Genesis 4:6 kjv
And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
Genesis 4:6 nkjv
So the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen?
Genesis 4:6 niv
Then the LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast?
Genesis 4:6 esv
The LORD said to Cain, "Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen?
Genesis 4:6 nlt
"Why are you so angry?" the LORD asked Cain. "Why do you look so dejected?
Genesis 4 6 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Gen 4:7 | If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching... | God warns of sin's immediate danger. |
| 1 Sam 16:7 | ...for the Lord sees not as man sees: for man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. | God sees beyond the outward, to the heart. |
| Psa 44:20-21 | If we had forgotten the name of our God... would not God search this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart. | God knows the inner thoughts and secrets. |
| Psa 139:1-4 | O Lord, you have searched me and known me!... You discern my thoughts from afar. | God's comprehensive knowledge of humanity. |
| Prov 14:17 | A quick-tempered man acts foolishly... | Warning against unchecked anger. |
| Prov 15:13 | A glad heart makes a cheerful face, but by sorrow of heart the spirit is crushed. | Links internal state to outward countenance. |
| Prov 17:22 | A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. | Links internal state to physical well-being. |
| Jer 17:10 | "I, the Lord, search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways..." | God judges the heart. |
| Jnh 4:4 | The Lord said, "Do you do well to be angry?" | God questions Jonah's anger, mirroring Cain. |
| Jnh 4:9 | But God said to Jonah, "Do you do well to be angry for the plant?" | God repeats the challenge to anger. |
| Matt 5:21-22 | "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder...'" | Anger as the root of murder (heart condition). |
| Mark 7:20-23 | "...What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart...evil thoughts, sexual immorality..." | Evil originates from the heart. |
| Heb 4:12-13 | For the word of God is living and active... discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden... | God's word and presence reveal all hidden things. |
| Heb 11:4 | By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain... and through it he being dead still speaks. | Abel's faith-filled offering contrasts Cain's. |
| Jam 1:19-20 | Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. | Caution against wrath's destructive nature. |
| Eph 4:26-27 | Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, nor give place to the devil. | Warning about managing anger and its dangers. |
| Rom 2:4 | Or do you despise the riches of his goodness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's goodness is meant to lead you to repentance? | God's patience gives opportunity for repentance. |
| 2 Pet 3:9 | The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. | God's desire for repentance over judgment. |
| 1 Pet 5:8 | Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. | The lurking danger, echoing "sin crouching." |
| Psa 51:17 | The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. | Acceptable offering is a humble heart. |
| 1 Sam 15:22 | And Samuel said, "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice..." | Obedience from the heart outweighs ritual. |
| Isa 1:11-17 | "What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?... cease to do evil, learn to do good..." | God rejects ritual without righteous living. |
Genesis 4 verses
Genesis 4 6 Meaning
Genesis 4:6 portrays the Lord initiating a compassionate, probing conversation with Cain, who is filled with anger and dejection after his offering was not accepted. God directly questions Cain's negative emotional state and the physical manifestation of his internal turmoil, aiming to lead him to self-reflection and address the root of his resentment before it leads to further sin. It reveals God's intimate awareness of human emotions and His desire for reconciliation even in the face of human displeasure and potential sin.
Genesis 4 6 Context
Genesis 4 opens with the births of Cain and Abel, the first recorded children of Adam and Eve after the Fall. Both bring offerings to the Lord, but only Abel's is accepted. This pivotal moment leads to Cain's internal struggle. Verse 6 directly follows Cain's visible displeasure, indicating God's immediate response and concern for Cain's spiritual state. The verse precedes God's profound warning about sin (Gen 4:7) and Cain's subsequent act of fratricide. The historical context reflects a nascent human civilization where direct interaction with God was still a prominent feature of existence, and acts of worship, such as offering sacrifices, were primary expressions of their relationship with the divine. The passage underscores that while ritual actions were performed, God's acceptance hinged on the heart and disposition of the worshiper, challenging any notion that mere outward religious performance was sufficient.
Genesis 4 6 Word analysis
- Then the Lord said: Adonai (Yahweh in the original Hebrew manuscripts, later reverenced as Adonai) signifies God's personal, covenantal relationship and sovereign authority. God actively initiates the dialogue, showing care and seeking to intervene before sin fully takes hold, emphasizing His desire for humanity's well-being and His knowledge of the heart.
- to Cain, This indicates God's direct and specific engagement with an individual, personalizing His interaction with His creation, despite their flaws.
- 'Why are you angry? Hebrew: Lamah charah lach? Charah (חָרָה) implies a "burning" or "heated" emotion, a fiery anger. God's question is rhetorical, probing Cain to acknowledge and confront his internal state rather than ignoring it. It challenges Cain's motivation and the unrighteousness of his heart. It reveals God's omniscience, as He already knows that Cain is angry, but seeks Cain to understand why he is.
- And why has your face fallen?' Hebrew: Ve-lamah nafli paneykha? Nafal (נָפַל) means "to fall," and panim (פָּנִים, "face" or "countenance"). This phrase graphically describes Cain's outward physical expression of internal dejection, disappointment, shame, or intense displeasure. It signals a shift from inner turmoil to its visible manifestation. God's observation demonstrates His awareness of both Cain's internal emotional state and its external display, suggesting the integral connection between a person's inner condition and their outer demeanor.
Genesis 4 6 Bonus section
- This divine inquiry marks a profound moment of divine pastoral care, demonstrating God's patient engagement with human moral agency even after disobedience has occurred (regarding the offerings). It underscores that God values relational honesty and integrity of heart in worship more than mere ritualistic compliance.
- The rhetorical questions parallel later biblical examples, such as God questioning Jonah about his anger (Jonah 4:4, 4:9), illustrating God's consistent approach of leading individuals to self-evaluation.
- This verse can be seen as God's preventative intervention, giving Cain the choice to master sin rather than be mastered by it, a concept crucial to biblical understanding of free will and personal responsibility.
- The emphasis on the "fallen face" suggests a loss of dignity, perhaps even an inability to lift one's face towards God or others, hinting at a separation born of shame or indignation.
Genesis 4 6 Commentary
Genesis 4:6 highlights God's compassionate attentiveness to humanity's emotional state, particularly when these emotions verge on destructive paths. God does not condemn Cain immediately but approaches him with a gentle, questioning posture, aiming to bring Cain to a place of self-awareness and repentance. This inquiry is not for God's information, for He already knows the heart's secrets; rather, it's for Cain's benefit, a divine invitation for him to reflect on the source and nature of his resentment. The Lord points out two symptoms of Cain's inner turmoil: his burning anger and his fallen countenance. This reveals that our internal disposition (our "heart attitude") is crucial in our approach to God and is perceptible to Him. It also serves as a critical pre-warning; unchecked anger and envy, left unaddressed, will inevitably lead to destructive sin, as demonstrated in the very next verse and the subsequent tragic event. God offers Cain a chance to pause, reconsider, and choose a path of righteousness before descending into deeper sin.