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have seen the details, or lack thereof, within the text regarding the brothers’ offerings as
indications of the worthiness or otherwise of those offerings. Cassuto notes that
Apparently the Bible wished to convey that whilst Abel was concerned to choose the
finest thing in his possession, Cain was indifferent. In other words: Abel endeavoured to
perform his religious duty ideally, whereas Cain was content merely to discharge this
duty. 66
Therefore, while the text of Gen 4:1-16 includes no explicit indictment or condemnation of Cain
over the quality of his offering, 67 it does seem to carry within it a subtle indictment in the details
that it provides to us.
Genesis 4:4b-5
‫אא‬ ָֽ ‫ת‬ ‫ַ־‬ ‫תה‬ ‫ת‬ ‫י‬ ‫ת‬ ‫׃ה‬ ‫יה‬ ‫ת‬ ‫ה‬ ֶ ִ֖ ‫ה‬ ‫ת‬ ‫׃ה‬ ֶ ‫י‬ ‫־‬ ֶ ‫וה‬ ‫י‬ ֶ‫א‬ ‫י‬ ‫י‬ ֶ
‫תויא‬ ‫־ת‬ ‫־‬ ‫־‬ ִ֖‫ת‬ ‫ה‬ ‫י‬ ‫תב‬ ‫י‬ ֶ ‫ו‬ ‫׃‬ ‫א‬ ‫־‬ ‫ת‬ ‫ה‬ ַ‫א‬ ‫וי‬ ‫י‬ ֶ ַ ‫תה‬ ‫ו‬ ֶַ ‫י‬ ‫י‬ ֶ ִֶ ֹ֣ ‫־‬ ‫א־‬ ‫׃‬ ‫א‬ ‫ת‬ ‫א‬ ָֽ ִ֖ ‫ַ־‬ ‫תה‬ ‫ת‬ ‫י‬ ‫ת‬ ‫׃ה‬ ‫יה‬ ‫א‬ ‫וי‬ ‫י‬ ִ֥ ֶ ‫ת‬ ‫׃ה‬ ‫יה‬
And the Lord gazed towards Abel and his offering. / But towards Cain and towards his
offering he did not gaze, and Cain burned with anger and his face fell.
The text outlines God’s response to the offering of the brothers. The Hebrew word used
for God’s response is ֶ‫ֹ֣־‬ ‫א־‬, meaning to gaze or regard. 68 In Hebrew thought, ֶ ֹ֣ ‫־‬ ‫א־‬ had relational
significance. 69 To be gazed upon by God was to experience a positive relationship with Him; to
have God’s gaze withheld was to experience a distance in a relationship with Him. 70 God’s
gazing upon Abel, therefore, is a sign of a positive relationship. That God did not gaze upon Cain
would indicate a distance in their relationship. This would therefore account for Cain’s reaction –
66
Umberto Cassuto, A Commentary on the Book of Genesis, Kindle edition, 199.
Victor P Hamilton, The Book of Genesis, Chapters 1-17, Scribd.com edition, 356.
68
J. R. Lundbom, “ֶ‫ֹ֣־‬ ‫”א־‬, in Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament, vol. 15, edited by G. J.
Botterweck, and H. Ringgren, translated by D. E. Green, (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2006), 351.
69
Ibid, 350.
70
Ibid, 351.
67