^4:10But the Lord said, “What have you done?²⁶ The voice²⁷ of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground! ^4:11So now, you are banished²⁸ from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.

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Footnotes

26 What have you done? Again the Lord’s question is rhetorical (see Gen 3:13), condemning Cain for his sin.
27 The word “voice” is a personification; the evidence of Abel’s shed blood condemns Cain, just as a human eyewitness would testify in court. For helpful insights, see G. von Rad, Biblical Interpretations in Preaching; and L. Morris, “The Biblical Use of the Term ‘Blood,’ ” 6 (1955/56): 77–82.
28 Heb “cursed are you from the ground.” As in Gen 3:14, the word “cursed,” a passive participle from אָרָר (’arar), either means “punished” or “banished,” depending on how one interprets the following preposition. If the preposition is taken as indicating source, then the idea is “cursed (i.e., punished) are you from [i.e., “through the agency of”] the ground” (see v. 12a). If the preposition is taken as separative, then the idea is “cursed and banished from the ground.” In this case the ground rejects Cain’s efforts in such a way that he is banished from the ground and forced to become a fugitive out in the earth (see vv. 12b, 14).

In other versions

ESVEnglish Standard Version

And the Lord said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground. And now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.

NIVNew International Version (2011)

The Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground. Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.

CSBChristian Standard Bible

Then he said, “What have you done? Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground! So now you are cursed, alienated from the ground that opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood you have shed.

NLTNew Living Translation

But the Lord said, “What have you done? Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground! Now you are cursed and banished from the ground, which has swallowed your brother’s blood.

LEBThe Lexham English Bible

And he said, “What have you done? The voice of your brother’s blood is crying out to me from the ground. So now you are cursed from the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive the blood of your brother from your hand.

KJV 1900King James Version

And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother’s blood crieth unto me from the ground. And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand;

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