Genesis 4:13
“And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear.”
KJV
Read in Genesis 4Meaning
Cain focuses on the weight of the sentence he must now carry. His words reveal fear and distress after judgment is announced.
Read carefully
The text does not clearly say here that Cain confesses moral guilt or repents; lamenting consequences and acknowledging wrongdoing are not automatically identical.
Reflection
The verse raises the difference between sorrow over consequences and transformation of the heart, a distinction the narrative leaves unresolved.