Genesis 4:9
New International Version
Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

New Living Translation
Afterward the LORD asked Cain, “Where is your brother? Where is Abel?” “I don’t know,” Cain responded. “Am I my brother’s guardian?”

English Standard Version
Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?”

Berean Standard Bible
And the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I do not know!” he answered. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

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

New King James Version
Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

New American Standard Bible
Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

NASB 1995
Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

NASB 1977
Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Yahweh said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

Amplified Bible
Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” And he [lied and] said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

Christian Standard Bible
Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel? ” “I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s guardian? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?"” I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s guardian?”

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

Contemporary English Version
Afterwards the LORD asked Cain, "Where is Abel?" "How should I know?" he answered. "Am I supposed to look after my brother?"

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

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The LORD asked Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" "I don't know," he answered. "Am I supposed to take care of my brother?"

Good News Translation
The LORD asked Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" He answered, "I don't know. Am I supposed to take care of my brother?"

International Standard Version
Later, the LORD asked Cain, "Where's your brother Abel?" "I don't know," he answered. "Am I my brother's guardian?"

Majority Standard Bible
And the LORD said to Cain, ?Where is your brother Abel?? ?I do not know!? he answered. ?Am I my brother?s keeper??

NET Bible
Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is your brother Abel?" And he replied, "I don't know! Am I my brother's guardian?"

New Heart English Bible
Then God said to Cain, "Where is Abel, your brother?" He said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?"

Webster's Bible Translation
And the LORD said to Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?

World English Bible
Yahweh said to Cain, “Where is Abel, your brother?” He said, “I don’t know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And YHWH says to Cain, “Where [is] your brother Abel?” And he says, “I have not known; 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?'

Smith's Literal Translation
And Jehovah will say to Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? and he will say, I know not: am I my brother's watcher?
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Lord said to Cain: Where is thy brother Abel? And he answered, I know not: am I my brother's keeper?

Catholic Public Domain Version
And the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” And he responded: “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

New American Bible
Then the LORD asked Cain, Where is your brother Abel? He answered, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”

New Revised Standard Version
Then the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” He said, “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the LORD said to Cain, Where is Abel your brother? And he said, I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And LORD JEHOVAH said to Qayn, “Where is Habyl your brother?” And he said, “I do not know, for am I my brother’s keeper?
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 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 Septuagint Translation
And the Lord God said to Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? and he said, I know not, am I my brother's keeper?

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Cain Murders Abel
8Then Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let us go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him. 9And the LORD said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?” “I do not know!” he answered. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” 10“What have you done?” replied the LORD. “The voice of your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.…

Cross References
Matthew 23:35
And so upon you will come all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

Hebrews 11:4
By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as righteous when God gave approval to his gifts. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.

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.

Luke 11:51
from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who was killed between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, all of it will be charged to this generation.

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.

1 John 3:11-12
This is the message you have heard from the beginning: We should love one another. / 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.

Jude 1:11
Woe to them! They have traveled the path of Cain; they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam; they have perished in Korah’s rebellion.

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.

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.”

James 4:2
You crave what you do not have; you kill and covet, but are unable to obtain it. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask.

Proverbs 28:13
He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.

Ezekiel 3:18-19
If I say to the wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ but you do not warn him or speak out to warn him from his wicked way to save his life, that wicked man will die in his iniquity, and I will hold you responsible for his blood. / But if you warn a wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness and his wicked way, he will die in his iniquity, but you will have saved yourself.

Isaiah 1:15
When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.

Jeremiah 2:35
you say, ‘I am innocent. Surely His anger will turn from me.’ Behold, I will judge you, because you say, ‘I have not sinned.’

Psalm 51:14
Deliver me from bloodguilt, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing of Your righteousness.


Treasury of Scripture

And the LORD said to Cain, Where is Abel your brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?

Where is.

Genesis 3:9-11
And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? …

Psalm 9:12
When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remembereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.

I know.

Genesis 37:32
And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son's coat or no.

Job 22:13,14
And thou sayest, How doth God know? can he judge through the dark cloud? …

Psalm 10:13,14
Wherefore doth the wicked contemn God? he hath said in his heart, Thou wilt not require it

Jump to Previous
Abel Brother's Cain Idea Keeper
Jump to Next
Abel Brother's Cain Idea Keeper
Genesis 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.














Then the LORD said to Cain
This phrase introduces a direct communication from God to Cain, highlighting the personal nature of God's interactions with humanity. The Hebrew word for "LORD" here is "Yahweh," the covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal and unchanging nature. This encounter underscores God's omniscience and His role as a moral authority who holds individuals accountable for their actions.

