Genesis 20 in the early church
62 passages quote, allude to, or echo Genesis 20, grouped by verse; passages on the same verse are in date order. Verse text from the Berean Standard Bible (public domain). References use the Protestant English Bible's numbering, with a writer's own numbering in brackets where it differs.
Verses: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 9 · 11 · 12 · 14 · 15 · 16 · 17 · 18
Genesis 20:1
Now Abraham journeyed from there to the region of the Negev and settled between Kadesh and Shur. While he was staying in Gerar,
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gen 20:1 | Arabic Pentateuch fragment VI · Hippolytus of Rome | allusion, high confidence | unknown (transmitted in a medieval Arabic catena) |
| Gen 20:1 | Fragment 14 · Julius Africanus | allusion, medium confidence | after 221 |
| Gen 20:1–14 | Against Secundinus the Manichaean 23 · Augustine of Hippo | allusion, high confidence | ca. 399 |
| Gen 20:1–16 | Genesis, lines 675–699 · Cyprianus Gallus | allusion, high confidence | early 5th cent. |
| Gen 20:1–18 | City of God 16.30 · Augustine of Hippo | allusion, high confidence | 413–426 |
Genesis 20:2
Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” So Abimelech king of Gerar had Sarah brought to him.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gen 20:2 | To Autolycus 2.31 · Theophilus of Antioch | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 180–185 |
| Gen 20:2 | Arabic Pentateuch fragment VI · Hippolytus of Rome | allusion, high confidence | unknown (transmitted in a medieval Arabic catena) |
| Gen 20:2 | Tractates on the Psalms 127.7 · Hilary of Poitiers | allusion, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Gen 20:2 | Against Faustus the Manichaean 22.5 · Augustine of Hippo | allusion, high confidence | ca. 398–400 |
| Gen 20:2 | Against Faustus the Manichaean 32.4 · Augustine of Hippo | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 398–400 |
| Gen 20:2 | Tractates 0 · Gaudentius of Brescia | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 397-410 |
| Gen 20:2 | On Marriage and Concupiscence 2.27 · Augustine of Hippo | allusion, high confidence | ca. 419–421 |
| Gen 20:2 | Against Lying 23 · Augustine of Hippo | quotation, high confidence | ca. 420 |
Genesis 20:3
One night, however, God came to Abimelech in a dream and told him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken, for she is a married woman.”
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gen 20:3 | Arabic Pentateuch fragment VI · Hippolytus of Rome | allusion, high confidence | unknown (transmitted in a medieval Arabic catena) |
| Gen 20:3 | Homilies 17.17 · Anonymous | allusion, high confidence | 4th century (reworking earlier material) |
| Gen 20:3 | Demonstration of the Gospel 4.15.26 · Eusebius of Caesarea | quotation, high confidence | ca. 314–324 |
| Gen 20:3 | On the Decrees of Nicaea 7 · Athanasius of Alexandria | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 350–356 |
| Gen 20:3 | Homilies on Matthew 4.6 · John Chrysostom | allusion, high confidence | ca. 390 |
| Gen 20:3 | Against Faustus the Manichaean 22.33 · Augustine of Hippo | allusion, high confidence | ca. 398–400 |
| Gen 20:3 | On Marriage and Concupiscence 2.27 · Augustine of Hippo | allusion, high confidence | ca. 419–421 |
| Gen 20:3 | On Marriage and Concupiscence 2.30 · Augustine of Hippo | allusion, high confidence | ca. 419–421 |
Genesis 20:4
Now Abimelech had not gone near her, so he replied, “Lord, would You destroy a nation even though it is innocent?
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gen 20:4 | Fragments on Genesis, column 117 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 220-254 |
| Gen 20:4 | Commentary on Galatians 4:8 · Ambrosiaster | quotation, high confidence | ca. 366–384 |
| Gen 20:4 | On Marriage and Concupiscence 2.27 · Augustine of Hippo | quotation, high confidence | ca. 419–421 |
Genesis 20:5
Didn’t Abraham tell me, ‘She is my sister’? And she herself said, ‘He is my brother.’ I have done this in the integrity of my heart and the innocence of my hands.”
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gen 20:5 | On Marriage and Concupiscence 2.27 · Augustine of Hippo | quotation, high confidence | ca. 419–421 |
Genesis 20:6
Then God said to Abimelech in the dream, “Yes, I know that you did this with a clear conscience, and so I have kept you from sinning against Me. That is why I did not let you touch her.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gen 20:6 | PG 12:1631 (Ps 123–124 LXX) · Origen | allusion, high confidence | ca. 220-254 |
| Gen 20:6 | Homilies 17.17 · Anonymous | allusion, high confidence | 4th century (reworking earlier material) |
| Gen 20:6 | The Conferences 13.11 · John Cassian | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 426–429 |
Genesis 20:7
Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet; he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not restore her, be aware that you will surely die—you and all who belong to you.”
