King James Version

Genesis 4:2

And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

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Hebrew

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וַתֹּ֣סֶףvatosefand addיָסַףconjunction, verb, hiphil, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “and add”, the next action in the storyH3254to add or augment (often adverbial, to continue to do a thing)add, [idiom] again, [idiom] any more, [idiom] cease, [idiom] come more, [phrase] conceive again, continue, exceed, [idiom] further, [idiom] gather together, get more, give more-over, [idiom] henceforth, increase (more and more), join, [idi…לָלֶ֔דֶתlaledetto bearיָלַדpreposition, verb, qal, infinitive construct — “to bear”, the to-form of the verbH3205to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineagebear, beget, birth(-day), born, (make to) bring forth (children, young), bring up, calve, child, come, be delivered (of a child), time of delivery, gender, hatch, labour, (do the office of a) midwife, declare pedigrees, be the son of, (wom…אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).אָחִ֖יוachivbrother ; kindredאָחnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “brother ; kindred”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH251a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance (like father))another, brother(-ly); kindred, like, other. Compare also the proper names beginning with 'Ah-' or 'Ahi-'.אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).הָ֑בֶלhavelAbelהֶבֶלnoun, proper name — “Abel”H1893Hebel, the son of AdamAbel.וַֽיְהִיvayhiand beהָיָהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and be”, the next action in the storyH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.הֶ֨בֶל֙hevelAbelהֶבֶלnoun, proper name — “Abel”H1893Hebel, the son of AdamAbel.רֹ֣עֵהroehcompanionרָעָהverb, qal, participle, construct — “companion”, a verb used as a describing wordH7462to tend a flock; i.e. pasture it; intransitively, to graze (literally or figuratively); generally to rule; by extension, to associate with (as a friend)[idiom] break, companion, keep company with, devour, eat up, evil entreat, feed, use as a friend, make friendship with, herdman, keep (sheep) (-er), pastor, [phrase] shearing house, shepherd, wander, waste.צֹ֔אןtsonflockצֹאןnoun, common, both genders, singular, absolute — “flock”, the ordinary formH6629a collective name for a flock (of sheep or goats); also figuratively (of men)(small) cattle, flock ([phrase] -s), lamb ([phrase] -s), sheep(-cote, -fold, -shearer, -herds).וְקַ֕יִןveqayinand Cainקַיִןconjunction, noun, proper name — “and Cain”H7014Kajin, the name of the first child, also of a place in Palestine, and of an Oriental tribeCain, Kenite(-s).הָיָ֖הhayahbeהָיָהverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “be”, a completed actionH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.עֹבֵ֥דovedkeep in bondageעָבַדverb, qal, participle, construct — “keep in bondage”, a verb used as a describing wordH5647to work (in any sense); by implication, to serve, till, (causatively) enslave, etc.[idiom] be, keep in bondage, be bondmen, bond-service, compel, do, dress, ear, execute, [phrase] husbandman, keep, labour(-ing man, bring to pass, (cause to, make to) serve(-ing, self), (be, become) servant(-s), do (use) service, till(-er)…אֲדָמָֽהadamahcountryאֲדָמָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, absolute — “country”, the ordinary formH127soil (from its general redness)country, earth, ground, husband(-man) (-ry), land.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And again she bore his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And again she bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

Young’s Literal Translation

and she addeth to bear his brother, even Abel. And Abel is feeding a flock, and Cain hath been servant of the ground.

World English Bible

Again she gave birth, to Cain’s brother Abel. Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

Darby Translation

And she further bore his brother Abel. And Abel was a shepherd, but Cain was a husbandman.

Douay-Rheims

And again she brought forth his brother Abel. And Abel was a shepherd, and Cain a husbandman.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And again she bore his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And she again bore his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ προσέθηκε τεκεῖν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ τὸν Ἄβελ· καὶ ἐγένετο Ἄβελ ποιμὴν προβάτων, Κάϊν δὲ ἦν ἐργαζόμενος τὴν γῆν.