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Genesis 4

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1 And man knew Eve his wife, and she conceived, and gave·​·birth·​·to Cain, and she said, I have gotten* a man, Jehovah*.

2 And she added to bring·​·forth* his brother, Abel; and Abel was a shepherd of the flock, and Cain was a tiller of the ground.

3 And it was at the end of days, and Cain brought of the fruit of the ground a gift·​·offering to Jehovah.

4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstborn from his flock, and from its fat. And Jehovah had·​·regard to Abel, and to his gift·​·offering;

5 and to Cain and to his gift·​·offering He had not regard, and Cain was very incensed, and his faces fell.

6 And Jehovah said to Cain, Why art thou incensed? and Why are thy faces fallen?

7 If thou doest·​·well, is there not an uplifting? And if thou doest· not ·well, sin coucheth at the entrance; and to thee is his* desire, and thou rulest over him.

8 And Cain talked to Abel his brother; and it was when they were in the field, that Cain rose·​·up against Abel his brother, and killed him.

9 And Jehovah said to Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not; am I the keeper of my brother?

10 And He said, What hast thou done? The voice of the bloods* of thy brother cries to Me from the ground.

11 And now art thou cursed from the ground, which has gaped·​·open with her mouth to take the bloods of thy brother from thy hand.

12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not add to give to thee its power; a vagabond and a fugitive shalt thou be in the earth.

13 And Cain said to Jehovah, My iniquity is greater than can be borne away*.

14 Behold, Thou hast driven· me ·out today from upon the faces of the ground; and from Thy faces shall I be hidden, and I shall be a vagabond and a fugitive in the earth; and it shall be that everyone who finds me shall kill me.

15 And Jehovah said to him, Therefore if anyone kills Cain, sevenfold he shall be avenged. And Jehovah set on Cain a sign to all who find him not to smite him.

16 And Cain went·​·out from the faces of Jehovah, and dwelt in the land of Nod, toward·​·the·​·east of Eden.

17 And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and gave·​·birth·​·to Enoch; and it came·​·to·​·pass that he was building a city, and called the name of the city according·​·to the name of his son, Enoch.

18 And to Enoch was born Irad; and Irad begot Mehujael; and Mehijael begot Methushael; and Methushael begot Lamech.

19 And Lamech took to him two wives; the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the second, Zillah.

20 And Adah gave·​·birth to Jabal; he was the father of the dweller in tents, and of livestock.

21 And the name of his brother was Jubal; he was the father of all who handle the harp and organ*.

22 And Zillah, she also gave·​·birth·​·to Tubal-cain, an instructor of every artificer in bronze and iron; and the sister of Tubal-cain was Naamah.

23 And Lamech said to his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice, ye wives of Lamech, and give·​·ear·​·to what· I ·say, for I have killed a man for my wounding, and a child for my bruising.

24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy and sevenfold.

25 And man knew his wife yet again*, and she gave·​·birth·​·to a son, and she called his name Seth; for God has put another seed for me instead of Abel; for Cain killed him.

26 And to Seth, to him also there was·​·born a son; and he called his name Enosh; then began they to call upon the name of Jehovah.

   


Thanks to the Kempton Project for the permission to use this New Church translation of the Word.

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Arcana Coelestia # 357

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357. 'Cain's anger was set ablaze' means that charity had departed. This becomes clear from what comes further on, where it is said that he killed Abel his brother, who means charity. Anger is the general emotion that results from anything which gets in the way of self-love and its desires. In the world of evil spirits this is perceived plainly. Indeed general anger against the Lord prevails, because they are not moved at all by charity, but only by hatred. Anything that is unfavourable to self-love and the love of the world arouses opposition, which manifests itself in anger. In the Word, anger, wrath, and even rage, are frequently attributed to Jehovah; but in fact they belong to man and are attributed to Jehovah because they seem to be from Him, for reasons mentioned already. The following is stated in David,

He let loose on them His fierce anger and wrath, and rage, and distress, and a mission of evil angels. He levelled out a path for His anger, He did not spare their soul from death. Psalms 78:49-50.

Not that Jehovah ever 'lets loose His anger on anyone', but that people bring it down on themselves. Nor, as it is said, does He send evil angels but man takes them to himself. This is why the statement is added that 'He levels out a path for His anger and does not spare their soul from death', and it is said in Isaiah that

He will come to Jehovah, and all will be ashamed who were incensed against Isaiah 45:14.

From these quotations it is clear that 'anger' means evils, or what amounts to the same, a departure from charity.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.