Then the LORD said to Cain: Then moves the action forward to the next episode, in which the LORD speaks with Cain. Again there is no precise indication of the time after the murder when this took place, or of where Cain was then; but it seems most likely that we should assume a change of scene. And this will really be necessary in some languages to make the story believable. In some translations there is no term or expression to mark a transition, and the result of this is an impossible picture of Cain standing by Abel’s body with the LORD asking him the question, “Where is your brother?” and Cain replying, “I don’t know.” Simple transition markers that are often used here are “Afterward” and “Later.”
Where is Abel your brother? is a question similar to the question God asked Adam in the garden in 3.9. With this question God again assumes the role of judge, as he did in the crime and punishment episode in 3.9-19. Cain replies falsely, I do not know, and then adds a rhetorical question, Am I my brother’s keeper? The purpose of this question is not to get information but rather to make a negative statement: “I am not my brother’s keeper.” Keeper translates a noun related to the verb meaning “to watch over, care for.” Some translations express it as a verb; for example, Bible en français courant has “Is it up to me to look after my brother?” Good News Translation and Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “Am I supposed to be taking care of my brother?” and Biblia Dios Habla Hoy “Is it my responsibility to watch over him?”
In translating Cain’s rhetorical question translators should be trying to express not only the actual meaning of the negative statement that he is making but also the emotion that he is feeling. Many languages have particular forms of the expressions “Why?” and “What?” that are used to express emotions such as anger. And it is also quite common to begin a strong denial with words such as “Do you think that…?” Examples from actual translations are “Why? Do you think I’m here just to look after my brother?” and “What do you mean? [literally What perhaps?] Am I the taking-care-of person for my brother?”
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 .