Genesis 4:9
King James Version
9 And the Lord said unto Cain,
Where is Abel thy brother?
And he said, I know not:
Am I my brother's keeper?
Many of us know the story of Cain and Abel.
The first children of Adam and Eve.
Here's the backgrounder to this post:
Genesis 4:2
King James Version
2 And she again bare his brother Abel.
And Abel was a keeper of sheep,
but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
Both gave the LORD their offerings, but only Abel's was acceptable.
Genesis 4:4
King James Version
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:
Genesis 4:5
King James Version
5 But unto Cain and to his offering
he had not respect.
And Cain was very wroth,
and his countenance fell.
You know what happened next.
Genesis 4:8
King James Version
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.
Is Cain his brother's "keeper"?
What does "my brother's keeper" mean?
These Bible versions tell us:
Genesis 4:9
Christian Standard Bible
9 Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
“I don’t know,” he replied. “Am I my brother’s guardian?”
Genesis 4:9
Contemporary English Version
9 Afterwards the Lord asked Cain, “Where is Abel?”
“How should I know?” he answered. “Am I supposed to look after my brother?”
Genesis 4:9
Easy-to-Read Version
9 Later, the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
Cain answered, “I don’t know. Is it my job to watch over my brother?”
Genesis 4:9
EasyEnglish Bible
9 Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Where is Abel, your brother?’ Cain replied, ‘I do not know where he is. Must I always keep my brother safe?’
Genesis 4:9
International Children’s Bible
9 Later, the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
Cain answered, “I don’t know. Is it my job to take care of my brother?”
Genesis 4:9
Living Bible
9 But afterwards the Lord asked Cain, “Where is your brother? Where is Abel?”
“How should I know?” Cain retorted. “Am I supposed to keep track of him wherever he goes?”
Genesis 4:9
The Message
9 God said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?”
He said, “How should I know? Am I his babysitter?”
Genesis 4:9
Names of God Bible
9 Yahweh asked Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
“I don’t know,” he answered. “Am I supposed to take care of my brother?”
Genesis 4:9
New Century Version
9 Later, the Lord said to Cain, “Where is your brother Abel?”
Cain answered, “I don’t know. Is it my job to take care of my brother?”
Bereshis 4:9
Orthodox Jewish Bible
9 And Hashem said unto Kayin, Where is Hevel thy brother? And he said, I know not; am I shomer achi (my brother’s keeper)?
Genesis 4:9
The Voice
Eternal One (to Cain): 9 Where’s your brother Abel?
Cain: I have no idea. Am I supposed to be responsible for where he goes and what he does?
In SUMMARY, Cain's retort, "Am I my brother's keeper?" refers to:
Am I my brother’s guardian?
Am I supposed to look after my brother?
Is it my job to watch over my brother?
Must I always keep my brother safe?
Is it my job to take care of my brother?
Am I supposed to keep track of him wherever he goes?
Am I his babysitter?
Am I supposed to take care of my brother?
Is it my job to take care of my brother?
am I shomer achi (my brother’s keeper)?
Am I supposed to be responsible for where he goes and what he does?
What do you think?
What would you do for your brother?
Imagine such a retort to the LORD's question.
Would you answer GOD that way?
Indifferently?
Arrogantly?
Disrespectfully?
I dread to even think that.
It's also intriguing.
How GOD spoke directly to Cain in those days.
Does GOD still do right now?
More about "brothers" here.
Related material:
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