Cain

The Hebrew and Greek that is transliterated as “Cain” in English is transliterated as Kaḭ in Ngambay. In a translatory coincidence Kaḭ is very similar to the Ngambay word kain or “to flee” which is what Cain does according to Genesis 4:14. (Source: Andy Warren-Rothlin)

In the Protestant tradition of Mandarin Chinese it is transliterated as Gāiyǐn (该隐) which can be understood as “should hide” or “should be hidden.” (Source: Zetzsche)

In Spanish Sign Language it is translated with a sign that signifies “bad.” (Source: Steve Parkhurst)


“Cain” in Spanish Sign Language, source: Sociedad Bíblica de España

See also Abel and Cain rose up against his brother Abel and killed him (image).

Learn more on Bible Odyssey: Cain .

inclusive vs. exclusive pronoun (Gen 42:2)

Many languages distinguish between inclusive and exclusive first-person plural pronouns (“we”). (Click or tap here to see more details)

The inclusive “we” specifically includes the addressee (“you and I and possibly others”), while the exclusive “we” specifically excludes the addressee (“he/she/they and I, but not you”). This grammatical distinction is called “clusivity.” While Semitic languages such as Hebrew or most Indo-European languages such as Greek or English do not make that distinction, translators of languages with that distinction have to make a choice every time they encounter “we” or a form thereof (in English: “we,” “our,” or “us”).

For this verse, the Jarai and the Adamawa Fulfulde translation both use the inclusive pronoun, including everyone.

complete verse (Genesis 4:22)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Genesis 4:22:

  • Kankanaey: “Zilla also gave-birth and he was named Tubal Cain, and he for-his-part was the one who had-as-descendants those who blacksmith various-kinds of bronze and iron tools. There was a female sibling of Tubal Cain who had-the-name Naama.” (Source: Kankanaey Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Zillah gave birth to Tubal-Cain. He is the ancestor of those who make brass and iron tools. His younger sister was Naamah.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “Zila also gave-birth to a male (son) named Tubal Cain. This Tubal Cain makes all kinds of tools from iron and bronze. He had a female sibling/(sister) named Naama.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “Lamech’s other wife Zillah gave birth to a son whom she named Tubal-Cain. Later Tubal-Cain became a blacksmith/one who made tools from bronze and iron. Tubal-Cain had a younger sister whose name was Naamah.” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Genesis 4:22

Zillah bore Tubalcain: the name Tubalcain (note different spelling in Good News Translation and New International Version) has been the subject of much discussion. The word cain may refer to the craft of the blacksmith or metal worker.

He was the forger of all instruments of bronze and iron: New English Bible has “the master of all coppersmiths and blacksmiths,” New Jerusalem Bible “the master of all who work copper and iron.” In the history of the discovery of metals and the smelting of ores, the use of copper is the oldest, and the use of iron came much later. The narrator never bothers to mention the much older Stone Age, and he is not concerned with the great amount of time separating the use of copper or bronze and the ability to make and use iron.

Forger translates a word meaning “hammerer or sharpener.” Good News Translation says descriptively “who made all kinds of tools.” According to Hebrew Old Testament Text Project the meaning is “a forger [literally hammerer] of cutting [tools] of bronze or iron.” Bronze is a metal alloy made from copper mixed with tin. (The same Hebrew word is used for both copper and bronze.) Most languages have terms for the metals bronze and iron; however, they may be borrowed words or descriptive terms such as “red metal” for copper and “brown metal” for bronze, and in some areas the word “brass” is used to refer to a range of metals other than iron. Today iron is so universally known that it is often called “metal.” Many existing translations render this whole expression “a man who made all kinds of things from brass and iron.”

The sister of Tubalcain was Naamah: it is assumed that she was the oldest daughter. In many languages there are special terms for the oldest daughter and oldest sister. Naamah means “pleasant or gracious.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .