Chapter 4
Remember the jealousy of Cain, Esau, and others
| 1 Γέγραπται γὰρ οὕτως· Καὶ ἐγένετο μεθ' ἡμέρας, ἤνεγκεν Κάϊν ἀπὸ τῶν καρπῶν τῆς γῆς θυσίαν τῷ θεῷ, καὶ Ἄβελ ἤνεγκεν καὶ αὐτὸς ἀπὸ τῶν πρωτοτόκων τῶν προβάτων καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν στεάτων αὐτῶν. | For so it is written, “And it happened after certain days that Cain brought to God a sacrifice offering of the fruits of the earth, and Abel also brought of the firstborn of the sheep and of their fat. |
| 2 καὶ ἐπεῖδεν ὁ θεὸς ἐπὶ Ἄβελ καὶ ἐπὶ τοῖς δώροις αὐτοῦ, ἐπὶ δὲ Κάϊν καὶ ἐπὶ ταῖς θυσίαις αὐτοῦ οὐ προσέσχεν. | And God looked upon Abel and on his gifts, but He did not respond to Cain and to his sacrifices. |
| 3 καὶ ἐλυπήθη Κάϊν λίαν καὶ συνέπεσεν τῷ προσώπῳ αὐτοῦ. | And Cain grieved greatly, and his face fell. |
| 4 καὶ εἶπεν ὁ θεὸς πρὸς Κάϊν· Ἱνατί[1] περίλυπος ἐγένου, καὶ ἱνατί[1] συνέπεσεν τὸ πρόσωπόν σου; οὐκ ἐὰν ὀρθῶς προσενέγκῃς, ὀρθῶς δὲ μὴ διέλῃς, ἥμαρτες; |
And God said to Cain, ‘Why are you very grieved and why did your face fall? If you had offered properly and had not divided properly, did you not sin? |
| 5 ἡσύχασον· πρὸς σὲ ἡ ἀποστροφὴ αὐτοῦ, καὶ σὺ ἄρξεις αὐτοῦ. | Be quiet! He will turn to you and you will rule over him.'[2] |
| 6 καὶ εἶπεν Κάϊν πρὸς Ἄβελ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ· Διέλθωμεν εἰς τὸ πεδίον. καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ εἶναι αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ πεδίῳ, ἀνέστη Κάϊν ἐπὶ Ἄβελ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀπέκτεινεν αὐτόν. | And Cain said to Abel his brother, ‘Let us go over to the plain.’ And it happened, while they were in the plain, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.” |
| 7 ὁρᾶτε, ἀδελφοί, ζῆλος καὶ φθόνος ἀδελφοκτονίαν κατειργάσατο. | You see, brothers, jealousy and envy produced fratricide. |
| 8 διὰ ζῆλος ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν Ἰακὼβ ἀπέδρα ἀπὸ προσώπου Ἠσαῦ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ. | Because of jealousy our father Jacob ran away from the face of Ēsau his brother. |
| 9 ζῆλος ἐποίησεν Ἰωσὴφ μέχρι θανάτου διωχθῆναι καὶ μέχρι δουλείας εἰσελθεῖν. | Jealousy caused Joseph to be persecuted to the point of death, and to go into slavery. |
| 10 ζῆλος φυγεῖν ἠνάγκασεν Μωϋσῆν ἀπὸ προσώπου Φαραὼ βασιλέως Αἰγύπτου ἐν τῷ ἀκοῦσαι αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τοῦ ὁμοφύλου. Τίς σε κατέστησεν κριτὴν ἢ δικαστὴν ἐφ' ἡμῶν; μὴ ἀνελεῖν με σὺ θέλεις, ὃν τρόπον ἀνεῖλες ἐχθὲς τὸν Αἰγύπτιον; |
Jealousy compelled Moses to flee from the face of Pharaoh king of Egypt while it was said to him by his own countryman,
“Who made you a judge or an authority over us? Would you slay me, even as yesterday you killed the Egyptian?” |
| 11 διὰ ζῆλος Ἀαρὼν καὶ Μαριὰμ ἔξω τῆς παρεμβολῆς ηὐλίσθησαν. | Because of jealousy Aaron and Miriam were lodged outside the camp. |
| 12 ζῆλος Δαθὰν καὶ Ἀβειρὼν ζῶντας κατήγαγεν εἰς ᾅδου διὰ τὸ στασιάσαι αὐτοὺς πρὸς τὸν θεράποντα τοῦ θεοῦ Μωϋσῆν. | Jealousy brought Dathan and Abiram down alive to HCades, because they rebelled against Moses the servant of God. |
