Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version But the LORD said to him, “Not so; anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” Then the LORD put a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him. New Living Translation The LORD replied, “No, for I will give a sevenfold punishment to anyone who kills you.” Then the LORD put a mark on Cain to warn anyone who might try to kill him. English Standard Version Then the LORD said to him, “Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the LORD put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him. Berean Standard Bible “Not so!” replied the LORD. “If anyone slays Cain, then Cain will be avenged sevenfold.” And the LORD placed a mark on Cain, so that no one who found him would kill him. King James Bible And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. New King James Version And the LORD said to him, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” And the LORD set a mark on Cain, lest anyone finding him should kill him. New American Standard Bible So the LORD said to him, “Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him seven times as much.” And the LORD placed a mark on Cain, so that no one finding him would kill him. NASB 1995 So the LORD said to him, “Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” And the LORD appointed a sign for Cain, so that no one finding him would slay him. NASB 1977 So the LORD said to him, “Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” And the LORD appointed a sign for Cain, lest anyone finding him should slay him. Legacy Standard Bible So Yahweh said to him, “Therefore whoever kills Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” And Yahweh appointed a sign for Cain, so that no one who found him would strike him. Amplified Bible And the LORD said to him, “Therefore, whoever kills Cain, a sevenfold vengeance [that is, punishment seven times worse] shall be taken on him [by Me].” And the LORD set a [protective] mark (sign) on Cain, so that no one who found (met) him would kill him. Christian Standard Bible Then the LORD replied to him, “In that case, whoever kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” And he placed a mark on Cain so that whoever found him would not kill him. Holman Christian Standard Bible Then the LORD replied to him, “In that case, whoever kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over.” And He placed a mark on Cain so that whoever found him would not kill him. American Standard Version And Jehovah said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And Jehovah appointed a sign for Cain, lest any finding him should smite him. Contemporary English Version "No!" the LORD answered. "Anyone who kills you will be punished seven times worse than I am punishing you." So the LORD put a mark on Cain to warn everyone not to kill him. English Revised Version And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD appointed a sign for Cain, lest any finding him should smite him. GOD'S WORD® Translation So the LORD said to him, "Not so! Anyone who kills Cain will suffer vengeance seven times over." The LORD gave Cain a sign so that anyone meeting him would not kill him. Good News Translation But the LORD answered, "No. If anyone kills you, seven lives will be taken in revenge." So the LORD put a mark on Cain to warn anyone who met him not to kill him. International Standard Version The LORD told him, "This won't happen, because whoever kills you will suffer seven times the vengeance." Then the LORD placed a sign on Cain so that no one finding him would kill him. Majority Standard Bible “Not so!” replied the LORD. “If anyone slays Cain, then Cain will be avenged sevenfold.” And the LORD placed a mark on Cain, so that no one who found him would kill him. NET Bible But the LORD said to him, "All right then, if anyone kills Cain, Cain will be avenged seven times as much." Then the LORD put a special mark on Cain so that no one who found him would strike him down. New Heart English Bible God said to him, "Not so. Whoever kills Cain vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold." God appointed a sign for Cain, lest any finding him should strike him. Webster's Bible Translation And the LORD said to him, Therefore whoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him seven-fold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. World English Bible Yahweh said to him, “Therefore whoever slays Cain, vengeance will be taken on him sevenfold.” Yahweh appointed a sign for Cain, so that anyone finding him would not strike him. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd YHWH says to him, “Therefore, of any slayer of Cain it is required sevenfold”; and YHWH sets to Cain a token that none finding him will slay him. Young's Literal Translation And Jehovah saith to him, 'Therefore -- of any slayer of Cain sevenfold it is required;' and Jehovah setteth to Cain a token that none finding him doth slay him. Smith's Literal Translation And Jehovah will say to him, Therefore, every one killing Cain, he shall be avenged seven fold. And Jehovah will put a sign upon Cain, lest any finding him, smite him. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleAnd the Lord said to him: No, it shall not be so: but whosoever shall kill Cain, shall be punished sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, that whosoever found him should not kill him. Catholic Public Domain Version And the Lord said to him: “By no means will it be so; rather, whoever would kill Cain, will be punished sevenfold.” And the Lord placed a seal upon Cain, so that anyone who found him would not put him to death. New American Bible Not so! the LORD said to him. If anyone kills Cain, Cain shall be avenged seven times. So the LORD put a mark on Cain, so that no one would kill him at sight. New Revised Standard Version Then the LORD said to him, “Not so! Whoever kills Cain will suffer a sevenfold vengeance.” And the LORD put a mark on Cain, so that no one who came upon him would kill him. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleAnd the LORD said to him, It shall not be so; whoever slays Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, so that anyone who may find him may not kill him. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And LORD JEHOVAH said to him, “No! Anyone murdering Qayn shall each be paid sevenfold in this way.” And LORD JEHOVAH laid a sign on Qayn, so that no one who finds him would kill him. OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And the LORD said unto him: 'Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.' And the LORD set a sign for Cain, lest any finding him should smite him. Brenton Septuagint Translation And the Lord God said to him, Not so, any one that slays Cain shall suffer seven-fold vengeance; and the Lord God set a mark upon Cain that no one that found him might slay him. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Cain Murders Abel…14Behold, this day You have driven me from the face of the earth, and from Your face I will be hidden; I will be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me.” 15“Not so!” replied the LORD. “If anyone slays Cain, then Cain will be avenged sevenfold.” And the LORD placed a mark on Cain, so that no one who found him would kill him. 16So Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.… Cross References Matthew 18:21-22 Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times?” / Jesus answered, “I tell you, not just seven times, but seventy-seven times! Hebrews 12:24 to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. Romans 12:19 Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.” Revelation 6:10 And they cried out in a loud voice, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge those who dwell upon the earth and avenge our blood?” Luke 17:3-4 Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. / Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.” James 5:6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous, who did not resist you. 1 John 3:12 Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did Cain slay him? Because his own deeds were evil, while those of his brother were righteous. Matthew 5:21-22 You have heard that it was said to the ancients, ‘Do not murder’ and ‘Anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ / But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca,’ will be subject to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be subject to the fire of hell. 1 Peter 3:9 Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing. Romans 13:4 For he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not carry the sword in vain. He is God’s servant, an agent of retribution to the wrongdoer. Exodus 21:12-14 Whoever strikes and kills a man must surely be put to death. / If, however, he did not lie in wait, but God allowed it to happen, then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee. / But if a man schemes and acts willfully against his neighbor to kill him, you must take him away from My altar to be put to death. Numbers 35:12 You are to have these cities as a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer will not die until he stands trial before the assembly. Deuteronomy 32:35 Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; for their day of disaster is near, and their doom is coming quickly.” Isaiah 26:21 For behold, the LORD is coming out of His dwelling to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth will reveal her bloodshed and will no longer conceal her slain. Ezekiel 9:4-6 “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem,” said the LORD, “and put a mark on the foreheads of the men sighing and groaning over all the abominations committed there.” / And as I listened, He said to the others, “Follow him through the city and start killing; do not show pity or spare anyone! / Slaughter the old men, the young men and maidens, the women and children; but do not go near anyone who has the mark. Now begin at My sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the temple. Treasury of Scripture And the LORD said to him, Therefore whoever slays Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark on Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. Therefore. 1 Kings 16:7 And also by the hand of the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani came the word of the LORD against Baasha, and against his house, even for all the evil that he did in the sight of the LORD, in provoking him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam; and because he killed him. Psalm 59:11 Slay them not, lest my people forget: scatter them by thy power; and bring them down, O Lord our shield. Hosea 1:4 And the LORD said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel. sevenfold. Genesis 4:24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold. Leviticus 26:18,21,24,28 And if ye will not yet for all this hearken unto me, then I will punish you seven times more for your sins… Psalm 79:12 And render unto our neighbours sevenfold into their bosom their reproach, wherewith they have reproached thee, O Lord. set a mark, etc. Ezekiel 9:4,6 And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof… Revelation 14:9,11 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, … Jump to Previous Appointed Cain Death Finding Found Kill Kills Mark Revenged Seven Sevenfold Seven-Fold Sign Slay Slayeth Slays Strike Suffer Times VengeanceJump to Next Appointed Cain Death Finding Found Kill Kills Mark Revenged Seven Sevenfold Seven-Fold Sign Slay Slayeth Slays Strike Suffer Times VengeanceGenesis 4 1. The birth, occupation, and offerings of Cain and Abel.8. Cain murders his brother Abel. 11. The curse of Cain. 17. Has a son called Enoch, and builds a city, which he calls after his name. 18. His descendants, with Lamech and his two wives. 