{"id":19545,"date":"2025-04-09T04:30:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-09T08:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/?p=19545"},"modified":"2025-04-08T23:23:50","modified_gmt":"2025-04-09T03:23:50","slug":"the-cross-in-genesis-4-7-cain-rejected-and-rejecting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/article\/concise\/the-cross-in-genesis-4-7-cain-rejected-and-rejecting\/","title":{"rendered":"The Cross in Genesis 4.7: Cain Rejected and Rejecting"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

<\/a>Ever since the fall, the cross of Christ has been present in the Old Testament in shadows and types[1]<\/a><\/sup> of sacrifices. For example, Adam and Eve were given the promise of a coming Seed whose heel would be bruised (Gen. 3:15), and they were clothed in the skins of sacrificial animals (Gen. 3:21). The wrath of God was only appeased in the event of the flood after Noah offered up a whole burnt offering (Gen. 8:20\u201321). YHWH provided a substitute lamb in place of Isaac (Gen. 22:13). Judah became the prevailing tribe after he offered himself in place of Benjamin (Gen. 43:9; 44:32\u201333). However, due to a difference in translation, most modern commentators do not see the cross at the center of the narrative of Cain and Abel. In this article, I hope to show how the proper translation of Genesis 4:7 presents a righteousness through sacrifice that finds its ultimate fulfillment in the cross of Christ.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. James M. Hamilton Jr., Typology: Understanding the Bible\u2019s Promised-Shaped Patterns<\/em> (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2022), 26, defines typology as \u201cGod-ordained, author-intended historical correspondence and escalation in significance between people, events, and institutions across the Bible\u2019s redemptive-historical story.\u201d <\/p><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

In Genesis 4, Cain and Abel both present offerings to God, and God accepts Abel\u2019s offering and not Cain\u2019s. In response, Cain becomes angry. God speaks to Cain in Genesis 4:7, and the English Standard Version represents how most translators understand the underlying Hebrew:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin<\/em> is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it (Genesis 4:7, emphasis added).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Normally, translators translate h\u0323at\u0323t\u0323a\u0304t\u0331 <\/em>as \u201csin,\u201d and this translation creates the idea that sin is ready to pounce on Cain with evil desire. In this above reading, Cain is exhorted to rule over sin, or to overcome it in his own strength.[2]<\/a><\/sup> But major Hebrew lexicons acknowledge that in the appropriate context, the word could be translated as \u201csin offering,\u201d[3]<\/a><\/sup> with the overall translation reading,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
2. Although there is not a precise consensus on how commentators understand \u201csin,\u201d many commentators place the emphasis on <\/span>Cain\u2019s will<\/em> without mention of God\u2019s offer of mercy to Cain. <\/span><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Ludwig Koehler, Walter Baumgartner, M. E. J. Richardson, and Johann Jakob Stamm. <\/span>The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament<\/em> (Leiden: E.J. Brill, 1994\u20132000), 306. David J. A. Clines, ed., <\/span>The Dictionary of Classical Hebrew<\/em>, vol. I\u2013VIII (Sheffield, England: Sheffield Academic Press, 1993\u20132011), 3:198-200. Francis Brown, Samuel Rolles Driver, and Charles Augustus Briggs, <\/span>Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon<\/em> (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1977), 308-310. <\/span><\/h6>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n

If you do well, will you not be exalted? But if you do not do well, there is a sin offering lying at the door. His [Abel\u2019s] desire is for you, and you [Cain] will rule over him.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

