King James Version

Genesis 4:9

And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother’s keeper?

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Hebrew

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וַיֹּ֤אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…יְהוָה֙yehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).קַ֔יִןqayinCainקַיִןnoun, proper name — “Cain”H7014Kajin, the name of the first child, also of a place in Palestine, and of an Oriental tribeCain, Kenite(-s).אֵ֖יehowאַיparticle, interrogative — “how”H335where? hence how?how, what, whence, where, whether, which (way).הֶ֣בֶלhevelAbelהֶבֶלnoun, proper name — “Abel”H1893Hebel, the son of AdamAbel.אָחִ֑יךָachikhabrother ; kindredאָחnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd 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-'.וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙vayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…לֹ֣אlono , -r,לֹאparticle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…יָדַ֔עְתִּיyadatiknowיָדַעverb, qal, perfect, 1st person, common, singular — “know”, a completed actionH3045to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.)acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware, (un-) awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, [idiom] could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to) discern, discover, endued with…הֲשֹׁמֵ֥רhashomerbewardשָׁמַרparticle, interrogative, verb, qal, participle, absolute — “beward”, a verb used as a describing wordH8104properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.beward, be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man).אָחִ֖יachibrother ; kindredאָחnoun, common, masculine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, 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-'.אָנֹֽכִיanokhimeאָנֹכִיpronoun, personal, 1st person, common, singular — “me”H595II, me, [idiom] which.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

And the LORD said unto Cain: 'Where is Abel thy brother?' And he said: 'I know not; am I my brother's keeper?'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

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

American Standard Version (1901)

And Jehovah said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: am I my brother’s keeper?

Young’s Literal Translation

And Jehovah saith unto Cain, 'Where [is] Abel thy brother?' and he saith, 'I have not known; my brother's keeper — I?'

World English Bible

Yahweh said to Cain, “Where is Abel, your brother?” He said, “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

Darby Translation

And Jehovah said to Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: am I my brother's keeper?

Douay-Rheims

And the Lord said to Cain: Where is thy brother Abel? And he answered, I know not: am I my brother’s keeper?

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And the LORD said unto Cain: 'Where is Abel thy brother?' And he said: 'I know not; am I my brother's keeper?'

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And the Lord God said to Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? and he said, I know not, am I my brother's keeper?

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ εἶπε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς πρὸς Κάϊν· ποῦ ἔστιν Ἄβελ ὁ ἀδελφός σου; καὶ εἶπεν, οὐ γινώσκω· μὴ φύλαξ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ μου εἰμὶ ἐγώ;