And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand;
What does Genesis 4:11 mean?
Malice in the heart ends in murder by the hands.
Key themes
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Keep this verse inside Genesis 4:9-12 and alongside a few nearby related passages.
Commentary on Genesis 4:11
And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; The curse ( Genesis 9:25 , note) which now fell on Cain was in some sense retributive, as it sprang from the soil which had received his brother's blood. The particulars of it are the withdrawal of the full strength or fruitfulness of the soil from him, and the degradation from the state of a settled dweller in the presence of God to that of a vagabond in the earth.
Key words
- cursed
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And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand; The curse ( Genesis 9:25 , note) which now fell on Cain was in some sense retributive, as it sprang from the soil which had received his brother's blood.
Context in Genesis 4
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Genesis 4 belongs to the early movement of the book, especially the section often described as primeval history from creation to Babel. Genesis opens the whole Bible with creation, fall, flood, Babel, and the long patriarchal story that carries the reader from Eden to Egypt. Read this chapter with the wider themes of creation, fall, and covenant in view so the individual verses keep their proper weight.
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A collection of passages on hope under pressure, future inheritance, resurrection expectation, and confidence in God’s final faithfulness.