Collected Works of Martin Luther

by Martin Luther

  V. 7a. If thou doest well, shall it not be lifted up, (shall there not be a remission,) and if thou doest not well, sin coucheth (lieth) at the door.

  I cannot sufficiently wonder how Moses was able to condense so mighty a subject in so few words. Our translation does not properly express the sense. And although Augustine was not altogether unacquainted with the Hebrew language, yet his knowledge of it was not thorough; for he renders this important text thus, “If thou offerest aright, and yet dost not rightly divide the offering, thou hast sinned. Rest, and be quiet.” What such sins are those well acquainted with the Hebrew know. Though the doctrine which Augustine deduces from his rendering of the passage is theologically correct and good, the Septuagint translators of the Hebrew seem also not to have been duly qualified for the magnitude of the work they undertook. Wherefore, leaving for the present both the translations and the opinions of all other commentators, we will now strictly follow the proper sense of the Hebrew in the text before us. That sense is the following, “If thou doest well, there shall be remission, or alleviation; if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door,” etc.

  Moreover it is ordained by nature, as even the philosopher testifies, that words should be made to serve things, and not things made subservient to words. The sentiment of Hilary is well known, which a certain master of sound opinions also thus cites: “Words ought ever to be understood according to the matter contained in them, and intended to be expressed by them.” In every exposition or explanation of the Scriptures therefore the subject-matter is first to be considered; that is, we are first clearly to see the thing spoken of in each case. When this is strictly done, then the words are to be brought to a due application to the thing, if the grammatical laws of the language will permit; but the things are never to be made to bend to the words. And it is because the Rabbins and those who follow them do not this, for they have lost the things, and so cleave hard to the words only, that they often fall into the most absurd sentiments and opinions. For, as they possess not thoughts worthy of those spiritual things, of which the sacred Scriptures speak, they err from the subject-matter treated in each case by the Word and draw the words after them into vain and carnal cogitations.

  But it is certain that the Jews have lost Christ; how then can they possibly understand aright either the things of the Gospel or the things of the Law? They know not what sin is, nor what grace is, nor what righteousness is. How then should they be able to explain successfully such passages of the Scriptures? Just so the Jews are in general the “wise” or sophists of our day. For what sound knowledge have they of such divine and mighty things as these! Being ignorant therefore of the thing itself, how is it possible that they should rightly understand the words of the Scriptures in which it is expressed? And although a knowledge of the words is prior in order; yet the knowledge of the things is better and more important. For if you alter the things, the words also will be changed into another sense to correspond with the altered things, and a new grammatical construction altogether is the sure result.

  Thus the great grammarian of Gerunda possesses an excellent knowledge of the words, and indeed there are many in our day who far surpass me in a critical knowledge of the Hebrew language, but because he understands not the divine theme, he miserably corrupts this passage; for he explains it thus: “If thou doest well thy offering shall be more acceptable than that of thy brother, because thou art the first-born.” You here see that Gerundensis understands what the names of the things are, but not the things themselves; what the term is, but not what the matter is. For the very design of God in this text is to show that he will have no regard to first birthship at all. How then could the offering of Cain ever have been more acceptable to God than that of Abel on account of his primogeniture? The author of the Epistle to the Hebrews knew what the thing was, and therefore he gives a very different statement of the sacred matter, namely, that it was “by faith that Abel offered a more excellent sacrifice than Cain.” The rendering of Jerome is much better than that of Gerundensis. The version of the former is, “If thou doest well, thou shalt receive; if thou doest ill, sin (he adds the pronoun ‘thine own sin’) will lie at the door.” Yet, even thus Jerome does not reach the true sense. For when he explains the verb SEETH as meaning “to receive,” which really signifies “to relieve,” or “to alleviate,” no one I think will approve his rendering. But all this Jerome has from the Jews, who have always been of the opinion that God would have rewarded Cain if he had offered liberally. Now therefore I will simply state what my view of this important passage is.

  First of all then it is necessary, as I have said, that we hold fast the divine matter in question. The divine matter then involved is that which cannot deceive, as being the foundation of the whole divine cause, that nothing pleases God unless it be done in faith, according to that universally applicable and well known sentence of the Apostle Paul, “Whatsoever is not of faith is sin,” Rom. 14:23. And Solomon also says, “The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord,” Prov. 15:8. The other great foundation of the cause of God is, that sin is so mighty that it can be put away by no sacrifices, nor by any works whatever, but by the mercy of God alone, which mercy must be apprehended and received by faith. And all this is manifested and shown to have been the good pleasure of God by the first promise concerning the Seed of the woman, without which Seed there is no redemption. Now these foundations the Rabbins possess not, for this knowledge comes by the Spirit of Christ alone, who like the mid-sun illumines all the darkness of nature and sin. Whatsoever therefore militates against, or is contrary to, these foundations, we at once reject as false and impious.

