Leviticus 20 in the early church

55 passages quote, allude to, or echo Leviticus 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: 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13 · 15 · 16 · 17 · 18 · 20 · 21 · 22 · 24 · 25 · 26 · 27

Leviticus 20:6

Whoever turns to mediums or spiritists to prostitute himself with them, I will also set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.

BSB
ReferencePassageKindDate
Lev 20:6On the Witch of Endor 11 · Eustathius of Antiochquotation, high confidenceca. 324–337

Leviticus 20:7

Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, because I am the LORD your God.

BSB
ReferencePassageKindDate
Lev 20:7Homilies on Leviticus 11.1 · Origenquotation, high confidenceca. 238–250 (Rufinus's translation ca. 400–410)
Lev 20:7Letter 1 to Himerius of Tarragona, chapter 7 · Siricius, bishop of Romequotation, high confidence385
Lev 20:7Letter 6 to Exsuperius, chapter 1 · Innocent I, bishop of Romequotation, medium confidence401–417

Leviticus 20:8

And you shall keep My statutes and practice them. I am the LORD who sanctifies you.

BSB
ReferencePassageKindDate
Lev 20:8Homilies on Leviticus 11.2 · Origenquotation, high confidenceca. 238–250 (Rufinus's translation ca. 400–410)
Lev 20:8On the Spirit and the Letter 45 · Augustine of Hippoecho, medium confidence412

Leviticus 20:9

If anyone curses his father or mother, he must be put to death. He has cursed his father or mother; his blood shall be upon him.

BSB
ReferencePassageKindDate
Lev 20:9Homilies on Leviticus 11.2 · Origenquotation, high confidenceca. 238–250 (Rufinus's translation ca. 400–410)
Lev 20:9Homilies on Leviticus 11.3 · Origenallusion, high confidenceca. 238–250 (Rufinus's translation ca. 400–410)
Lev 20:9Commentary on Matthew 11.9 · Origenquotation, high confidenceca. 246–248
Lev 20:9Commentary on Matthew 11.10 · Origenallusion, high confidenceca. 246–248

Leviticus 20:10

If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress must surely be put to death.

BSB
ReferencePassageKindDate
Lev 20:10Miscellanies 2.23.147 · Clement of Alexandriaallusion, high confidenceca. 198–203
Lev 20:10Miscellanies 3.2.9 · Clement of Alexandriaallusion, high confidenceca. 198–203
Lev 20:10Homilies on Leviticus 11.2 · Origenquotation, high confidenceca. 238–250 (Rufinus's translation ca. 400–410)
Lev 20:10Homilies on Jeremiah 19.15 · Origenallusion, medium confidenceca. 240
Lev 20:10On the Good of Modesty 6 · Novatianallusion, medium confidencemid-3rd cent. (disputed)
Lev 20:10Commentary on Matthew 14.24 · Origenallusion, medium confidenceca. 246–248
Lev 20:10On Free Will 15.3 · Methodius of Olympusecho, low confidencelate 3rd cent. (disputed)
Lev 20:10Preparation for the Gospel 8.7.1 · Eusebius of Caesareaallusion, medium confidenceca. 313–324
Lev 20:10Preparation for the Gospel 8.8.34 · Eusebius of Caesareaallusion, high confidenceca. 313–324
Lev 20:10Preparation for the Gospel 8.8.48 · Eusebius of Caesareaallusion, medium confidenceca. 313–324
Lev 20:10Demonstration of the Gospel 1.6.17 · Eusebius of Caesareaallusion, high confidenceca. 314–324
Lev 20:10Demonstration 11.6 · Aphrahatecho, low confidence337-345
Lev 20:10Against Parmenian the Donatist 3.5 · Optatus of Milevisallusion, medium confidenceca. 366–385
Lev 20:10Apostolic Constitutions 6.28.4 · Anonymousquotation, high confidenceca. 380
Lev 20:10Letter 153.9 · Augustine of Hippoallusion, medium confidenceca. 386–430
Lev 20:10Sermon 13.4 · Augustine of Hippoallusion, high confidenceca. 391-430
Lev 20:10Lines 206–218 · Augustine of Hippoallusion, medium confidence393
Lev 20:10Questions and Answers to the Orthodox 97 · Anonymousallusion, medium confidence5th century (disputed)
Lev 20:10Tractates on the Gospel of John 33.4 · Augustine of Hippoallusion, high confidenceca. 406–420
Lev 20:10On Adulterous Marriages 2.15 · Augustine of Hippoallusion, medium confidenceca. 419–421
Lev 20:10Part 2, chapter 1 · Quodvultdeus of Carthageallusion, high confidenceca. 445-450

Leviticus 20:11

If a man lies with his father’s wife, he has uncovered his father’s nakedness. Both must surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.

BSB
ReferencePassageKindDate
Lev 20:11Homilies on Leviticus 11.2 · Origenquotation, high confidenceca. 238–250 (Rufinus's translation ca. 400–410)

Leviticus 20:12

If a man lies with his daughter-in-law, both must surely be put to death. They have acted perversely; their blood is upon them.