This translation shifts the focus of the passage from Cain\u2019s struggle to conquer his own sin to how his sin is so deeply engraved on his heart that he rejects the mercy of God in Christ in the type of the sin offering. I\u2019ll spend the rest of this article showing how lexical, grammatical, and contextual considerations support this translation, concluding with a look at the importance of sin offerings in Israel\u2019s relationship with YHWH.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lexical Considerations for a Genesis 4:7 \u201cSin Offering\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Lexically, although the Hebrew word rb\u0331s\u0323<\/em> is normally translated as \u201ccrouch\u201d in Genesis 4:7, it never actually means \u201ccrouch\u201d elsewhere in the Old Testament. In fact, it is a near antonym to that meaning, and should instead be translated as \u201clie\u201d (NKJV).[4]<\/a><\/sup> Some point to Genesis 49:9 as one instance where rb\u0331s\u0323 <\/em>might be translated as \u201ccrouch,\u201d which says, \u201cJudah is a lion\u2019s cub; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down; he crouched<\/em> as a lion and as a lioness; who dares rouse him?\u201d Commentators often cite Genesis 49:9 in support of the translation \u201ccrouch,\u201d yet when these same commentators actually comment on Genesis 49:9, they interpret that word differently. For example, Victor Hamilton cites Genesis 49:9 to support the idea of sin lying in wait,[5]<\/a><\/sup> but he then says about Genesis 49:9 that \u201cthe lion, having recently eaten, has retired to its sleeping quarters to digest its meal. Even while it is reposing, nothing else tries to invade its territory, so powerful is the lion.\u201d[6]<\/a><\/sup> As such, the idea of crouching to pounce is foreign to rb\u0331s\u0323<\/em>. Instead, as Hamilton himself notes, this word simply means to lie down, such as a donkey lying under its burden and unable to move (Exod. 23:5). The idea of lying docile, unable to move, does not fit with the translation of h\u0323at\u0323t\u0323a\u0304t\u0331 <\/em>as \u201csin,\u201d but it does fit with a \u201csin offering\u201d lying near the altar. Thus, \u201csin offering\u201d is a more natural translation lexically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
4. HALOT<\/em>: \u201clie down, rest.\u201d The only text that <\/span>HALOT<\/em> uses to support the translation \u201clurk\u201d is Genesis 4:7, which is the verse under question. <\/span>BDB<\/em> does not translate Genesis 4:7 differently from any of the other uses of this word. <\/span><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Victor P. Hamilton, <\/span>The Book of Genesis:<\/em> <\/span>The New International Commentary on the Old Testament<\/em>, vol. 1\u20132 (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1990\u201395), 1:227: \u201cTo be sure, the normal meaning of Heb. <\/span>r\u0101\u1e07a\u1e63<\/em> is \u2018to lie down (in rest).\u2019 See, for example, the verb in this sense in connection with sheep (Gen. 29:2), with other animals in tranquility together (Isa. 11:6), and with people (Isa. 14:30; Ezek. 34:14). Gen. 49:9 is the one other clear instance, besides Gen. 4:7, that permits the translation \u2018lie in wait for, lurk.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Ibid. 2:658. See also Bruce K. Waltke, and Cathi J. Fredricks, <\/span>Genesis: A Commentary<\/em> (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2001), 608: \u201cHere the lion does this in order to rest, not to pounce.\u201d<\/span><\/h6>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Grammatical Considerations for a Genesis 4:7 \u201cSin Offering\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Grammatically, there is dissonance between the gender of the noun h\u0323at\u0323t\u0323a\u0304t\u0331<\/em>, which is feminine, and the gender of the verb rb\u0331s\u0323<\/em>, which is masculine. Such a mismatch is not unheard of in Hebrew,[7]<\/a><\/sup> but by understanding h\u0323at\u0323t\u0323a\u0304t\u0331<\/em> as a \u201csin offering,\u201d the difficulty is removed altogether. The gender of a verb may respect either the lexical gender of the noun or the natural gender of the object to which the noun refers. For example, Leviticus 4:22\u201326 gives directions regarding the male goat sin offering for a ruler. Then in verse 24, the word \u201csin offering,\u201d which is a feminine noun, is connected to a masculine pronoun, so that the sentence reads: \u201cIt [masculine] is<\/em> [added by translators] a sin offering [feminine].\u201d A masculine pronoun is used instead of the feminine one since the offering is a male goat, which is evident when compared to Leviticus 4:27\u201331. There, directions are given for a common person\u2019s sin offering, which is a female goat. Whereas Leviticus 4:25\u201326 consistently use masculine pronouns to refer to the ruler\u2019s sin offering, Leviticus 4:30\u201331 consistently use feminine pronouns to refer to the common person\u2019s sin offering. As I will argue next, Cain ought to be considered as a ruler, and thus he ought to offer up a male goat as a sin offering. Thus, in light of Leviticus 4:24, the translation of h\u0323at\u0323t\u0323a\u0304t\u0331<\/em> as \u201csin offering\u201d removes the grammatical issues of the text.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Gesenius, Friedrich Wilhelm, <\/span>Gesenius\u2019 Hebrew Grammar<\/em>, ed. E. Kautzsch and Sir Arthur Ernest Cowley. 2nd English ed. (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1910), \u00a7 145. <\/span><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Contextual Considerations for a Genesis 4:7 \u201cSin Offering\u201d<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Contextually, the translation of h\u0323at\u0323t\u0323a\u0304t\u0331 <\/em>as \u201csin offering\u201d fits better due to the text\u2019s birthright theme. One major theme of Genesis 4:7 regards how Cain may maintain his birthright over Abel, and YHWH presents two ways for doing so. In the first half of Genesis 4:7, God says, \u201cIf you do well, will you not be accepted?\u201d (NKJV). The word that is translated \u201caccepted,\u201d s\u0301\u1d49e\u0304t\u0331<\/em>, is related to the root word ns\u0301\u02be<\/em> which generally means \u201cto lift up\u201d (cf. NASB and ASV).[8]<\/a><\/sup> s\u0301\u1d49e\u0304t\u0331 <\/em>occurs only seven times, but its basic meaning is \u201cexaltation, eminence, dignity, honour, majesty.\u201d[9]<\/a><\/sup> Its only other occurrence in the book of Genesis is in Genesis 49:3, which says, \u201cReuben, you are my firstborn, my might, and the firstfruits of my strength, preeminent in dignity and preeminent in power\u201d (ESV). The word translated \u201cdignity\u201d is s\u0301\u1d49e\u0304t\u0331<\/em>. From here, we see that this word is related to the rights of the firstborn.[10]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
8. HALOT <\/em>1301<\/span>, DCH <\/em>8:105.<\/span><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. DCH<\/em> 8:105.<\/span><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. Going back to Lev. 4:22, although it is a different word, yet the word there for ruler, <\/span>na\u0304s\u0301\u0131\u0302\u02be<\/em>, is from the same root word <\/span>ns\u0301\u02be<\/em>, and it clearly is related to a member of Israel functioning in a leadership role in the nation, which is one of the benefits of being the firstborn. <\/span><\/h6>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

The idea of firstborn rights has a long history in Genesis, beginning in chapter 4 with the relationship between Cain and Abel. Genesis 4:1\u20135 are structured around several small chiasms that compare Cain to Abel. Additionally, Gordon Wenham notes that \u201cwithin 4:1\u201317, \u2018Abel\u2019 and \u2018brother\u2019 occur seven times, and \u2018Cain\u2019 fourteen times,\u201d highlighting how the relation of these two brothers drives the passage.[11]<\/a><\/sup> The record of Lamech\u2019s sin is also relevant. Lamech, another apparent firstborn, repeats Cain\u2019s sin, and in his account, the text says he murdered a \u201cyoung man.\u201d This highlights that an important aspect of Cain\u2019s sin is that he murdered his younger brother. Thus, what YHWH says to Cain in the first half of Genesis 4:7 is simply that if Cain does good, he will maintain his birthright, which fits into a theme that runs throughout Genesis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

11. Gordon J. Wenham, Genesis 1\u201315<\/em>: Word Biblical Commentary<\/em> (Dallas: Word Books, 1987), 96.<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

The second half of Genesis 4:7 also relates to Cain\u2019s birthright. The second half is the controversial clause, \u201cAnd its desire is<\/em> for you, but you should rule over it\u201d (NKJV). There are two parts to untangling this clause: to what (or to whom) does the pronoun \u201cit\u201d refer, and how should the word \u201cdesire\u201d be understood? Beginning with the second question, the word \u201cdesire\u201d only occurs in Genesis 3:16; 4:7; and Song of Solomon 7:10, and it can be a positive or negative. As commentators acknowledge that both Genesis 3:16 and 4:7 are difficult texts, it seems wise to look at the one other use of this word to ascertain its meaning, which is Song of Solomon 7:10. There, \u201cdesire\u201d clearly has a positive connotation, which suggests that it should be understood as having a positive connotation in Genesis 4:7. With that said, the analysis may move on to the pronoun\u2019s antecedent. The pronoun \u201cit\u201d is masculine, and as such, ought not<\/em> to refer to sin, which is feminine, as previously noted.[12]<\/a><\/sup> Rather, the pronoun refers to the only other male in Genesis 4, namely, Abel. Thus, instead of speaking about sin\u2019s negative desire for Cain, Genesis 4:7 speaks about how Abel will still respect Cain (\u201chis [Abel\u2019s] desire [positive] is for you [Cain]\u201d), and Cain will maintain his firstborn right over Abel (\u201cAnd you [Cain] will rule over him [Abel]\u201d).[13]<\/a><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
12. Neither does it make sense for it to refer to a \u201csin offering,\u201d since there is no meaning to that understanding: \u201cThe sin offering desires you, and you will rule over it\u201d?<\/span><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

13. Francis Turretin, <\/span>Institutes of Elenctic Theology<\/em>, ed. James T. Dennison Jr., trans. George Musgrave Giger, vol. 1-3 (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 1992-1997), 1:678-679, has an extended discussion of why the pronoun cannot refer to sin but must refer to Abel. <\/span><\/h6>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Seeing that the two halves of Genesis 4:7 relate to Cain maintaining his birthright over Abel, what differs between them is the way in which he may do so. The first way is if Cain does \u201cgood.\u201d The word translated \u201cwell\u201d is the verb form of the word \u201cgood,\u201d a word that dominates the first two chapters of Genesis. Thus, YHWH is saying to Cain that if he lives a life the reflects the pre\u2013Fall condition of the world, then, naturally, he will maintain his birthright over Abel. Due to the presence of original sin, this is now impossible for him. Furthermore, Cain\u2019s vocation and offering in Genesis 4:3\u20135, in light of Genesis 3, suggest that he is attempting to approach God in a pre-Fall manner.[14]<\/a><\/sup> As Cain\u2019s attempt to approach God in his own righteousness failed, this first way of maintaining his birthright cannot succeed for a fallen man.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

14. Roland C. Mathews IV, \u201cIn the Shadow of Adam\u2019s Death: Cain, Abel, and the Hope of Life\u201d (Th. M., Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, 2018). <\/span><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

The first way being shut, YHWH in His mercy and kindness provides a second way for Cain by means of a substitutionary sacrifice, \u201ca sin offering lying at the door.\u201d Here, if Cain does not do good, then he must offer up a sin offering if he is to approach God and maintain his birthright over Abel. It would not make sense for this second way to be about getting his sin under control. The Bible only ever offers two ways to blessedness: perfect obedience or imputed righteousness. Having clearly fallen, what Cain needs is not a stern warning to rule over his sin, but a sacrifice to atone for his sin. Sadly, instead of taking YHWH\u2019s offer of mercy, Cain takes matters into his own hands and murders his brother, subverting the issue of birthright by eliminating his other sibling.[15]<\/a><\/sup> Thus, in the context of birthright, the translation \u201csin offering\u201d fits better and maintains the Bible\u2019s clear distinction between works righteousness and imputed righteousness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

