Genesis 4:2

Genesis 4:2

And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

a. NLT: Later she gave birth to his brother and named him Abel. When they grew up, Abel became a shepherd, while Cain cultivated the ground. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. ASV: And again she bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. YLT: and she addeth to bear his brother, even Abel. And Abel is feeding a flock, and Cain hath been servant of the ground. [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

d. Classic Amplified: And [next] she gave birth to his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

e. Septuagint: And she again bore his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

f. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/ Writings: And additionally she bore his brother Abel. Abel became a shepherd, and Cain became a tiller of the ground. [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE TANACH--STUDENT SIZE EDITION Copyright 1996, 1998 by Mesorah Publications, Ldt.]

1. “And she again bare his brother Abel…”

a. [And she] again [Strong: 3254 yacaph yaw-saf' a primitive root; to add or augment (often adverbial, to continue to do a thing):--add, X again, X any more, X cease, X come more, + conceive again, continue, exceed, X further, X gather together, get more, give more-over, X henceforth, increase (more and more), join, X longer (bring, do, make, much, put), X (the, much, yet) more (and more), proceed (further), prolong, put, be (strong-) er, X yet, yield.]

b. bare [Strong: 3205 yalad yaw-lad' a primitive root; to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineage:--bear, beget, birth((-day)), born, (make to) bring forth (children, young), bring up, calve, child, come, be delivered (of a child), time of delivery, gender, hatch, labour, (do the office of a) midwife, declare pedigrees, be the son of, (woman in, woman that) travail(-eth, -ing woman).]

c. [Strong: 853 'eth ayth apparent contracted from 226 in the demonstrative sense of entity; properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely):--(as such unrepresented in English).]

d. [his] brother [Strong: 51 'ach awkh a primitive word; a brother (used in the widest sense of literal relationship and metaphorical affinity or resemblance (like 1)):--another, brother(-ly); kindred, like, other.]

e. Abel [Strong: 1893 Hebel heh'-bel the same as 1892; Hebel, the son of Adam:--Abel.]

2. “...And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.”

a. [And] Abel [Strong: 1893 Hebel heh'-bel the same as 1892; Hebel, the son of Adam:--Abel.]

b. was [Strong: 1961 hayah haw-yaw a primitive root (Compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit (one-)self, require, X use.]

c. [a] keeper [Strong: 7462 ra`ah raw-aw' a primitive root; to tend a flock; i.e. pasture it; intransitively, to graze (literally or figuratively); generally to rule; by extension, to associate with (as a friend):--X break, companion, keep company with, devour, eat up, evil entreat, feed, use as a friend, make friendship with, herdman, keep (sheep)(-er), pastor, + shearing house, shepherd, wander, waste.]

d. [of] sheep [Strong: 6629 tso'n tsone or tsaown (Psalm 144:13) {tseh-one'}; from an unused root meaning to migrate; a collective name for a flock (of sheep or goats); also figuratively (of men):--(small) cattle, flock (+ -s), lamb (+ -s), sheep((-cote, -fold, -shearer, -herds)).]

e. [but] Cain [Strong: 7014 Qayin kah'-yin the same as 7013 (with a play upon the affinity to 7069); Kajin, the name of the first child, also of a place in Palestine, and of an Oriental tribe:--Cain, Kenite(-s).]

f. was [Strong: 1961 hayah haw-yaw a primitive root (Compare 1933); to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary):--beacon, X altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, + follow, happen, X have, last, pertain, quit (one-)self, require, X use.]

g. [a] tiller [Strong: 5647 `abad aw-bad' a primitive root; to work (in any sense); by implication, to serve, till, (causatively) enslave, etc.:--X be, keep in bondage, be bondmen, bond-service, compel, do, dress, ear, execute, + husbandman, keep, labour(-ing man, bring to pass, (cause to, make to) serve(-ing, self), (be, become) servant(-s), do (use) service, till(-er), transgress (from margin), (set a) work, be wrought, worshipper,]

h. [of the] ground [Strong: 127 'adamah ad-aw-maw' from 119; soil (from its general redness):--country, earth, ground, husband(-man) (-ry), land.]

1). Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers:  As Adam was 130 years old when Seth was born (Genesis 5:3), there was a long period for the increase of Adam’s family (comp. Genesis 4:14-17)...