BSB
ReferencePassageKindDate
Lev 20:12Homilies on Leviticus 11.2 · Origenquotation, high confidenceca. 238–250 (Rufinus's translation ca. 400–410)

Leviticus 20:13

If a man lies with a man as with a woman, they have both committed an abomination. They must surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.

BSB
ReferencePassageKindDate
Lev 20:13Against Marcion 1.29 · Tertullianallusion, high confidence207/208 (third edition, completed later)
Lev 20:13Preparation for the Gospel 8.7.1 · Eusebius of Caesareaallusion, medium confidenceca. 313–324
Lev 20:13Preparation for the Gospel 8.8.32 · Eusebius of Caesareaallusion, high confidenceca. 313–324
Lev 20:13Preparation for the Gospel 8.8.48 · Eusebius of Caesareaallusion, medium confidenceca. 313–324
Lev 20:13Preparation for the Gospel 13.20.7 · Eusebius of Caesareaquotation, high confidenceca. 313–324
Lev 20:13Demonstration of the Gospel 1.6.67 · Eusebius of Caesareaallusion, high confidenceca. 314–324
Lev 20:13Apostolic Constitutions 6.28.4 · Anonymousquotation, high confidenceca. 380

Leviticus 20:15

If a man lies carnally with an animal, he must be put to death. And you are also to kill the animal.

BSB
ReferencePassageKindDate
Lev 20:15Against Marcion 1.29 · Tertullianallusion, high confidence207/208 (third edition, completed later)
Lev 20:15Letter 78.1 · Jeromeallusion, medium confidenceca. 370–419
Lev 20:15Apostolic Constitutions 6.28.4 · Anonymousquotation, high confidenceca. 380

Leviticus 20:16

If a woman approaches any animal to mate with it, you must kill both the woman and the animal. They must surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.

BSB
ReferencePassageKindDate
Lev 20:16On First Principles 1.8.4 · Origenallusion, high confidenceca. 220–230 (Rufinus's translation 398)

Leviticus 20:17

If a man marries his sister, whether the daughter of his father or of his mother, and they have sexual relations, it is a disgrace. They must be cut off in the sight of their people. He has uncovered the nakedness of his sister; he shall bear his iniquity.

BSB
ReferencePassageKindDate
Lev 20:17Symposium 1.2 · Methodius of Olympusallusion, high confidencelate 3rd century
Lev 20:17Against Helvidius 17 · Jeromequotation, high confidenceca. 383

Leviticus 20:18

If a man lies with a menstruating woman and has sexual relations with her, he has exposed the source of her flow, and she has uncovered the source of her blood. Both of them must be cut off from among their people.

BSB
ReferencePassageKindDate
Lev 20:18Recognitions 6.10 · Anonymousallusion, medium confidenceGreek original 3rd–4th century; Rufinus's Latin translation before 407

Leviticus 20:20

If a man lies with his uncle’s wife, he has uncovered the nakedness of his uncle. They will bear their sin; they shall die childless.

BSB
ReferencePassageKindDate
Lev 20:20Letter 10, canons of the Roman synod to the bishops of Gaul, chapter 14 · Siricius, bishop of Romeallusion, medium confidence385

Leviticus 20:21

If a man marries his brother’s wife, it is an act of impurity. He has uncovered the nakedness of his brother; they shall be childless.

BSB
ReferencePassageKindDate
Lev 20:21On Monogamy 7 · Tertullianquotation, high confidenceca. 210–217

Leviticus 20:22

You are therefore to keep all My statutes and ordinances, so that the land where I am bringing you to live will not vomit you out.

BSB
ReferencePassageKindDate
Lev 20:22Homilies on Leviticus 11.2 · Origenquotation, high confidenceca. 238–250 (Rufinus's translation ca. 400–410)

Leviticus 20:24

But I have told you that you will inherit their land, since I will give it to you as an inheritance—a land flowing with milk and honey. I am the LORD your God, who has set you apart from the peoples.

BSB
ReferencePassageKindDate
Lev 20:24Epistle of Barnabas 6.8 · Anonymousallusion, medium confidenceca. 70–135 (often ca. 130)

Leviticus 20:25

You are therefore to distinguish between clean and unclean animals and birds. Do not become contaminated by any animal or bird, or by anything that crawls on the ground; I have set these apart as unclean for you.

BSB
ReferencePassageKindDate
Lev 20:25Against Adimantus, a Disciple of Mani 15 · Augustine of Hippoquotation, high confidenceca. 394

Leviticus 20:26

You are to be holy to Me because I, the LORD, am holy, and I have set you apart from the nations to be My own.

BSB
ReferencePassageKindDate
Lev 20:26Book 1, chapter 5 · Anonymousquotation, high confidenceca. 440-450

Leviticus 20:27

A man or a woman who is a medium or spiritist must surely be put to death. They shall be stoned; their blood is upon them.’”

BSB
ReferencePassageKindDate
Lev 20:27On the Witch of Endor 24 · Eustathius of Antiochquotation, high confidenceca. 324–337
Lev 20:27On the Witch of Endor 25 · Eustathius of Antiochallusion, high confidenceca. 324–337