15. This act is similar to Esau\u2019s intentions to murder Jacob for stealing his blessing and his birthright (Gen. 27:41\u201345). <\/span><\/h6>\n\n\n\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For lexical, grammatical, and contextual reasons, the translation of h\u0323at\u0323t\u0323a\u0304t\u0331 <\/em>as \u201csin offering\u201d is preferable. Instead of YHWH calling Cain to conquer his own sin, YHWH is calling Cain to faith in the promised Seed whose heel would be bruised. Most of Scripture, including Genesis 4:7, could be viewed as a running commentary on Genesis 3:15. As we saw in the opening paragraph, the Old Testament is full of sacrifices that foreshadow the cross of Christ. What it means for the promised Seed to be bruised is expanded and explained through the Mosaic sacrificial system, of which the sin offering was a part. For example, at the heart of the sacrificial system is the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16), where two goats are taken as sin offerings to atone for the sins of Israel. Then Isaiah, with great clarity, presents the Suffering Servant, the promised Seed, as a sacrificial lamb to take away the sins of His people (Isa. 52:13\u201353:12). Thus, long before the incarnation of the Seed, the people of God knew that the One whose heel was to be bruised would be a sacrificial lamb who would take away His people\u2019s sins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What was still lacking was the knowledge of the particular person who would do so. Then, in the fullness of time, Christ came, and John the Baptist identifies Him as \u201cthe Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the World!\u201d (John 1:29). Being a sacrificial lamb, when Christ died upon the cross He died to redeem His people from the curse (1 Cor. 5:7; Mark 10:45; Gal. 3:13). And here is the sin offering that is given to Cain: YHWH is presenting to him Christ crucified (1 Cor. 10:1\u20134). Here the mercy and grace of God is on full display, providing a pardon for a sinner, but so too is man\u2019s depravity. The horror of Genesis 4 is not that Cain failed to get his sin under control, nor that he rejected the Old Covenant sacrificial system, but that he rejected the gospel: Christ crucified and freely offered to him. Because of Adam\u2019s fall, we all have inherited original sin, including its corruption\u2014corruption so deep that it rejects the mercy of God in Christ. Thus, Genesis 4 continues the theme of Genesis 3 in displaying the depths of sin. Fallen humanity, by nature, will reject the cross; our wills are in bondage to sin. To be saved, we need not only the promised Seed of Genesis 3:15 but the promised enmity as well to turn our hearts from following sin to trusting in the promised Seed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


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Is sin crouching at the door, ready to pounce on Cain in Genesis 4:7, or is a “sin offering” lying down ready to extend to Cain the very mercy of God?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":19546,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"none","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"Is sin crouching at the door, ready to pounce on Cain in Genesis 4:7, or is a "sin offering" lying down ready to extend to Cain the very mercy of God?","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[1970,32,12,38],"tags":[695,778,1381,1701,384,738,448,446,1854,694],"scripture-reference":[],"post_folder":[],"ppma_author":[2051],"class_list":["post-19545","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-april-2025","category-article","category-concise","category-theme","tag-atonement","tag-covenant-of-grace","tag-cross","tag-jesus","tag-language","tag-sacrifice","tag-substitutionary","tag-the-cross","tag-type","tag-typology"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Joe-Gehrmann-Cain-Article-scaled.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-01-13 11:38:05","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"authors":[{"term_id":2051,"user_id":0,"is_guest":1,"slug":"joe-gehrmann","display_name":"Joe Gehrmann","avatar_url":{"url":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Gehrmann-Author-e1744162831958.jpg","url2x":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Gehrmann-Author-e1744162831958.jpg"},"author_category":"","job_title":"","church_city_state":"","last_name":"","first_name":"","church_site":"","user_url":"","description":"Joe Gehrmann<\/b> is an ordained minister in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church and pastors Covenant OPC in Komoka, Ontario. Joe is a graduate of Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19545","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19545"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19545\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19720,"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19545\/revisions\/19720"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19546"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19545"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19545"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19545"},{"taxonomy":"scripture-reference","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/scripture-reference?post=19545"},{"taxonomy":"post_folder","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_folder?post=19545"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/christoverall.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=19545"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}