Cain and Abel are not archetypes in my experience. Brother/sibling is generally a positive term. These two were at loggerheads. Why? Who does it reflect on? Or does it simply tell us what is in our hearts. Or is it true that we treat family poorly in any case? The hermeneutrix has a nice meditation on Genesis 4 here.
I watched a film yesterday of a border collie shepherding sheep in the snow (one black sheep and four white). It was a beautiful site. Such a marvel is the brain of even the least creature. We cannot imitate it with our AI yet.
Perhaps Cain is the symbol for all who get things - the economic engine, the consumer, the locus of acquisition and all the inequity that such can result in. Cain is qnh, acquisition, buy. Abel is hbl, futile, perhaps the symbol for the hapless one of the psalms, the victim of wealth.
Genesis 4:1-16
וְהָ֣אָדָ֔ם יָדַ֖ע אֶת־חַוָּ֣ה אִשְׁתּ֑וֹ וַתַּ֙הַר֙ וַתֵּ֣לֶד אֶת־קַ֔יִן וַתֹּ֕אמֶר קָנִ֥יתִי אִ֖ישׁ אֶת־יְהוָֽה |
1 And the one from the humus knew Eve
his wife, and she became big and she gave birth to Cain, and she said, I have acquired someone with Yahweh. |
|
a vhadm idy at-kvvh awto vthr vtld at-qin vtamr qniti aiw at-ihvh |
11 18 |
vh/adm
idy
at
kvh
aw\tv vt/hr vt/ld at qin vt/amr qn\iti aiw at ihvh |
וַתֹּ֣סֶף לָלֶ֔דֶת אֶת־אָחִ֖יו אֶת־הָ֑בֶל וַֽיְהִי־הֶ֙בֶל֙ רֹ֣עֵה צֹ֔אן וְקַ֕יִן הָיָ֖ה עֹבֵ֥ד אֲדָמָֽה |
2 And she again gave birth to his
brother, to Abel. And Abel was a shepherd of sheep, but Cain was a servant of the ground. |
|
b vtosf lldt at-akiv at-hbl
vihi-hbl royh xan vqin hih yobd admh |
12 15 |
vt/sp
l/ld\t
at
ak\iv
at
hbl vi/hi hbl ryh xan v/qin hih ybd adm\h |
וַֽיְהִ֖י מִקֵּ֣ץ יָמִ֑ים וַיָּבֵ֨א קַ֜יִן מִפְּרִ֧י הָֽאֲדָמָ֛ה מִנְחָ֖ה לַֽיהוָֽה |
3 And it happened at the end of
days, that Cain brought from the fruit of the ground, a gift for Yahweh. |
|
g vihi mqx imim viba qin mpri hadmh mnkh lihvh |
6 14 |
vi/hi
m/qx
im\im vi/ba qin m/pr\i h/adm\h mnkh l/ihvh |
וְהֶ֨בֶל הֵבִ֥יא גַם־ה֛וּא מִבְּכֹר֥וֹת צֹאנ֖וֹ וּמֵֽחֶלְבֵהֶ֑ן וַיִּ֣שַׁע יְהוָ֔ה אֶל־הֶ֖בֶל וְאֶל־מִנְחָתֽוֹ |
4 And Abel brought also himself from
the firstborn of his flock and its choicest. And Yahweh had respect to Abel and to his gift. |
|
d vhbl hbia gm-hua mbcorot xano
umklbihn viiwy ihvh al-hbl val-mnkto |
17 13 |
v/hbl
h/bia
gm
hva
m/bcr\vt
xan\v
vm/klb\hn vi/wy ihvh al hbl v/al mnk\tv |
וְאֶל־קַ֥יִן וְאֶל־מִנְחָת֖וֹ לֹ֣א שָׁעָ֑ה וַיִּ֤חַר לְקַ֙יִן֙ מְאֹ֔ד וַֽיִּפְּל֖וּ פָּנָֽיו |
5 But to Cain and to his gift he did
not have respect. And for Cain, he burned much with anger and his face fell. |
|
h val-qin val-mnkto la wyh viikr lqin maod viiplu pniv |
11 12 |
v/al
qin
v/al
mnk\tv
la
wyh vi/kr l/qin mad v/pl\v pn\iv |
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־קָ֑יִן לָ֚מָּה חָ֣רָה לָ֔ךְ וְלָ֖מָּה נָפְל֥וּ פָנֶֽיךָ |
6 And Yahweh said to Cain, Why is it for you to burn with anger, and why has your face fallen? |
|
v viamr ihvh al-qin lmh krh lç vlmh nplu pniç |
8 13 |
vi/amr
ihvh
al
qin lmh krh l\c v/lmh npl\v pn\ic |
הֲל֤וֹא אִם־תֵּיטִיב֙ שְׂאֵ֔ת וְאִם֙ לֹ֣א תֵיטִ֔יב לַפֶּ֖תַח
חַטָּ֣את רֹבֵ֑ץ וְאֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ תְּשׁ֣וּקָת֔וֹ וְאַתָּ֖ה תִּמְשָׁל־בּֽוֹ |
7 Will it not be that if you do well
you will be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin reclines at
the opening, and its aspiration is against you, but you yourself will govern in it. |
|
z hloa am-ti'tib wat vam la ti'tib
lptk k'tat robx valiç twuqto vath tmwol-bo |
19 14 |
h/lva
am
ti/'tb
wa\t
v/am
la
ti/'tb
l/ptk
k'ta\t
rbx v/al\ic t/wvq\tv v/ath t/mwl b\v |
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר קַ֖יִן אֶל־הֶ֣בֶל אָחִ֑יו וַֽיְהִי֙ בִּהְיוֹתָ֣ם בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה וַיָּ֥קָם קַ֛יִן אֶל־הֶ֥בֶל אָחִ֖יו וַיַּהַרְגֵֽהוּ |
8 And Cain talked to Abel his
brother. And it happened when they were in the field, that Cain arose against Abel his brother and slew him. |
|
k viamr qin al-hbl akiv vihi bhiotm bwdh viqm qin al-hbl akiv vihrghu |
9 22 |
vi/amr
qin
al
hbl
ak\iv vi/hi bh/i\vtm b/wdh vi/qm qin al hbl ak\iv vi/hrg\hv |
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־קַ֔יִן אֵ֖י הֶ֣בֶל אָחִ֑יךָ וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ לֹ֣א יָדַ֔עְתִּי הֲשֹׁמֵ֥ר אָחִ֖י אָנֹֽכִי |
9 And Yahweh said to Cain, Where is
Abel your brother? And he said, I do not know. Am I my brother's guardian? |
|
't viamr ihvh al-qin ai hbl akiç
viamr la idyti hwomr aki anoci |
13 15 |
vi/amr
ihvh
al
qin
ai
hbl
ak\ic vi/amr la idy\ti h/wmr ak\i anci |
וַיֹּ֖אמֶר מֶ֣ה עָשִׂ֑יתָ ק֚וֹל דְּמֵ֣י אָחִ֔יךָ צֹעֲקִ֥ים אֵלַ֖י מִן־הָֽאֲדָמָֽה |
10 And he said, What have you
done? The voice of the blood of your brother cries out to me from the ground. |
|
i viamr mh ywit qol dmi akiç xoyqim alii mn-hadmh |
7 16 |
vi/amr
mh
yw\it qvl dm\i ak\ic xyq\im al\i mn h/adm\h |
וְעַתָּ֖ה אָר֣וּר אָ֑תָּה מִן־הָֽאֲדָמָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר פָּצְתָ֣ה אֶת־פִּ֔יהָ לָקַ֛חַת אֶת־דְּמֵ֥י אָחִ֖יךָ מִיָּדֶֽךָ |
11 So now cursed are you, from the ground that parted open her mouth to receive the blood of your brother from your hand. |
|
ia vyth arur ath mn-hadmh awr pxth at-pih lqkt at-dmi akiç midç |
7 25 |
v/yth
arr
ath mn h/adm\h awr px\th at p\ih lqk\t at dm\i ak\ic m/id\c |
כִּ֤י תַֽעֲבֹד֙ אֶת־הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה לֹֽא־תֹסֵ֥ף תֵּת־כֹּחָ֖הּ לָ֑ךְ נָ֥ע וָנָ֖ד תִּֽהְיֶ֥ה בָאָֽרֶץ |
12 ♪C For though you serve the ground,
she will not again yield her power to you. A vagabond and aimless you will be in the earth. |
|
ib ci tybod at-hadmh la-tosf tt-cokh
lç ny vnd thih barx |
15 8 |
ci
t/ybd
at
h/adm\h
la
t/sp
tt
ck\h
l\c ny v/nd t/hih b/arx |
וַיֹּ֥אמֶר קַ֖יִן אֶל־יְהוָ֑ה גָּד֥וֹל עֲוֺנִ֖י מִנְּשֹֽׂא |
13 And Cain said to Yahweh, Greater is my iniquity than I can bear. |
|
ig viamr qin al-ihvh gdol yvoni mnwoa |
7 7 |
vi/amr
qin
al
ihvh gdl yvn\i m/nwa |
הֵן֩ גֵּרַ֨שְׁתָּ אֹתִ֜י הַיּ֗וֹם מֵעַל֙ פְּנֵ֣י הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה
וּמִפָּנֶ֖יךָ אֶסָּתֵ֑ר וְהָיִ֜יתִי נָ֤ע וָנָד֙ בָּאָ֔רֶץ וְהָיָ֥ה כָל־מֹצְאִ֖י יַֽהַרְגֵֽנִי |
14 Lo, you expel me today from the
surface of the ground and from your face I will be hid, and I will be a vagabond and aimless in the earth and it will happen that anyone who finds me will slay me. |
|
id hn girwt aoti hiom myl pni hadmh
umpniç aistr vhiiti ny vnd barx vhih cl-moxai ihrgni |
24 20 |
hn
grw\t
at\i
h/ivm
m/yl
pn\i
h/adm\h
vm/pn\ic
a/str vh/i\iti ny v/nd b/arx v/hih cl mxa\i i/hrg\ni |
וַיֹּ֧אמֶר ל֣וֹ יְהוָ֗ה לָכֵן֙ כָּל־הֹרֵ֣ג קַ֔יִן שִׁבְעָתַ֖יִם
יֻקָּ֑ם וַיָּ֨שֶׂם יְהוָ֤ה לְקַ֙יִן֙ א֔וֹת לְבִלְתִּ֥י הַכּוֹת־אֹת֖וֹ כָּל־מֹצְאֽוֹ |
15 And Yahweh said to him, Therefore
all who slay Cain seven-fold he will be avenged. And Yahweh set up for Cain a sign lest anyone finding him should strike him. |
|
'tv viamr lo ihvh lcn cl-horg qin
wbytiim iuqm viwm ihvh lqin aot lblti hcot-aoto cl-moxao |
17 18 |
vi/amr
l\v
ihvh
lcn
cl
hrg
qin
wby\tim
i/qm vi/wm ihvh l/qin avt l/bl\ti h/c\vt at\v cl mxa\v |
וַיֵּ֥צֵא קַ֖יִן מִלִּפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב בְּאֶֽרֶץ־נ֖וֹד קִדְמַת־עֵֽדֶן |
16 So Cain went forth from the
presence of Yahweh, and settled in the land of the aimless east of Eden. |
|
'tz viixa qin mlpni ihvh viiwb barx-nod qdmt-ydn |
9 11 |
v/ixa
qin
ml/pn\i
ihvh v/iwb b/arx nvd qdm\t ydn |
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