Genesis 4:7

Webster's Bible (1833)

If you do well, will it not be lifted up? If you don't do well, sin crouches at the door. Its desire is for you, but you are to rule over it."

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

הֲל֤וֹא אִם־תֵּיטִיב֙ שְׂאֵ֔ת וְאִם֙ לֹ֣א תֵיטִ֔יב לַפֶּ֖תַח חַטָּ֣את רֹבֵ֑ץ וְאֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ תְּשׁ֣וּקָת֔וֹ וְאַתָּ֖ה תִּמְשָׁל־בּֽוֹ׃

Transliteration

haloʾ if-tetib seʾet and-if not tetib at-the-petaḥ ḥattaʾt robets and-to-you teshuqato and-you timshal-in-him

Grammar Details

• *haloʾ*: interrogative particle - is it not/surely
• *tetib*: hiphil imperfect, 2nd masculine singular - you do well/good
• *seʾet*: qal infinitive construct - lifting up/acceptance
• *petaḥ*: noun, masculine singular - door/opening/entrance
• *ḥattaʾt*: noun, feminine singular - sin/sin offering
• *robets*: qal participle, masculine singular - crouching/lying
• *ʾeleyka*: preposition + 2nd masculine singular suffix - to you
• *teshuqato*: noun, feminine singular + 3rd masculine singular suffix - its desire
• *ʾattah*: 2nd masculine singular personal pronoun - you
• *timshal*: qal imperfect, 2nd masculine singular - will rule/have mastery
• *bo*: preposition + 3rd masculine singular suffix - over it/him

Word Meanings

• *seʾet*: acceptance/lifting up/forgiveness/exaltation
• *ḥattaʾt*: sin/sin offering/punishment for sin
• *robets*: crouching/lying in wait/lurking
• *teshuqato*: its desire/craving/urge
• *timshal-bo*: you will rule over it/you will master it/you must master it

Referenced Verses

• Jas 1:15 : 15 Then the lust, when it has conceived, bears sin; and the sin, when it is full grown, brings forth death.
• Rom 7:8-9 : 8 But sin, finding occasion through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of coveting. For apart from the law, sin is dead. 9 I was alive apart from the law once, but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died.
• Heb 11:4 : 4 By faith, Abel offered to God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, through which he had testimony given to him that he was righteous, God bearing witness with respect to his gifts; and through it he, being dead, still speaks.
• Isa 3:10-11 : 10 Tell the righteous "Good!" For they shall eat the fruit of their deeds. 11 Woe to the wicked! Disaster is upon them; For the deeds of his hands will be paid back to him.
• Mal 1:13 : 13 You say also, 'Behold, what a weariness it is!' and you have sniffed at it," says Yahweh of Hosts; "and you have brought that which was taken by violence, the lame, and the sick; thus you bring the offering. Should I accept this at your hand?" says Yahweh.
• Rom 2:6-9 : 6 who "will pay back to everyone according to their works:" 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and incorruptibility, eternal life; 8 but to those who are self-seeking, and don't obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, will be wrath and indignation, 9 oppression and anguish, on every soul of man who works evil, on the Jew first, and also on the Greek. 10 But glory and honor and peace to every man who works good, to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
• Rom 6:16 : 16 Don't you know that to whom you present yourselves as servants to obedience, his servants you are whom you obey; whether of sin to death, or of obedience to righteousness?
• Mal 1:10 : 10 "Oh that there were one among you who would shut the doors, that you might not kindle fire on my altar in vain! I have no pleasure in you," says Yahweh of hosts, "neither will I accept an offering at your hand.
• Rom 12:1 : 1 Therefore I urge you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service.
• 1 Pet 2:5 : 5 You also, as living stones, are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
• Acts 10:35 : 35 but in every nation he who fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him.
• Jer 6:20 : 20 To what purpose comes there to me frankincense from Sheba, and the sweet cane from a far country? your burnt offerings are not acceptable, nor your sacrifices pleasing to me.
• Mal 1:8 : 8 When you offer the blind for sacrifice, isn't that evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, isn't that evil? Present it now to your governor! Will he be pleased with you? Or will he accept your person?" says Yahweh of Hosts.
• Prov 21:27 : 27 The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination: How much more, when he brings it with a wicked mind!
• Eccl 8:12-13 : 12 Though a sinner commits crimes a hundred times, and lives long, yet surely I know that it will be better with those who fear God, who are reverent before him. 13 But it shall not be well with the wicked, neither shall he lengthen days like a shadow; because he doesn't fear God.
• Gen 3:16 : 16 To the woman he said, "I will greatly multiply your pain in childbirth. In pain you will bring forth children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you."
• Gen 4:8-9 : 8 Cain said to Abel, his brother, "Let's go into the field." It happened, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel, his brother, and killed him. 9 Yahweh said to Cain, "Where is Abel, your brother?" He said, "I don't know. Am I my brother's keeper?" 10 Yahweh said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood cries to me from the ground. 11 Now you are cursed because of the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand. 12 From now on, when you till the ground, it won't yield its strength to you. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth." 13 Cain said to Yahweh, "My punishment is greater than I can bear.
• Gen 19:21 : 21 He said to him, "Behold, I have granted your request concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow the city of which you have spoken.
• Num 32:23 : 23 But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against Yahweh; and be sure your sin will find you out.
• 2 Sam 24:23 : 23 all this, king, does Araunah give to the king. Araunah said to the king, Yahweh your God accept you.
• 2 Kgs 8:28 : 28 He went with Joram the son of Ahab to war against Hazael king of Syria at Ramoth-gilead: and the Syrians wounded Joram.
• Job 29:4 : 4 As I was in the ripeness of my days, When the friendship of God was in my tent;
• Job 42:8 : 8 Now therefore, take to yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you, for I will accept him, that I not deal with you according to your folly. For you have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job has."
• Prov 18:5 : 5 To be partial to the faces of the wicked is not good, Nor to deprive the innocent of justice.
• Rom 15:16 : 16 that I should be a servant of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles, ministering as a priest the Gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be made acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
• Eph 1:6 : 6 to the praise of the glory of his grace, by which he freely bestowed favor on us in the Beloved,
• 1 Tim 5:4 : 4 But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them learn first to show piety towards their own family, and to repay their parents, for this is{TR adds "good and"} acceptable in the sight of God.