ΓΕΝΕΣΙΣ

The Septuagint 4.6 · 4.6

Why so grieved?

Read the full text in our reader

καὶ εἶπεν Κύριος ὁ θεὸς τῷ Κάιν Ἵνα τί περίλυπος ἐγένου, καὶ ἵνα τί συνέπεσεν τὸ πρόσωπόν σου;

Word by word

καὶkaìandεἶπενeîpensaidΚύριοςKýriosthe LordhotheθεὸςtheòsGodτῷtôitoΚάινKáinCainἽναHínaWhyτίis it thatπερίλυποςperílyposso grievedἐγένουegénouhave you become,καὶkaìandἵναínawhyτίis it thatσυνέπεσενsynépesenhas fallenτὸtheπρόσωπόνprósōpónfaceσουsouyour;

The setting

God's question repeats v.5's own two verbs (περίλυπος, "grieved," and συνέπεσεν, "fell") almost word for word — an interrogation that gives Cain, before anything has happened, the chance to reconsider. Ἵνα τί, literally "in order that what," is simply the ordinary idiom for "why."

Open The Septuagint 4.6 in the full reader

Always open passages in the reader

From the Great Library

You are reading a page of the The Septuagint — the whole book is free in our interlinear reader.

The Great Library Project presses the classics in their original languages, glossed word by word — free to read, always. Browse the whole library.

Also on our shelves:

The Septuagint 4.6 — The Great Library Project interlinear edition · greatlibraryproject.com/book/septuagint/4.6/