Where is your brother Abel?
God's question to Cain is not due to a lack of knowledge but serves as a divine invitation for Cain to confess and repent. The use of "brother" emphasizes the familial bond and the gravity of Cain's sin against his own kin. This question echoes God's inquiry to Adam in Genesis 3:9, illustrating a pattern of God seeking out the sinner to offer a chance for redemption.

I do not know
Cain's response is a blatant lie, reflecting the hardness of his heart and his refusal to take responsibility for his actions. The Hebrew word for "know" is "yada," which often implies an intimate or experiential knowledge. Cain's denial is not just a falsehood but a rejection of the relational knowledge he should have had with his brother.

Am I my brother’s keeper?
This rhetorical question reveals Cain's defiance and lack of moral responsibility. The term "keeper" in Hebrew is "shamar," meaning to guard or watch over. Cain's question implies a rejection of the inherent duty to care for and protect others, a principle that is foundational to the biblical understanding of community and stewardship.

(9) And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother?--It is the beauty of these early narratives that the dealings of the Deity with mankind are all clothed in an anthropomorphic form, for the reasons of which see Note on Genesis 2:7. It seems, then, that Cain at first went away, scarcely conscious of the greatness of his crime. He had asserted his rights, had suppressed the usurpation of his privileges by the younger son, and if he had used force it was his brother's fault for resisting him. So Jacob afterwards won the birthright by subtilty, and would have paid the same fearful penalty but for timely flight, and rich presents afterwards. But Cain could not quiet his conscience; remorse tracked his footsteps; and when in the household Abel came not, and the question was asked, Where is Abel? the voice of God repeated it in his own heart, Where is Abel, thy brother!--brother still, and offspring of the same womb, even if too prosperous. But the strong-willed man resists. What has he to do with Abel? Is he "his brother's keeper?"

Verse 9. - And the Lord said unto Cain. "Probably soon after the event, at the next time of sacrifice, and at the usual place of offering" (Bonar). Where is Abel thy brother? "A question fitted to go straight to the murderer's conscience, and no less fitted to rouse his wrathful jealousy, as showing how truly Abel was the beloved one" (ibid). Whether spoken by Adam (Luther), or whispered within his breast by the still small voice of conscience, or, as is most probable, uttered from between the cherubim, Cain felt that he was being examined by a Divine voice (Calvin). And (in reply) he said (adding falsehood, effrontery, and even profanity to murder), I know not: am I my brother's keeper? The inquiry neither of ignorance nor of innocence, but the desperate resort of one who felt himself closely tracked by avenging justice and about to be convicted of his crime. "He showeth himself alyer in saying, 'I know not; wicked and profane in thinking he could hide his sin from God; unjust in denying himself to be his brother's keeper; obstinate and desperate in not confessing his sin" (Willet; cf. Psalm 10.).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And the LORD
יְהוָה֙ (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

said
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

to
אֶל־ (’el-)
Preposition
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

Cain,
קַ֔יִן (qa·yin)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 7014: Cain -- a city in southern Judah

“Where
אֵ֖י (’ê)
Interrogative
Strong's 335: Where?, how?

[is] your brother
אָחִ֑יךָ (’ā·ḥî·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 251: A brother, )

Abel?”
הֶ֣בֶל (he·ḇel)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 1893: Abel -- the second son of Adam

“I
אָנֹֽכִי׃ (’ā·nō·ḵî)
Pronoun - first person common singular
Strong's 595: I

do not
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

know!”
יָדַ֔עְתִּי (yā·ḏa‘·tî)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 3045: To know

he answered.
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“[Am] I my brother’s
אָחִ֖י (’ā·ḥî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 251: A brother, )

keeper?”
הֲשֹׁמֵ֥ר (hă·šō·mêr)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 8104: To hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to


Links
Genesis 4:9 NIV
Genesis 4:9 NLT
Genesis 4:9 ESV
Genesis 4:9 NASB
Genesis 4:9 KJV

Genesis 4:9 BibleApps.com
Genesis 4:9 Biblia Paralela
Genesis 4:9 Chinese Bible
Genesis 4:9 French Bible
Genesis 4:9 Catholic Bible

OT Law: Genesis 4:9 Yahweh said to Cain Where is Abel (Gen. Ge Gn)
Genesis 4:8
Top of Page
Top of Page