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may be analogous to the intensity of the pain and ‘groaning’ (στένω) Cain will experience as he
is expelled from the land.” 190
Genesis 4:13-14
καὶ εἶπεν Καιν πρὸς τὸν κύριον Μείζων ἡ αἰτία μου τοῦ ἀφεθῆναί με, εἰ ἐκβάλλεις με
σήμερον ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς γῆς καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου σου κρυβήσομαι, καὶ ἔσομαι στένων καὶ
τρέμων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἔσται πᾶς ὁ εὑρίσκων με ἀποκτενεῖ με.
And Cain said to the Lord, ‘Too great is my guilt to be forgiven. / If you cast me out today
from the face of the land and I am removed from Your presence, then I will be moaning and
trembling upon the land, and any who find me will put me to death.
Whereas the MT includes ambiguity in Cain’s initial response to God’s punishment, the
LXX presents a clearer meaning. As noted above, ‫ִ֖ו‬ ‫ת‬ ‫י‬ ‫ֹ֣היא‬ can be interpreted as meaning either the
sin Cain has committed or the punishment accruing from the sin. The LXX, on the other hand,
uses αἰτία, which is usually taken to mean the cause or reason for an accusation being made. 191
However, in conjunction with the rendering of ‫׃‬ ‫ת־ת־‬ (“bear, carry”) as ἀφεθῆναί (“forgiven, let
go”), the less common sense of αἰτία as guilt can be understood to be the intended meaning. 192
“Because neither ‘responsibility’ nor ‘accusation’ tend to require forgiveness, the word likely
refers to Cain’s guilt.” 193 Scarlata observes that in rendering Cain’s words in this way, the
translator “demonstrates his understanding of the Hebrew in regard to the psychological effects
of Cain’s transgression rather than to his crime or penalty.” 194
190
Ibid.
Susan Ann Brayford, Genesis, Septuagint Commentary Series, (Leiden: Brill, 2007), 253. Cf. James
Swanson, “αἰτία,” in Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Semantic Domains: Greek (New Testament), electronic
edition, (Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997).
192
Susan Ann Brayford, Genesis, Septuagint Commentary Series, (Leiden: Brill, 2007), 254.
193
Ibid.
194
M. W. Scarlata, Outside of Eden: Cain in the Ancient Versions of Genesis 4:1-16, 162.
191