גָּדוֹל עֲוֹנִי מִנְּשׂוֹא בִּתְמִיָּה, אַתָּה טוֹעֵן עֶלְיוֹנִים וְתַחְתּוֹנִים, וַעֲוֹנִי אִי אֶפְשָׁר לִטְעֹן, לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על בראשית ד':י"ג) מִבְּרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה (בראשית רבה כ"ב:י"א). וְהַנָּכוֹן בַּפְּשָׁט שֶׁהוּא וִדּוּי, אָמַר אֱמֶת כִּי עֲוֹנִי גָּדוֹל מִלִּסְלֹחַ, וְצַדִּיק אַתָּה יהוה וְיָשָׁר מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁעָנַשְׁתָּ אוֹתִי הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד וְהִנֵּה גֵּרַשְׁתָּ אֹתִי הַיּוֹם מֵעַל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה, כִּי בִּהְיוֹתִי נָע וָנָד וְלֹא אוּכַל לַעֲמֹד בְּמָקוֹם אֶחָד, הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי מְגֹרָשׁ מִן הָאֲדָמָה וְאֵין מָקוֹם לִמְנוּחָתִי, וּמִפָּנֶיךָ אֶסָּתֵר כִּי לֹא אוּכַל לַעֲמֹד לְפָנֶיךָ לְהִתְפַּלֵּל אוֹ לְהַקְרִיב קָרְבָּן וּמִנְחָה, כִּי בֹּשְׁתִּי וְגַם נִכְלַמְתִּי כִּי נָשָׂאתִי חֶרְפַּת נְעוּרָי, אֲבָל מָה אֶעֱשֶׂה כִּי כָל מוֹצְאִי יַהַרְגֵנִי, וְאַתָּה בְּחַסְדְּךָ הָרַבִּים לֹא חִיַּבְתָּ אוֹתִי מִיתָה. וְהָעִנְיָן שֶׁאָמַר לְפָנָיו הִנֵּה חֶטְאִי גָּדוֹל וְהִרְבֵּיתָ עָלַי עֹנֶשׁ, אֲבָל שָׁמְרֵנִי שֶׁלֹּא אֵעָנֵשׁ יוֹתֵר מִמָּה שֶׁחִיַּבְתָּ אוֹתִי, כִּי בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁאֶהְיֶה נָע וָנָד וְלֹא אֶבְנֶה לִי בַּיִת וּגְדֵרוֹת בְּשׁוּם מָקוֹם, יַהַרְגוּנִי הַחַיּוֹת, כִּי סָר צִלְּךָ מֵעָלַי. הוֹדָה כִּי הָאָדָם אֵינֶנּוּ נִשְׂגָּב וְנִמְלָט בְּכֹחוֹ, רַק בִּשְׁמִירַת עֶלְיוֹן עָלָיו:
MY SIN IS GREATER THAN I CAN BEAR. This is in the form of a question: “You bear the worlds above and below, and is it impossible for You to bear my sin?” Thus the words of Rashi quoting Bereshith Rabbah.
The correct plain interpretation is that it is a confession. Cain said: “It is true that my sin is too great to be forgiven, and Thou art righteous, O Eternal, and upright are Thy judgments even though You have punished me exceedingly. And now behold, Thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the land for in being a fugitive and a wanderer unable to stay in one place, behold, I am driven from the land and there is no place where I can find rest. And from Thy face shall I be hid whereas I will not be able to stand before You to pray or bring a sacrifice and meal-offering for I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth. But what shall I do? Whosoever findeth me shall slay me, and You in Your manifold loving-kindness did not decree death upon me.” The sense of this is that Cain said before G-d: “Behold, my sin is great, and You have punished me exceedingly, but guard me that I should not be punished more than You have decreed upon me for by being a fugitive and wanderer and unable to build myself a house and fences at any place, the beasts will kill me for your shadow has departed from me.” Thus Cain confessed that man is impotent to save himself by his own strength but only by the watchfulness of the Supreme One upon him.
The correct plain interpretation is that it is a confession. Cain said: “It is true that my sin is too great to be forgiven, and Thou art righteous, O Eternal, and upright are Thy judgments even though You have punished me exceedingly. And now behold, Thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the land for in being a fugitive and a wanderer unable to stay in one place, behold, I am driven from the land and there is no place where I can find rest. And from Thy face shall I be hid whereas I will not be able to stand before You to pray or bring a sacrifice and meal-offering for I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth. But what shall I do? Whosoever findeth me shall slay me, and You in Your manifold loving-kindness did not decree death upon me.” The sense of this is that Cain said before G-d: “Behold, my sin is great, and You have punished me exceedingly, but guard me that I should not be punished more than You have decreed upon me for by being a fugitive and wanderer and unable to build myself a house and fences at any place, the beasts will kill me for your shadow has departed from me.” Thus Cain confessed that man is impotent to save himself by his own strength but only by the watchfulness of the Supreme One upon him.
וַיֹּאמֶר קַיִן אֶל יהוה: גָּדוֹל עֲוֹנִי מִנְּשֹׂא. ייתכן שקין הבין את חטאו, אבל לא יכול היה לשאת אותו, מפני שלעוונו אין כפרה והוא מקולל. ואולם נראה שהמלה עֲוֹנִי, המתפרשת לרוב כחטאי — משמעה כאן שונה. כמו במקומות רבים אחרים,
מציינות המלים 'עוון', 'חטא' או 'פשע' גם את העונש. לפי פירוש זה אומר קין: "האחריות והעונש שהטלת עלי כבדים מנשוא". פירוש זה משתלב עם ההמשך —
מציינות המלים 'עוון', 'חטא' או 'פשע' גם את העונש. לפי פירוש זה אומר קין: "האחריות והעונש שהטלת עלי כבדים מנשוא". פירוש זה משתלב עם ההמשך —
Cain said to the Lord: My punishment [avoni] is greater than I can bear. Although the word avon is usually interpreted as iniquity, it seems more likely that Cain was referring to his punishment rather than the deed itself. Indeed, there are many instances in which the words avon, iniquity, ḥet, transgression, and pesha, sin, are used in reference to a punishment instead of a deed. This interpretation suits the continuation of Cain’s statement: