Genesis. Cain et Abel.

Brief Comments on the Latin:

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4.1 Like most foreign names, Cain does not decline. Here it is in the accusative. Hava (Eve) does decline; so Havam is the accusative form.

4.2 Like most foreign names, Abel does not decline. Abel appears here both as the accusative object of peperit and the nominative subject of fuit

4.3 compare the Latin factum est autem ut... with the English expression "it happened (with the result) that..."

4.5 there is a parallel construction between respexit Dominus ad Abel et ad munera eius in the previous verse and ad Cain vero et ad munera illius non respexit [Dominus]

4.7 nonne is an interrogative which expects an affirmative answer ("is it not the case...?"). the word si before the following vowel becomes sin. note the parallel construction: si bene egeris and si male [egeris]. it is probably best to take the futures erit and dominaberis as a kind of implied command: you're going to stay on top of your desire and you're going to be master over it.

4.9 num is an interrogative, usually implying a negative response

4.13 note the maior...quam... construction

4.14 note the future tenses: abscondar, ero, occidet

4.15 note the future tenses: fiet, punietur

4.16 The participle-verb combination, egressus...habitavit, can be translated as verb-verb, "Cain departed... and he dwelled"

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