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gen 20:7 | Miscellanies 4.21.133 · Clement of Alexandria | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 198–203 |
| Gen 20:7 | Homilies on Jeremiah 1.5 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 240 |
| Gen 20:7 | On the Computation of Easter 10 · Anonymous | allusion, medium confidence | 243 |
| Gen 20:7 | Prophetic Extracts 1.3 · Eusebius of Caesarea | allusion, medium confidence | before 325 (probably ca. 310–320) |
| Gen 20:7 | Demonstration of the Gospel 4.15.27 · Eusebius of Caesarea | quotation, high confidence | ca. 314–324 |
| Gen 20:7 | Question 108, section 2 · Ambrosiaster | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 370–384 |
| Gen 20:7 | Question 117, section 8 · Ambrosiaster | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 370–384 |
| Gen 20:7 | City of God 17.1 · Augustine of Hippo | allusion, medium confidence | 413–426 |
| Gen 20:7 | City of God 18.37 · Augustine of Hippo | allusion, medium confidence | 413–426 |
Genesis 20:9
Then Abimelech called Abraham and asked, “What have you done to us? How have I sinned against you, that you have brought such tremendous guilt upon me and my kingdom? You have done things to me that should not be done.”
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gen 20:9 | Arabic Pentateuch fragment VI · Hippolytus of Rome | allusion, high confidence | unknown (transmitted in a medieval Arabic catena) |
Genesis 20:11
Abraham replied, “I thought to myself, ‘Surely there is no fear of God in this place. They will kill me on account of my wife.’
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gen 20:11 | Arabic Pentateuch fragment VI · Hippolytus of Rome | allusion, high confidence | unknown (transmitted in a medieval Arabic catena) |
Genesis 20:12
Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father—though not the daughter of my mother—and she became my wife.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gen 20:12 | Miscellanies 2.23.138 · Clement of Alexandria | quotation, high confidence | ca. 198–203 |
| Gen 20:12 | Miscellanies 6.12.101 · Clement of Alexandria | allusion, high confidence | ca. 198–203 |
| Gen 20:12 | Arabic Pentateuch fragment VI · Hippolytus of Rome | allusion, high confidence | unknown (transmitted in a medieval Arabic catena) |
| Gen 20:12 | Against Helvidius 17 · Jerome | quotation, high confidence | ca. 383 |
| Gen 20:12 | Against Faustus the Manichaean 22.35 · Augustine of Hippo | allusion, high confidence | ca. 398–400 |
| Gen 20:12 | Against Faustus the Manichaean 22.39 · Augustine of Hippo | allusion, high confidence | ca. 398–400 |
| Gen 20:12 | Against Faustus the Manichaean 23.6 · Augustine of Hippo | allusion, high confidence | ca. 398–400 |
| Gen 20:12 | City of God 16.19 · Augustine of Hippo | allusion, medium confidence | 413–426 |
| Gen 20:12 | City of God 16.30 · Augustine of Hippo | quotation, high confidence | 413–426 |
| Gen 20:12 | Against Lying 23 · Augustine of Hippo | quotation, high confidence | ca. 420 |
Genesis 20:14
So Abimelech brought sheep and cattle, menservants and maidservants, and he gave them to Abraham and restored his wife Sarah to him.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gen 20:14 | Arabic Pentateuch fragment VI · Hippolytus of Rome | allusion, high confidence | unknown (transmitted in a medieval Arabic catena) |
| Gen 20:14 | Against Faustus the Manichaean 22.38 · Augustine of Hippo | allusion, high confidence | ca. 398–400 |
| Gen 20:14 | On Marriage and Concupiscence 2.27 · Augustine of Hippo | allusion, high confidence | ca. 419–421 |
Genesis 20:15
And Abimelech said, “Look, my land is before you. Settle wherever you please.”
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gen 20:15 | Arabic Pentateuch fragment VI · Hippolytus of Rome | allusion, high confidence | unknown (transmitted in a medieval Arabic catena) |
Genesis 20:16
And he said to Sarah, “See, I am giving your brother a thousand pieces of silver. It is your vindication before all who are with you; you are completely cleared.”
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gen 20:16 | Arabic Pentateuch fragment VI · Hippolytus of Rome | allusion, high confidence | unknown (transmitted in a medieval Arabic catena) |
Genesis 20:17
Then Abraham prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife and his maidservants, so that they could again bear children—
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gen 20:17 | Demonstration 4.4 · Aphrahat | allusion, medium confidence | 337-345 |
| Gen 20:17 | On the Destruction of Jerusalem 5.16 · Anonymous | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 370 |
| Gen 20:17–18 | Genesis, lines 700–724 · Cyprianus Gallus | allusion, high confidence | early 5th cent. |
| Gen 20:17 | On Marriage and Concupiscence 2.27 · Augustine of Hippo | quotation, high confidence | ca. 419–421 |
| Gen 20:17 | On Marriage and Concupiscence 2.30 · Augustine of Hippo | allusion, high confidence | ca. 419–421 |
Genesis 20:18
for on account of Abraham’s wife Sarah, the LORD had completely closed all the wombs in Abimelech’s household.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gen 20:18 | Homilies on Ezekiel 4.1 · Origen | allusion, high confidence | ca. 238–250 (Jerome's translation in the 380s) |
| Gen 20:18 | On Marriage and Concupiscence 2.27 · Augustine of Hippo | allusion, high confidence | ca. 419–421 |
| Gen 20:18 | On Marriage and Concupiscence 2.30 · Augustine of Hippo | allusion, high confidence | ca. 419–421 |