  And although for myself I have no objection whether you understand “sin” here as referring to the past sin, or to the future sin of Cain, yet it seems to me better to understand it as referring to sin in general. The force of the whole passage therefore lies in the Hebrew verb SEETH from NASA, “be alleviated,” or “lifted up,” or “relieved.” And in this very case we have a remarkable example of the difference between the name or term of the thing and the thing itself. For if you apply the term to “lift up,” or to “lift off,” to a corporeal or solid substance, it signifies “to elevate” or “to lift up on high;” as in Isaiah, “I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up,” Is. 6:1. But this is a very different signification of the Hebrew verb from that which it expresses in the Psalm, “Blessed is the man whose sins are ‘lifted up’ or ‘lifted out,’” Ps. 32:1, and yet the Hebrew verb is the same in each instance. Now, a common grammarian of the Hebrew language understands the former meaning of the original verb, but he is ignorant of its latter signification. For, “to lift up a throne on high,” is quite another thing from lifting up or lifting off, sin from the conscience; that is, remitting or taking away sin.

  Wherefore, the meaning is, “If thou hadst done well or if thou hadst been good; that is, if thou hadst believed, thou wouldst have had God favorable and merciful toward thee, and there would have been a true alleviation to thee; that is, a remission of sin. But since I see that God had not respect unto thee, it evidently follows that thou wert not good in his sight; and that therefore thou wast not relieved from thy sin; wherefore, thy sin remaineth.”

  However it is a most beautiful and striking similitude to make use of the verb “to lift up” or “to lift off” in order to compare sin to a heavy burden, under which Cain was so oppressed and prostrated, so that unless it were taken off he could not draw his breath. And the epistle to the Hebrews shows the manner in which we are released from this burden, when it says, “By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain,” Heb. 11:4.

  By this mode of interpreting this important passage the words or the grammatical construction perfectly agree with the matter contained in them, which is, that God has respect unto faith only, and judges those alone to be good who believe. And these words of Adam contain also a most severe rebuke. Their meaning is, as if Adam had said to Cain, “Thy pride h
as destroyed thee. Thou camest before God inflated with the glory of thy primogeniture, and thoughtest that God would accept thee on that account. But I clearly perceive by this judgment and reprobation of God that thou art destitute of faith, for God rejects none but the unbelieving.”

  Not one of the Rabbins explains the passage before us in this manner. For they see not that Adam is here inculcating in his son, after the manner of the Apostle Paul, that word of Christ in the Gospel, “He that believeth shall be saved,” Mark 16:16; and also that word of the apostle himself, “Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law,” Rom. 3:28. For what else does Adam here say to Cain, than that God is merciful to those who believe in the blessed Seed, and who cast away all trust in their own works, and all ideas of their own merit? For his meaning is, “If thou shalt do this, thy sin shall not lie thus as a heavy burden upon thee. Thou shalt be relieved of that load, nor shalt thou thus roar with rage; for God has promised that he will not impute sin to any one that believeth.”

  If therefore you refer these words to the past sin of Cain, they contain also a most grave fatherly admonition. Their import is, as if Adam had said, “Hitherto thou hast not believed and therefore thou art thus rejected; and if thou shalt still go on thus, thou wilt be cast off utterly. But if thou shalt do well or become good, that is, if thou shalt believe in the promised Seed, I take upon myself to assure thee that the result will be that thou shalt be relieved of thy burden of sin;” that is, as the Psalm interprets this expression of Adam, “sin shall not be imputed unto thee,” Ps. 32:2.

  The clause which follows, thy “sin lieth at the door,” is a figurative description of sin, which for my part I should prefer understanding as being used as a proverb. For this figure exactly describes the real nature of sin, showing that, while in the act, it lies like a beast dead asleep; it does not bite, nor terrify, nor torment, but rather fawns and pleases. Thus when Eve first and afterwards Adam ate the forbidden apple in paradise they did not think that God had seen it, much less did they think that both should be so bitterly punished for what they had done. So also ferocious beasts, when they are just satisfied with food, are more tractable and more inclined to sleep than to harm. In the same manner also sin, while it is in the act, is delightful, nor is its poison or pain felt; it rather lies down and goes to sleep. For whoever saw a miser to be racked with pain while an opportunity of great gain stood before him? Whoever knew an adulterer to grieve at the opportunity given him of gratifying his wishes? If thou hadst at that moment torn his skin with a scourge, or beaten his head with a mallet, the temptation would have vanished. But while sin is asleep and its punishment unfelt and unseen, it is the height of pleasure to the miser to rush upon his gain, and to the adulterer to possess the object of his sinful desires; nor does there seem to be, nor does he wish for, any end or any bound to his pleasure.

  Adam is speaking therefore in this passage not only of the sin of Cain, but of sin in general; showing what the real nature of sin is. For that which was the state of Cain is the state of all men. Before he offered his sacrifice Cain proudly boasted of the privileges of his primogeniture; he despised his brother and assumed to himself the first place in all things. Sin was then lying still and asleep; but it was “lying at the door;” that is, in a place or state in which it was likely to be disturbed. For it is by “the door” that we go in and out, and therefore a place by no means adapted for a long sleep. And this is also the very nature of sin. Although it does lie asleep, yet it lies in a place where it is not likely to sleep long, for Christ says, “There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed,” Math. 10:26. The wicked man thinks indeed that his sin is asleep and hidden; but it lieth asleep at “the door,” and at length it is awakened by conviction, brought to light, and made known: for “at the door,” and rest and sleep are things directly opposed to each other. For as darkness is opposite to light, so is sleep to an unquiet place; they are things contradictory to each other in their very nature. In this manner therefore may the present passage be interpreted in its reference to Cain’s past sin.

