Genesis 4:9 – My Brother’s Keeper

In Genesis 4:9 God confronts Cain about the death of Abel. Cain asks God, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” What is the answer to Cain’s question?

Not long after the creation of the world, Cain murdered his brother Abel. A short time later, God confronted Cain.

Cain became the first murderer in human history. Even so, he was still permitted to have a direct encounter with the Creator.

My Questions

The summary of this verse is very simple:

• God asks a question
• Cain answers
• Cain asks a question

What’s not so simple is to understand what they are really saying.

What is the point of God’s question?

Why does Cain say he doesn’t know? After all, he was there when it happened.

What is the purpose of Cain’s question?

The rest of this article will answer these questions.

What is God Asking?

A fundamental Jewish principle is that nothing is hidden from God.

Rambam, in his Thirteen Principles, expresses it this way: I believe with complete faith that the Creator, blessed be His name, knows all deeds and thoughts of people, as it says, “He Who fashions their hearts alike; He Who considers all their deeds.” (Psalms 33:15)

God knows that Cain murdered Abel, so why ask?

Rashi writes that God posed a question to speak gently to Cain. He wanted to start a conversation and perhaps Cain would confess and repent.

Radak takes a different approach and writes that God was teaching Cain that it’s not possible to hide from God.

Why Does Cain Deny?

Radak, continuing his previous comment, writes that Cain thought that just as he could hide from his father, so too he could hide from God.

The previous verse (Genesis 4:8) states that Cain murdered his brother when they were in a field. Radak understands that Cain chose to act when they were separated from other people and no one could witness the deed.

Cain thought that God’s question implied that God did not know everything about him and his actions.

Rabbi Steinsaltz suggests it’s possible that Cain sincerely didn’t know where Abel was. This was the first human death. He might have been wondering what happens to a person after death.

I’ll come back to this idea at the end of this article.

The Purpose of Cain’s Question

Cain asks, “Am I my brother’s keeper?” Why did he add this to his denial?

Malbim writes that there are several concepts behind Cain’s question.

Cain thought that a person did not have free will and, therefore, could not control his actions.

Also, Cain is accusing God of permitting the murder. Cain claims that God was Abel’s keeper. It was God’s job to protect Abel from harm caused by nature or people.

Cain also claimed that it was God’s fault because God gave people a yetzer hara, an evil inclination. The yetzer hara is the spiritual force that presents people with temptations and opportunities to sin.

Radak suggests that Cain is claiming he’s just too busy to be able to keep track of Abel. Cain says he’s busy with his fields. Abel is busy with his flocks. How can Cain know where he is at all times and watch over him?

Conclusion

Every claim that Cain makes is a rationalization and an excuse.

God does not accept Cain’s claims as we read in verse 4:10:

Rashi suggested that God began by speaking gently to Cain to lead him to repent. Now God explicitly accuses Cain of murder.

Cain is responsible for his actions because he had free will and this is how he chose to exercise it.

Rabbi Steinsaltz suggested that maybe Cain was being sincere when he said, “I do not know.” However, R. Steinsaltz concludes that when Cain asks “Am I my brother’s keeper” he is denying responsibility for his deed.

It is Cain’s question at the end of his statement that proves there was no sincerity in any part of his statement.

We now have the answer to Cain’s question. Am I my brother’s keeper. God answers: Yes, you are.

The rest of the Torah will teach us in detail about our responsibilities to God and to other people.