin. The very ambiguity of the word 'awon (which can mean iniquity or punishment for iniquity) highlights his warped perspective; he uses it to signify only the painful consequences that he feels, rather than the deep guilt of his sin before a holy God.
This "worldly sorrow," as described in the New Testament (2 Cor 7:10), produces death, leading to hopelessness and hardening, distinct from the "godly sorrow" that leads to genuine repentance and life. Cain focuses on what he has lost and what he will endure, unable to grasp the deeper spiritual separation and the gravity of murdering his own brother, made in God’s image. His immediate future, burdened by an unbearable curse, preoccupies him, shutting out any consideration for divine mercy through contrition. Cain’s response marks a sad progression of sin: from anger to murder, then to denial, and finally to unrepentant despair over the earthly repercussions.