Genesis 4 · Verse 16

Genesis 4:16

And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.
Genesis 4:16, King James Version

Genesis 4:16 in other translations

BSBSo Cain went out from the presence of the LORD and settled in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
WEBCain left the LORD’s presence, and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
ASVAnd Cain went out from the presence of Jehovah, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.
YLTAnd Cain goeth out from before Jehovah, and dwelleth in the land, moving about east of Eden;
DARBYAnd Cain went out from the presence of Jehovah, and dwelt in the land of Nod, toward the east of Eden.
BBEAnd Cain went away from before the face of the Lord, and made his living-place in the land of Nod on the east of Eden.
WebsterAnd Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

What does Genesis 4:16 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
16. presence of the Lord--the appointed place of worship at Eden. Leaving it, he not only severed himself from his relatives but forsook the ordinances of religion, probably casting off all fear of God from his eyes so that the last end of this man is worse than the first (Mt 12:45). land of Nod--of flight or exile--thought by many to have been Arabia-Petræa--which was cursed to sterility on his account.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 16 The land of Nod - As נוד nod signifies the same as נד sa , a vagabond, some think this verse should be rendered, And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, from the east of Eden, and dwelt a vagabond on the earth; thus the curse pronounced on him, Gen 4:12, was accomplished.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Genesis 4:16-18
Cain cast off all fear of God, and attended no more on God's ordinances. Hypocritical professors, who dissemble and trifle with God, are justly left to themselves to do something grossly scandalous. So they throw off that form of godliness to which they have been a reproach, and of which they deny the power. Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and we never find that he came into it again, to his comfort. The land Cain dwelt in was called the land of Nod, which means, shaking,' or trembling,' and so shows the restlessness and uneasiness of his own spirit, or the land of a vagabond:' they that depart from God cannot find rest any where else. Those on earth who looked for the heavenly city, chose to dwell in tabernacles or tents; but Cain, as not minding that city, built one on earth. Thus all who are cursed of God seek their settlement and satisfaction here below.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Genesis 4:16 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיֵּ֥צֵאvai.Ye.tze'and he went outH3318
קַ֖יִןKa.yinCainH7014
מִלִּפְנֵ֣יmi.lif.Neifrom to beforeH6440
יְהוָ֑הYah.wehYahwehH3068
וַיֵּ֥שֶׁבvai.Ye.shevand he dweltH3427
בְּאֶֽרֶץ\־be.'e.retz-in [the] land ofH776
נ֖וֹדNodNodH5113
קִדְמַת\־kid.mat-[the] east ofH6926
עֵֽדֶן\׃'E.denEdenH5731

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Genesis 4:16

  • Job 2:7

    So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.

  • Genesis 4:14

    Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.

  • 2 Kings 13:23

    And the Lord was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as yet.

  • Jeremiah 23:39

    Therefore, behold, I, even I, will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you, and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and cast you out of my presence:

  • Genesis 3:8

    And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.

  • Jeremiah 52:3

    For through the anger of the Lord it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, till he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

  • 2 Kings 24:20

    For through the anger of the Lord it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.

  • Exodus 20:18

    And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.

  • Job 1:12

    And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord.

  • John 1:3

    All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

  • Psalms 68:2

    As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

  • 1 Thessalonians 1:9

    For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
went.
14; 3:8; Ex 20:18; 2Ki 13:23; 24:20; Job 1:12; 2:7; 20:17; Ps 5:11
Ps 68:2; Jer 23:39; 52:3; Joh 1:3,10; Mt 18:20; Lu 13:26; 1Th 1:9
Nod.So called from {nad,} "a vagabond," which Cain is termed in ver. 12.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Genesis 4:15

    And the Lord said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the Lord set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.

  • Genesis 4:16

    And Cain went out from the presence of the Lord, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.

  • Genesis 4:17

    And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch.

Read all of Genesis 4

Genesis 4:16 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y salió Caín de delante de Jehová, y habitó en tierra de Nod, al oriente de Edén.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Et Caïn sortit de devant l’ Éternel; et il habita dans le pays de Nod, à l’orient d’Éden.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Kain ging weg von dem Angesicht Jehovas und wohnte im Lande Nod, östlich von Eden.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Egressusque Cain a facie Domini, habitavit profugus in terra ad orientalem plagam Eden.