25. The birth of Seth, 26. and Enos. Not so! He replied The phrase "Not so!" is a direct response from God, indicating His sovereign decision to protect Cain despite his sin. The Hebrew word used here is "לָכֵן" (lakhen), which can be translated as "therefore" or "surely." This highlights God's authority and the certainty of His pronouncement. It reflects God's mercy and justice, showing that while Cain must face consequences, God still extends grace. This sets a precedent for divine protection and the complexity of God's justice system, where punishment and mercy coexist. If anyone slays Cain then Cain will be avenged sevenfold And the LORD placed a mark on Cain so that no one who found him would kill him Sevenfold.--Cain's punishment was severe, because his crime was the result of bad and violent passions, but his life was not taken because the act was not premeditated. Murder was more than he had meant. But as any one killing him would mean murder, therefore the vengeance would be sevenfold: that is, complete, seven being the number of perfection. Others, however, consider that Cain's life was under a religious safeguard, seven being the sacred number of creation. In this we have the germ of the merciful law which set cities of refuge apart for the involuntary manslayer. The Lord set a mark upon Cain.--This rendering suggests an utterly false idea. Cain was not branded nor marked in any way. What the Hebrew says is, "And Jehovah set," that is, appointed, "unto Cain a sign, that no one finding him should slay him." In a similar manner God appointed the rainbow as a sign unto Noah that mankind should never again be destroyed by a flood. Probably the sign here was also some natural phenomenon, the regular recurrence of which would assure Cain of his security, and so pacify his excited feelings. Verse 15. - The condemned fratricide's apprehensions were allayed by a special act of grace. And the Lord said unto him, Therefore (the LXX., Symm., Theodotion, Vulgate, Syriac, Dathius, translate Not so - οὐχ οὔτως, nequaquam, reading לאֹ כֵו instead of לָכֵן) whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. I.e. fully, sevenfold vengeance - complete vengeance (cf. Leviticus 26:28). In the case of Cain's murderer there was to be no such mitigation of the penalty as in the case of Cain himself; on the contrary, he would be visited more severely than Cain, as being guilty not alone of homicide, but of transgressing the Divine commandment which said that Cain was to live (Willet). As to why this special privilege was granted to Cain, it was not because "the early death of the pious Abel was in reality no punishment, but the highest boon (Kalisch), nor because banishment from God s presence was the greatest possible punishment, "having in itself the significance of a social human death" (Lange), nor because it was needful to spare life for the increase of posterity (Rosenmüller); but perhaps -1. To show that "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord." 2. To prove the riches of the Divine clemency to sinful men. 3. To serve as a warning against the crime of murder. To this probably there is a reference in the concluding clause. And the Lord set a mark upon - gave a sign to (LXX.) - Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. Commentators are divided as to whether this was a visible sign to repress avengers (the Rabbis, Luther, Calvin, Piscator, etc.), or an inward assurance to Cain himself that he should not be destroyed (Aben Ezra, Dathe, Rosenmüller, Gesemus, Tuch, Kalisch, Delitzsch). In support of the former it is urged that an external badge would be more likely to repel assailants; while in favor of the latter it is pleaded that of seventy-six times in which oth occurs in the Old Testament, in seventy-five it is translated sign. If there was a visible mark upon the fugitive, it is impossible to say what it was; that it was a shaking (LXX.), or a continual fleeing from place to place (Lyra), or a horn in the head (Rabbis), a peculiar kind of dress (Clericus), are mere conceits. But, whatever it was, it was not a sign of Cain's forgiveness (Josephus), only a pledge of God's protection; Cf. the Divine prophetic sentence against the Jewish Cain (Psalm 59:11). Hebrew “Not so!”לָכֵן֙ (lā·ḵên) Adverb Strong's 3651: So -- thus replied וַיֹּ֧אמֶר (way·yō·mer) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 559: To utter, say the LORD. יְהוָ֗ה (Yah·weh) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel “If anyone כָּל־ (kāl-) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every slays הֹרֵ֣ג (hō·rêḡ) Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct Strong's 2026: To smite with deadly intent Cain, קַ֔יִן (qa·yin) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 7014: Cain -- a city in southern Judah [then Cain] will be avenged יֻקָּ֑ם (yuq·qām) Verb - Hofal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 5358: To grudge, avenge, punish sevenfold.” שִׁבְעָתַ֖יִם (šiḇ·‘ā·ṯa·yim) Number - fd Strong's 7659: Sevenfold, seven times And the LORD יְהוָ֤ה (Yah·weh) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel placed וַיָּ֨שֶׂם (way·yā·śem) Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular Strong's 7760: Put -- to put, place, set a mark א֔וֹת (’ō·wṯ) Noun - common singular Strong's 226: A signal, as a, flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence on Cain, לְקַ֙יִן֙ (lə·qa·yin) Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 7014: Cain -- a city in southern Judah so that no one לְבִלְתִּ֥י (lə·ḇil·tî) Preposition-l Strong's 1115: A failure of, not, except, without, unless, besides, because not, until who found him מֹצְאֽוֹ׃ (mō·ṣə·’ōw) Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Strong's 4672: To come forth to, appear, exist, to attain, find, acquire, to occur, meet, be present would kill הַכּוֹת־ (hak·kō·wṯ-) Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct Strong's 5221: To strike him. אֹת֖וֹ (’ō·ṯōw) Direct object marker | third person masculine singular Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case Links Genesis 4:15 NIVGenesis 4:15 NLT Genesis 4:15 ESV Genesis 4:15 NASB Genesis 4:15 KJV Genesis 4:15 BibleApps.com Genesis 4:15 Biblia Paralela Genesis 4:15 Chinese Bible Genesis 4:15 French Bible Genesis 4:15 Catholic Bible OT Law: Genesis 4:15 Yahweh said to him Therefore whoever slays (Gen. 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