  And if you explain these same words in their reference to the future sin of Cain, their meaning is this, “If thou shalt harm thy brother, and indulge the wrath conceived in thy mind, I tell thee that thy sin will indeed lie asleep; but it will lie asleep at the door; that is, in a place where it will surely be disturbed; and therefore, it is impossible but that it must be awoke and roused up, when as a furious beast it will lay hold upon thee.” And so the event proved. For after Cain had committed the murder, while he was burying his brother alone, his sin was asleep. But how long? No longer than until the sound of that voice of God reached his ears, “Where is Abel, thy brother?” The present words of Adam therefore are a true description of all sin. It always “lieth at the door.” For such is the nature of the minds of men, that as long as they escape the eyes of men, they think their sin will lie hidden and unknown. But unless they do well; that is, unless they believe that God will pardon their sin through Christ, it will surely be awakened and revealed to their torment and destruction.

  The figurative proverb therefore which lies in these words of Adam contains the most solemn truth, that nothing remains hidden, but that all things are revealed and made known, as the Apostle Paul also says, “Some men’s sins are evident, going before unto judgment,” 1 Tim. 5:24. Hence we see the judgment of God in an especial manner in the cases of criminals. How many persons are murdered in secret and yet the authors of those unnatural and horrible crimes are brought to light by means the most wonderful. The grave admonition therefore of Adam to his son Cain is that he would guard against indulging in sin, resting fully assured that it would not remain hidden, but that God would certainly bring it to light and punish it. The poets of old did not wander far from this great truth when they represented Cupid, the god of lustful desire, naked but blind also. For as our sin seems to us to be hidden, we think that it is hidden from all others also. But God at length brings to light and reveals things the most deeply concealed.

  I believe therefore the meaning of these words of Adam, which I have thus given, is their true and simple sense. By them the father is admonishing the son to believe in God and in the promised Seed; assuring him that if he does so, God will show himself merciful unto him. But, says the father, if thou follow the lusts of thy heart, thy sin will indeed lie at rest in thy soul; that is, it will appear to thee to be concealed and hidden, but it will be lying all the time “at the door;” that is, in a place where it cannot lie long asleep or out of sight. For that which “lieth at the door” is beheld by all who enter in and by all who go out.

  Let us not forget however, as I before observed, the grand and principal truth taught by this portion of the Holy Scriptures, that God from the very beginning of the world is One who judgeth between the flesh and the spirit, and who respecteth not the dignity of the person or his works. For God hath here respect unto Abel, not moved by any work which he performed, but simply by his faith in which he offered his sacrifice. But unto Cain God had not respect; not because the offering of Cain was less splendid or sumptuous than that of Abel, but because he had not faith, and therefore his primogeniture profited him nothing.

  And this is a very powerful argument against the Jews, who, as John tells us, gloried in their race and descent, boasting that they were the children of Abraham, John 8:33. If therefore the honor and prerogative were anything in God’s sight, Cain certainly had wherein to glory. And what avails also the glorying of the Jews that God spoke unto them by Moses? Are we to conclude, think you, that Adam, the first teacher, was a teacher less than Moses? No! Adam was greater than Moses and superior to him in many respects. He did not teach like Moses circumcision, nor the other legal ceremonies, which were necessary to a stiff-necked people to prevent them from superstition, but Adam taught faith in the promised Seed, which should bruise the serpent’s head. All the primogeniture of Cain therefore and all his other privileges and his works profited hi
m nothing; for God had respect only to faith in the promised Seed. Hence it is that Paul plainly says to the Jews in the New Testament, “Know therefore that they that are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham,” Gal. 3:7. And Evangelist John says the same things concerning the Jewish people, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the children of God, even to them that believe on his name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God,” John 1:12, 13.

  I believe therefore that the above interpretation of the words of Adam is their original and true meaning. For, first of all, it is in perfect accord with the fundamental truth of the holy Scripture and with the sacred matter itself spoken of. And secondly, it does not violate any law of grammar, and it moreover tends to illustrate beautifully and variously by its figures the divine things contained in the words used by Adam. But the Rabbins, being ignorant of the things spoken of by Adam, are not at all helped out of the difficulty by all their knowledge of the terms employed in the patriarch’s speech. How absurd for instance is the opinion of some, who apply the expression, There shall be a “lifting up” to the “fallen countenance” of Cain. As if Adam had said, “Then thou shalt be able again to lift up thy countenance, which is now wholly changed and fallen.” These absurdities are indeed properly noticed by all our more recent commentators, to whom also our thanks are due, for their faithful labor in translating the original text grammatically. But true theology is indispensable, which alone can rightly judge of and rightly teach the things spoken of in the Holy Scripture.