Verse Lens · Context pointer
Genesis 4:16 Explained in Context
Use this verse as a doorway into the larger passage—not as an isolated saying.
Verse 16. 16And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.
King James Version — public domain in the United States · Bible text and permissions
Role in This Section
Cain leaves the LORD's presence and settles in the land called Nod, east of Eden.
Read It With
- Genesis 4:1–16
Read verses 11–16 as one judgment-and-protection movement, then continue to 4:17–24. The departure closes this scene while Cain's family, city, crafts, and intensified vengeance carry the story forward.
Why It Needs Context
The verse completes Cain's eastward departure; it does not identify Nod on a modern map or finish the consequences developed through his descendants.
Read Genesis 4:11–16 together
Why these verses belong together: Curse from the ground, wandering, complaint, fear, protection, and eastward departure belong to one judgment sequence.
Verse 11. 11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother’s blood from thy hand;
Verse 12. 12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.
Verse 13. 13 And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.
Verse 14. 14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.
Verse 15. 15 And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.
Verse 16. 16 And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden.
Continue in Context
Read the complete section for the connected explanation and how it should shape life. This verse is a doorway into that passage, not a saying that stands alone.
Read Genesis 4:1–16 — Cain Rejects God's Warning and Kills His BrotherSources used for this context pointer
How certain is this explanation? strong
These are the sources used directly for this lens. Language, grammar, disagreements, and the complete source shelf remain attached to the full thought-unit research record.
Biblical text
King James (Authorized) Version — eng-kjv2006
eBible.org and CrossWire Bible Society
USFM archive eng-kjv2006_usfm.zip; source files dated 2026-08-19; downloaded 2026-08-24; archive SHA-256 aec1b3b26c622fd3d963d2bbac963016b9513246ffbfa20da00bb100372ea007; normalized corpus SHA-256 09aef51d90488aa7b9722b3fd9a93f4b25f6bf2064c5fd798fb39673c300ddf2.
Supports: Reader-facing Scripture wording, verse numbering, paragraph data, and supplied-word markup.
Exact location: Pinned eBible/CrossWire standardized 1769 KJV corpus, Genesis 4:1–16
Open source ↗hebrew text morphology and lemma data
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible — Genesis
Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible Project
Open Scriptures, Version 2.2 released 2021; repository inspected 2026
Supports: Hebrew wording, morphology, repeated brother and ground language, verse boundaries, and the compressed clauses in verses 7 and 13.
Exact location: Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible, wlc/Gen.xml, Genesis 4:1–16
Open source ↗