Cain shows no remorse for having killed his brother, but now he complains that the sentence given to him by God is too severe.

My punishment: that is, “the punishment you have given me.” Punishment translates what is literally “my iniquity”; however, the focus is not on what Cain has done wrong but rather on its consequences, and so My punishment is appropriate. For a similar use of “iniquity” in the sense of punishment and translated in that way, see 1 Sam 28.10. Greater than I can bear means “more than I am able to take,” “greater than I can endure.” This verse may be translated, for example, “You are punishing me so severely that I will not be able to take it” or “This punishment is harder than I can stand.”

Quoted with permission from Reyburn, William D. and Fry, Euan McG. A Handbook on Genesis. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .