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The closing words of 4:7 (‫א‬ ֥ ‫ת‬ ‫ת‬ ‫א־‬ ‫ת‬ ‫ה‬ ‫מ‬ ‫י‬ ֶ ‫מ‬ ִ֖ ‫־‬ ֶ‫׃‬ ‫יה‬ ‫א‬ ָֽ ‫־‬ ‫־י־‬ ‫א‬ ‫)מ‬
closely resemble those of 3:16b (‫ל‬ ֥ ‫ת‬ ‫־‬ ‫ת‬ ‫א־‬ ‫ת‬ ‫ה‬ ‫וי‬
‫־׃‬ ֶ ִ֖ ‫יה‬ ‫ל‬ ‫ֵָּֽ֣־‬ ‫־י־‬ ‫א‬ ‫מ‬ ‫ה‬ ַ‫ל‬ ֵּ֣‫וא‬ ‫׃‬ ‫י‬ ‫ת‬ ‫׃ה‬ ‫)יה‬. 96 Sin’s for Cain is thus compared to Eve’s desire for Adam. 97 Cassuto
argues that the close resemblance between the verses points to the origin of the text as an epic
poem, and that the resemblances are part of the rhetorical styles used in such literary forms. 98 The
final wards of the verse (‫א‬ ֥ ‫ת‬ ‫ת‬ ‫א־‬ ‫ת‬ ‫ה‬ ‫מ‬ ‫י‬ ֶ ‫מ‬ ִ֖ ‫־‬ ֶ‫׃‬ ‫)יה‬ can be read in a number of different ways. “The sense of
the Hebrew form (2nd masc. sing. imperfect) is ambiguous; it may be read as a promise (‘you
shall master it’), as a command (‘you must master it’), or as an invitation (‘you may master
it’).” 99 It can also be read as a question – “But you, will you be its master?” 100 As Hamilton points
out, however, regardless of how one reads these final words, they ultimately convey the fact that
Cain is left with a choice, namely, to master sin or to be mastered by sin. 101
Genesis 4:8
‫תֶ־א‬ ‫א‬ ֵּ֣ ‫ו‬ ‫ה‬ ֶֶֶ ‫י‬ ֶ ‫וי‬ ַ ִ֖ ‫י‬ ‫׃־‬ ‫ת‬ ‫ה‬ ֶ ִ֥ ‫ה‬ ‫ת‬ ‫׃ה‬ ‫א‬ ‫וי‬ ‫י‬ ֶ ‫ו‬ ‫ִ֥בי־‬ ‫־‬ ‫י‬ ֶ ֶ ‫ו‬ ‫ה‬ ‫־‬ ‫־‬ ֶ֥ ‫ו‬ ָֽ‫וא‬
‫ֶה‬ ‫֥י‬ ַ‫ו‬ ‫ֶי‬ ‫תבוה‬ ‫י‬ ֶ ‫וי‬ ַ ִ ‫י‬ ‫׃־‬ ‫ת‬ ‫ה‬ ֶ ‫ה‬ ‫ת‬ ‫׃ה‬ ‫א‬ ‫וי‬ ‫י‬ ִ֖ ֶ ‫ו‬ ‫׃תה‬ ‫א‬ ִ֥ ‫י‬ ֶ
And Cain spoke to his brother Abel, and it came to be that they were in the field, and
Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.
4:8 begins with a puzzle. The text tells us that Cain spoke to Abel (‫וי‬ ַ ִ ‫י‬ ‫׃־‬ ‫ת‬ ‫ה‬ ֶ ‫ה‬ ‫ת‬ ‫׃ה‬ ‫א‬ ‫וי‬ ‫י‬ ִ֖ ֶ ‫ו‬ ‫׃תה‬ ‫א‬ ִ֥ ‫י‬ ֶ )
but does not tell us what was said. Westermann concludes that this indicates an omission in the
text. 102 Some commentators have interpreted ‫ו‬ ‫׃תה‬ ‫א‬ ִ֥ ‫י‬ ֶ as meaning ‘he had words with him.’ 103 Many
ancient non-Hebrew versions of 4:8 supply the content of the dialogue as an invitation from Cain
96
Claus Westermann, A Continental Commentary: Genesis 1–11, Verbum edition, 300.
Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 1–15, Volume 1, Word Biblical Commentary, Verbum edition, 81.
98
Umberto Cassuto, A Commentary on the Book of Genesis, Kindle edition, 206.
99
Victor P Hamilton, The Book of Genesis, Chapters 1-17, Scribd.com edition, 363.
100
Claus Westermann, A Continental Commentary: Genesis 1–11, Verbum edition, 300.
101
Victor P Hamilton, The Book of Genesis, Chapters 1-17, Scribd.com edition, 363.
102
Claus Westermann, A Continental Commentary: Genesis 1–11, Verbum edition, 301.
103
Nahum M. Sarna, Genesis, The JPS Torah Commentary, Verbum edition, 33.
97