What Did Cain Say To Abel?

Genesis 4:8 ESV Cain spoke to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him.

According to many Bible translations, Genesis 4:8 simply narrates that “Cain spoke to Abel his brother,” but does not state what Cain said to Abel (KJV, ASV, JPS, ESV, NASB). This is because most Christian translations of the Old Testament are based primarily upon the Masoretic Text, which does not contain Cain’s words to Abel in Genesis 4:8.

However, the Hebrew expression rendered “And [Cain] spoke” is wayyōʾmer, which usually—though not always—introduces the content of speech. Therefore, it is possible that the original Hebrew text of Genesis 4:8 contained Cain’s words to Abel, but it was eventually omitted in the Masoretic Text.

Evidence for

In the Septuagint, a body of Greek translations of the Hebrew Bible made by Jews during the third–second centuries BCE, Genesis 4:8 contains Cain’s words to Abel:

Καὶ εἶπεν Κάιν πρὸς Ἅβελ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ· Διέλθωμεν εἰς τὸ πεδίον. καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ εἶναι αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ καὶ ἀνέστη Κάιν ἐπὶ Ἅβελ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπέκτεινεν αὐτόν.

And Cain said to Abel his brother: Let us go through the field. And it was, when they were in the field, Cain rose up over Abel his brother and killed him.

It is possible that the Septuagint translators were translating from a Hebrew text which contained Cain’s words to Abel. This is important because the Septuagint was produced more than a thousand years before the Masoretic Text reached its final form in the tenth century CE. Therefore, in places where the Septuagint differs significantly from the Masoretic Text, it is possible that the Septuagint reflects the original Hebrew text better than the Masoretic Text.

The only Hebrew text which contains Cain’s words to Abel is the Samaritan Pentateuch, which was produced in the second century BCE:

ויאמר קין אל הבל אחיו נלכה השדה ויהי בהיותם בשדה ויקם קין אל הבל אחיו ויהרגהו׃

And Cain said to Abel his brother: Let us go to the field. And when they were in the field, Cain rose up against his brother and killed him.

It is possible that the Samaritan Pentateuch preserves Cain’s words to Abel in the original Hebrew text of Genesis 4:8 as נלכה השדה “Let us go to the field.”

Evidence against

However, as noted before, the expression wayyōʾmer does not necessarily introduce the content of speech. Therefore, it is also possible that the original Hebrew text did not contain Cain’s words to Abel, and that it simply communicates that Cain spoke to Abel.

The Dead Sea Scrolls Manuscript 4Q2, which was produced in the second century BCE, is a Hebrew manuscript of the Book of Genesis which does not contain Cain’s words to Abel in Genesis 4:8:

ויאמר קין אל הב]ל אחיו ויה[י ]בהיותם בשד[ה

And Cain said to Abel his brother. And when they were in the field.

This is very important because it indicates that during the same time that the Septuagint and the Samaritan Pentateuch were being produced, the Dead Sea Scrolls community already possessed a Hebrew text of Genesis 4:8 which does not contain Cain’s words to Abel.

Conclusion

Many scholars today believe that the Masoretic Text is mistaken, and that the original Hebrew text of Genesis 4:8 did include Cain’s words to Abel: something along the lines of “Let us go to the field.” Accordingly, several popular translations include those words in Genesis 4:8:

Genesis 4:8 NIV Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

Genesis 4:8 HCSB Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let's go out to the field.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.

Genesis 4:8 NLT One day Cain suggested to his brother, “Let’s go out into the fields.” And while they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother, Abel, and killed him.

In the end, we cannot be completely certain about whether or not the original Hebrew text of Genesis 4:8 contained Cain’s words to Abel. Whatever the case, it would not make any difference to the overall meaning of the story in any way.