humans in existence , so Cain could not know what the consequences of his attack against his brother would be . 130 Banishment was considered an acceptable alternative punishment for a killing within a family , as it involved a rending of all the relationships the exile would have enjoyed , including their relationship with God . 131
Genesis 4:13-14
הֹֽׂתא ׃א יֶ ִ֥ א ׃ התו יֶ ִ֖ יוא ה ׃ת הוֶ ־יִֶ ־לוִ֥ את הֹ֣ אייתִ֖ ית ֵֶּ֣אֵ לֵּ֣וֶַ הא ־מ א ׃ י יָֽו ֶ י או תֵּ֣ ֶֹ֣תַ ה תֵּ֣ ו ־ ֶת ה ׃ ־ו ־ ־תֶ ־ ית ־ התִ֖וָ ה ׃ ־ ִֵּ֣ ָֽו הי ־ֶ י יוו יָֽו ־תי ־י ־תוַ ־֥ ־׃־ הומ הי ־ֶ ־וִֶ֥ ־ֹת את הן י ִ֖ ׃ו וֶתֶ הואֵּ֣ת יתוא
And Cain said to the Lord , ‘ My iniquity is too great to bear . / Behold , you have cast me out this day from the face of the ground and from Your face , and I will be a vagrant wandering the earth , and it shall come to pass that anyone who encounters me will kill me .’
Sarna argues that הֹ֣ אייתִ֖ו denotes both sin and the punishment which is brought about by the הֹֽׂתא ׃) sin . 132 As such , there at least two possible interpretations of Cain ’ s words in 4:13
.( ־לוִ֥ את הֹ֣ אייתִ֖ו ית
It can be interpreted in the sense Cain thinks this punishment is more than he is capable of bearing . 133 “ In effect Cain suggests that his punishment is fourfold . There will be only a meager return from the soil . He will be hidden from God ’ s face . He is forced into a life of nomadism . Finally , he will be open game for anybody who meets him .” 134 An alternative interpretation is that Cain ’ s words in 4:13 are an acknowledgement of the gravity of his offence , with the sense that his sin is too great to be forgiven . 135 In this interpretation , Cain is expressing an overwhelming sense of remorse for the murder of his brother . 136
130 Nahum M . Sarna , Genesis , The JPS Torah Commentary , Verbum edition , 34 . 131 Gordon J . Wenham , Genesis 1 – 15 , Volume 1 , Word Biblical Commentary , Verbum edition , 108 . 132 Nahum M . Sarna , Genesis , The JPS Torah Commentary , Verbum edition , 34 . 133 Gordon J . Wenham , Genesis 1 – 15 , Volume 1 , Word Biblical Commentary , Verbum edition , 108 . 134 Ibid . 135 Umberto Cassuto , A Commentary on the Book of Genesis , Kindle edition , 216 . 136 Ibid .