Genesis 4:5

וְאֶל־קַ֥יִן וְאֶל־מִנְחָתֹ֖ו לֹ֣א שָׁעָ֑ה וַיִּ֤חַר לְקַ֨יִן֙ מְאֹ֔ד וַֽיִּפְּל֖וּ פָּנָֽיו׃

耶和華卻不看重該隱和他的禮物，該隱非常憤怒，臉色也變了。

耶和华却不看重该隐和他的礼物，该隐非常愤怒，脸色也变了。

Yēhéhuá què bù kàn zhòng Gāi Yǐn hé tā de lǐwù, Gāi Yǐn fēicháng fènnù, liǎnsè yě biànle.

And unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

1. Vocabulary Breakdown

Chinese Character	Pinyin	Meaning	Grammar Role
耶和華 / 耶和华	Yēhéhuá	The LORD (YHWH)	Proper noun
卻 / 却	què	However, but	Conjunction
不	bù	Not	Adverb
看重	kàn zhòng	To regard with favor, to respect	Verb phrase
該隱 / 该隐	Gāi Yǐn	Cain	Proper noun
和	hé	And	Conjunction
他的 / 他的	tā de	His	Possessive pronoun
禮物 / 礼物	lǐwù	Gift, offering	Noun
非常	fēicháng	Very, extremely	Adverb
憤怒 / 愤怒	fènnù	Anger	Noun
臉色 / 脸色	liǎnsè	Complexion, facial expression	Noun
變了 / 变了	biànle	Changed	Verb

2. Grammar Explanation

Sentence Structure:

• 耶和華卻不看重 (Yēhéhuá què bù kàn zhòng): The phrase “卻不” (què bù) introduces contrast, meaning “however, did not.” “看重” (kàn zhòng) means “to regard with favor” or “to respect,” indicating that God did not accept Cain’s offering.
• 該隱非常憤怒 (Gāi Yǐn fēicháng fènnù): “非常” (fēicháng) means “extremely,” and “憤怒” (fènnù) means “anger.” This describes Cain’s emotional reaction to God’s disfavor.
• 臉色變了 (Liǎnsè biànle): “臉色” (liǎnsè) refers to the expression or complexion of one’s face, and “變了” (biànle) means “changed,” describing Cain’s change in facial expression due to his anger.

Key Grammar Points:

• 卻 / 却 (què): A conjunction meaning “however” or “but,” used to introduce a contrasting idea, emphasizing that while God accepted Abel’s offering, Cain’s offering was not accepted.
• 不 (bù): A negation adverb meaning “not,” used to indicate that Cain’s offering was not regarded by God.
• 看重 (kàn zhòng): A verb phrase meaning “to regard with favor” or “to respect,” indicating that God did not regard Cain’s offering favorably.
• 非常 (fēicháng): An adverb meaning “extremely” or “very,” used here to describe the intensity of Cain’s anger.
• 憤怒 / 愤怒 (fènnù): Noun meaning “anger,” reflecting Cain’s emotional state after God did not accept his offering.
• 臉色 / 脸色 (liǎnsè): Noun meaning “facial expression,” here referring to Cain’s visibly changed demeanor.
• 變了 / 变了 (biànle): A verb meaning “changed,” indicating that Cain’s anger is reflected in his facial expression.

3. Pronunciation Practice

Pinyin: Yēhéhuá què bù kàn zhòng Gāi Yǐn hé tā de lǐwù, Gāi Yǐn fēicháng fènnù, liǎnsè yě biànle.

Tone Practice:

• 耶和華 / 耶和华 (Yēhéhuá): 1st tone (flat) + 2nd tone (rising) + 1st tone (flat)
• 卻 / 却 (què): 4th tone (falling)
• 不 (bù): 4th tone (falling)
• 看重 (kàn zhòng): 4th tone (falling) + 4th tone (falling)
• 該隱 / 该隐 (Gāi Yǐn): 1st tone (flat) + 3rd tone (falling-rising)
• 非常 (fēicháng): 1st tone (flat) + 2nd tone (rising)
• 憤怒 / 愤怒 (fènnù): 4th tone (falling) + 4th tone (falling)
• 臉色 / 脸色 (liǎnsè): 3rd tone (falling-rising) + 4th tone (falling)
• 變了 / 变了 (biànle): 4th tone (falling) + neutral tone

4. Character Learning

Key Characters:

• 卻 / 却 (què): A conjunction meaning “however” or “but,” used to introduce a contrast. In this context, it emphasizes that, unlike Abel’s offering, Cain’s offering was not accepted by the LORD.
• 不 (bù): A negation adverb meaning “not,” used here to negate the idea that Cain’s offering was regarded favorably by God.
• 看重 (kàn zhòng): A verb phrase meaning “to regard with favor” or “to respect,” signifying that Cain’s offering did not receive God’s approval or favor.
• 非常 (fēicháng): An adverb meaning “extremely,” emphasizing the intensity of Cain’s anger after his offering was rejected.
• 憤怒 / 愤怒 (fènnù): A noun meaning “anger,” indicating the emotional state of Cain after the rejection of his offering.
• 臉色 / 脸色 (liǎnsè): Noun meaning “facial expression,” here referring to Cain’s changed expression due to his anger.
• 變了 / 变了 (biànle): A verb meaning “changed,” referring to Cain’s facial expression after his offering was rejected.

5. Cultural Insights

• Rejection of Offerings: In both Biblical and Chinese culture, offerings are a form of communication with the divine. Just as Cain’s offering is rejected in this passage, there are instances in Chinese culture where offerings can be considered insufficient or unworthy, resulting in a lack of divine favor. This underscores the importance of the sincerity and quality of the offerings.
• Anger and Facial Expression: Cain’s anger is described by his changed facial expression. In many cultures, including Chinese culture, emotions are often expressed through facial expressions. This cultural understanding of anger is reflected in the passage where Cain’s countenance “fell,” symbolizing his inner turmoil.
• Divine Favor and Disfavor: Just as Abel’s offering was accepted and Cain’s was not, in both Biblical and Chinese traditions, divine favor is often associated with righteous actions or offerings. The importance of offering the best and following divine instructions is emphasized in both traditions.

6. Mnemonics for Retention

• 卻 / 却 (què): Think of “卻” (què) as representing contrast. Just as the Chinese character “卻” introduces a contrast between Abel and Cain’s offerings, it can remind you that Cain’s offering was not accepted.
• 不 (bù): “Not,” which can be remembered as negating Cain’s offering being accepted, reinforcing the idea that it was not regarded with favor.
• 看重 (kàn zhòng): Visualize the act of God “looking favorably” upon a gift. The verb “看” (kàn) means “to see,” and “重” (zhòng) means “to regard with importance,” reinforcing the idea of respect or approval.
• 非常 (fēicháng): Remember “extremely” by thinking of Cain’s anger being “extremely” intense due to his offering being rejected by God.
• 憤怒 / 愤怒 (fènnù): Visualize Cain’s inner “anger” and how it is described in the Chinese word “愤怒” (fènnù), linking it with the intense emotional state Cain experienced.
• 臉色 / 脸色 (liǎnsè): Think of the term “face” as an outward expression of Cain’s internal feelings. “臉色” (liǎnsè) is directly connected to how someone’s face expresses emotions.
• 變了 / 变了 (biànle): The character “變” (biàn) means “change,” so imagine Cain’s face changing as a visible representation of his emotional state.

7. Comparative Studies

• Comparison with Hebrew:
  • וְאֶל־קַ֥יִן וְאֶל־מִנְחָתֹ֖ו לֹ֣א שָׁעָ֑ה (V’el-Kayin v’el-Minchato lo sha’a): → 耶和華卻不看重 (Yēhéhuá què bù kàn zhòng): Both the Hebrew and Chinese texts describe God not accepting Cain’s offering. In Hebrew, “לא שָׁעָה” (lo sha’a) indicates disfavor, which is mirrored by “不看重” (bù kàn zhòng) in Chinese, meaning not regarded with favor.
  • וַיִּ֤חַר לְקַ֨יִן֙ מְאֹ֔ד (Vayichar LeKayin me’od): → 該隱非常憤怒 (Gāi Yǐn fēicháng fènnù): Both describe Cain’s intense anger. “וַיִּ֤חַר” (Vayichar) means “he became very angry,” and “非常憤怒” (fēicháng fènnù) translates directly as “extremely angry.”
  • וַֽיִּפְּל֖וּ פָּנָֽיו (Vayiplu Panav): → 臉色也變了 (Liǎnsè yě biànle): Both the Hebrew and Chinese describe Cain’s changed facial expression due to his anger. The Hebrew phrase “ויפלו פניו” (Vayiplu Panav) means “his face fell,” which is reflected in the Chinese phrase “臉色變了” (liǎnsè biànle) meaning “his facial expression changed.”
• Comparison with English:
  • “And unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.” corresponds to 耶和華卻不看重該隱和他的禮物，該隱非常憤怒，臉色也變了 (Yēhéhuá què bù kàn zhòng Gāi Yǐn hé tā de lǐwù, Gāi Yǐn fēicháng fènnù, liǎnsè yě biànle): Both passages describe Cain’s anger and his changed expression after his offering was rejected by God.
• Comparison with Chinese Cultural Concepts:
  • Offerings to Deities: Just as in the Bible where God does not accept Cain’s offering, in Chinese culture, offerings are made to honor ancestors or gods. An offering that is not “received” or accepted often leads to disappointment, as seen in the rejection of Cain’s gift.
  • Anger and Facial Expression: In both the Biblical and Chinese cultural contexts, anger is often expressed through a change in one’s facial expression. The use of “face” or “expression” to show inner emotions is a common feature in both traditions.