1: And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare 
Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.
2: And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
3: And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
4: And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
5: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
6: And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
7: If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
8: And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
9: And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?
10: And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.
11: And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;
12: When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.
13: And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.
14: Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.
15: 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.
16: And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.
17: And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.
18: And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech.
19: And Lamech took unto him two wives: the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.
20: And Adah bare Jabal: he was the father of such as dwell in tents, and of such as have cattle.
21: And his brother's name was Jubal: he was the father of all such as handle the harp and organ.
22: And Zillah, she also bare Tubal-cain, an instructer of every artificer in brass and iron: and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.
23: And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt.
24: If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.
25: And Adam knew his wife again; and she bare a son, and called his name Seth: For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew.
26: And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enos: then began men to call upon the name of the LORD.
1. Cain = Heb. H7014 קין qayin Kenite = " smiths" (A Faithful Version).
2. Abel = Heb. H1893 הבל hebel Abel = " breath" (A Faithful Version).
3. And in process of time
"Heb. at [the] end of days. The time as well as place and offering probably appointed."
- The Companion Bible
The location of the sacrificial alter was possibly at the entry (door) to the Garden of Eden (v.7) on the east, of which no man was allowed to enter in
(Gen. 3:24).
The timing of this event is not stated, but quite possibly on one of God's Holy Days.
offering = Heb. H4503 מנחה minchâh gift, tribute, offering, present, oblation, sacrifice, meat offering (A Faithful Version). Same in vs.4-5.
"Minchah = the Meal offering = a present, as such. Hence a gift-offering, not necessarily to secure admittance, but to secure favour. It might be sacrifice by blood, or more generally and later, without blood. It is used of the offerings of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:3, 4, 5), of Jacob's present to Esau (Genesis 32:13-21), etc. In Exodus and Leviticus it acquires a special limitation, and is the only word rendered "meat", or better (with Revised Version), "meal-offering" (though it has a wider signification than literal "meal")."
LORD = Heb. H3068 יהוה yehôvâh Jehovah = " the existing One" (A Faithful Version). (The) self Existent or eternal. The sacrifices were brought to Jehovah (in covenant relation), not to Elohim (the creator).
See The Companion Bible Appendix #4 II.
4. And Abel, he also brought His offering brought by Faith through the hearing of the Word, proving mankind was taught by God from the beginning...and God does not change. Biblical Proofs I.i.
Cp.
Rom. 10:17 and
Heb. 11:4.
firstlings Abel brought the firstfruits of his labor, Cain, quite possibly, did not. No matter what, Abel's offering was by faith.
Cp.
Exo. 13:2, 12, 15;
Exo. 34:19; and
Num. 18:15 with
Rom. 4:15.
respect = to look at or to, regard, gaze at or about.
5. But unto Cain See Jude 1:11.
respect same as in v4.
7. thou doest well to be good, be pleasing, be well, be glad (i.e., if you obey the voice of God).
sin = Heb. H2403 חטּאת חטּאה chaṭṭâ'âh chaṭṭâ'th sin, or sin-offering (A Faithful Version). Sin clearly defined here showing that God's Laws were in effect from the start, even with Adam and Eve. Cp. Rom. 4:15 and Biblical Proofs III.i.
lieth at the door crouches at the door.
And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
Referring to the hold of sin on an individual. Better rendered, Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it! - AFV
10. blood See Mt. 23:35.
11. And now art thou cursed from the earth Cp Prov. 28:13.
11.-12. Why is Cain's punishment such as it is here, and he does not die according to God's law?
In addition, why would anyone who kills Cain receive punishment sevenfold (v.15)? Though God knows of the cause of Abel's death,
could it possibly be that there were no human witnesses as the law prescribes?
(Cp.
Num. 35:30,
Deut. 17:6 &
Deut. 19:15.)
Consequently, if anyone killed Cain, they would be administering punishment without the testimony of two or three witnesses.
This result does not excuse Cain from any consequences from God.
14. vagabond = wanderer.
every one = anyone.
15. See note on vs.11-12.
16. presence of the LORD i.e., away from where he was able to commune with God as in Gen. 3:24; 4:3, 4.
16. Nod = Heb. H5113 נוד nôd wandering (A Faithful Version).
17. Enoch = Heb. H2585 חנוך chănôk Hanoch = " dedicated" (A Faithful Version).
18.Irad = Heb. H5897 עירד ‛ı̂yrâd Irad = " fleet" (A Faithful Version).
Mehujael = Heb. H4232 מחיּיאל מחוּיאל o mechûyâ'êl mechı̂yyâ'êl Mehujael = " smitten by God" (A Faithful Version).
Methusael = Heb. H4967 מתוּשׁאל methûshâ'êl Methusael = " who is of God" (A Faithful Version).
Lamech = Heb. H3929 למך lemek Lamech = " powerful" (A Faithful Version).
19. two wives first recording of polygamy.
Adah = Heb. H5711 עדה ‛âdâh Adah = " ornament" (A Faithful Version).
Zillah = Heb. H6741 צלּה tsillâh Zillah = " shade" (A Faithful Version).
20.Jabal = Heb. H2989 יבל yâbâl Jabal = " stream of water" (A Faithful Version).
cattle = livestock, cattle.
21. such as handle = Heb. H8610 תּפשׂ tâphaś to catch, handle, lay hold, take hold of, seize, wield (A Faithful Version). That is, those who corruptly play (AFV).
22.Tubal-cain = Heb. H8423 תּוּבל קין tûbal qayin Tubal-cain = " thou will be brought of Cain" (A Faithful Version).
artificer = (metal) craftsman.
Naamah = Heb. H5279 נעמה na‛ămâh Naamah = " loveliness" (A Faithful Version).
25. Seth = Heb. H8352 שׁת shêth Seth = " compensation" (A Faithful Version).
26. Enos = Heb. H583 אנושׁ 'ĕnôsh Enos = " man" (A Faithful Version).
then began men...name of the LORD Could equally be translated as men calling themselves after the name of the LORD.