| 13 διὰ ζῆλος Δαυὶδ φθόνον ἔσχεν οὐ μόνον ὑπὸ τῶν ἀλλοφύλων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ὑπὸ Σαοὺλ βασιλέως Ἰσραὴλ ἐδιώχθη. | Because of jealousy David not only was envied by the Philistines, but also was persecuted by Saul, king of Israel. |
[1] Alt. text in two words:
ἵνα
τί. ⇧
[2] This last phrase has also been translated: Be at peace: your offering returns to yourself, and you will again possess it.⇧
[2] This last phrase has also been translated: Be at peace: your offering returns to yourself, and you will again possess it.⇧
Summary
Clement now supports his diagnosis of envy (ζῆλος) by initiating an extensive Old Testament historical survey. He demonstrates how jealousy has consistently been the catalyst for fratricide, persecution, and the overthrow of righteous leadership throughout redemptive history.
In Chapter 4, Clement constructs an Old Testament catalog of disaster rooted in zēlos (jealousy/envy). He quotes Genesis 4:3–8 at length according to the Septuagint (LXX) version, framing the murder of Abel by Cain as the archetype for all corporate and interpersonal schisms. He then rapidly marches through a typology of Old Testament figures—Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, Miriam, Dathan, Abiram, and David—showing that in every generation, righteousness incurs the envious hostility of brothers, countrymen, or rebellious subordinates.
This catalogue is crafted specifically for the Corinthian audience: just as Dathan and Abiram rebelled against God’s ordained servant Moses (τὸν θεράποντα τοῦ θεοῦ), so too have the young agitators in Corinth rebelled against their ordained presbyters.
Significant Greek Expressions
ὀρθῶς προσενέγκῃς, ὀρθῶς δὲ μὴ διέλῃς (Offer rightly, but do not divide rightly): Quoting Genesis 4:7 LXX. The LXX rendering attributes Cain’s rejection not merely to the quality of his offering, but to improper ritual or moral division/discernment (diaireō). Clement uses this to hint that proper worship requires right heart attitudes and proper order.
ζῆλος καὶ φθόνος ἀδελφοκτονίαν κατειργάσατο (Jealousy and envy brought about fratricide): Introduces adelphoktonia (brother-murder/fratricide). By linking zēlos directly to fratricide, Clement subtly warns the Corinthians that their internal division (stasis) is a form of spiritual fratricide against their fellow believers.
ἀπὸ τοῦ ὁμοφύλου (From his fellow countryman): Uses homophylos ("one of the same race/tribe"), emphasizing the tragedy that Moses was rejected and betrayed by his own kinsman—mirroring how Christ and the apostles were opposed by their own, and how the Corinthian elders are opposed by their own flock.
διὰ τὸ στασιάσαι αὐτοὺς πρὸς... Μωϋσῆν (Because they rebelled against... Moses): Uses the verb stasiazō (to revolt, form a faction, or raise sedition), directly linking the rebellion of Dathan and Abiram against Moses to the present stasis (schism/faction) raised against the presbyters in Corinth.
τὸν θεράποντα τοῦ θεοῦ (The servant of God): A classic LXX title for Moses (therapōn), designating a trusted, commissioned minister of God’s house (cf. Hebrews 3:5). Impugning or deposing God’s designated therapōn brings direct eschatological judgment (κατήγαγεν εἰς ᾅδου / "brought down into Hades").