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Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

Genesis 4:11

from the ground The meaning is not quite obvious. Probably, we should not understand, that the curse is to come from the ground upon Cain, but that Cain is driven by Jehovah's curse from the ground. The emphasis is on "the ground" (hâ-adâmâh). It is the groundwhich Cain tilled, the groundwhose fruits he offered, and the groundwhich he has caused to drink human blood. From this groundhe is now driven by a curse. For pollution of the land by bloodshed cf. Numbers 35:33, "So ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: for blood, it polluteth the land: and no expiation can be made for the land, for the blood that is shed therein, but by the blood of him that shed it."

On blood-revenge, cf. Robertson Smith, Kinship and Marriage, pp. 25 27.

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See also Genesis 4:11 in other biblical comments:

  • Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary

    - Section IV - The Family of Adam - Cain and Abel 1. קין _qayı̂n_, Qain (Cain), “spear-shaft,” and קנה _qānah_, “set up, establish, gain, buy,” contain the biliteral root קן _qan_, “set up, erect, g...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    CHAPTER 4 After the Fall and the Two Seeds _ 1. Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:1)_ 2. Their offerings (Genesis 4:3) 3. The divine remonstrance (Genesis 4:6) 4. Abel slain by his brother ...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    The Story of Cain and Abel. This belongs to the J cycle of stories, but apparently not to the same stratum as Genesis 4:3, for it is assumed that the earth has a population from which Cain fears venge...

  • B. W. Johnson's Bible Commentary

    III. THE MURDERER'S DOOM. 11. NOW ART THOU CURSED FROM THE EARTH. Life was held so sacred that, at first, even the murderer did not forfeit his life, but in the covenant with Noah it was enacted that...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    FROM THE EARTH. The Hebrew accent _athnach._ after "cursed" suggests "more than the ground' (Genesis 3:17)....

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

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  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _AND NOW ART THOU CURSED FROM THE EARTH, WHICH HATH OPENED HER MOUTH TO RECEIVE THY BROTHER'S BLOOD FROM THY HAND;_ NOW ART THOU CURSED FROM THE EARTH. Here a curse is added to the general one denounc...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

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  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    THE EARTH] RV 'the ground.' Cain is banished from the ground which he had formerly tilled and had now polluted, to the wide world (Genesis 4:12), a sterner punishment than that of Adam and Eve....

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

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  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

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  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וְ עַתָּ֖ה אָר֣וּר אָ֑תָּה מִן ־הָֽ אֲדָמָה֙

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

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  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

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  • Geneva Study Bible Commentary

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  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

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  • John Darby's Synopsis

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  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

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  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

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  • KJV Original Language Details

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