Leviticus 18 in the early church
67 passages quote, allude to, or echo Leviticus 18, 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 · 8 · 14 · 15 · 16 · 18 · 19 · 20 · 22 · 24
Leviticus 18:1
Then the LORD said to Moses,
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lev 18:1 | Miscellanies 2.10.46 · Clement of Alexandria | quotation, high confidence | ca. 198–203 |
Leviticus 18:2
“Speak to the Israelites and tell them: I am the LORD your God.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lev 18:2 | Miscellanies 2.10.46 · Clement of Alexandria | quotation, high confidence | ca. 198–203 |
| Lev 18:2–5 | On Saint Athanasius 1.3 · Lucifer of Cagliari | quotation, high confidence | ca. 356–361 |
Leviticus 18:3
You must not follow the practices of the land of Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not follow the practices of the land of Canaan, into which I am bringing you. You must not walk in their customs.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lev 18:3 | Miscellanies 2.10.46 · Clement of Alexandria | quotation, high confidence | ca. 198–203 |
| Lev 18:3–4 | Demonstration of the Gospel 4.10.5 · Eusebius of Caesarea | quotation, high confidence | ca. 314–324 |
| Lev 18:3 | Letter 160 · Basil of Caesarea | quotation, high confidence | ca. 357–378 |
Leviticus 18:4
You are to practice My judgments and keep My statutes by walking in them. I am the LORD your God.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lev 18:4 | Miscellanies 2.10.46 · Clement of Alexandria | quotation, high confidence | ca. 198–203 |
Leviticus 18:5
Keep My statutes and My judgments, for the man who does these things will live by them. I am the LORD.
Leviticus 18:6
None of you are to approach any close relative to have sexual relations. I am the LORD.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lev 18:6 | Preparation for the Gospel 8.9.22 · Eusebius of Caesarea | allusion, low confidence | ca. 313–324 |
| Lev 18:6–22 | Demonstration of the Gospel 1.6.33 · Eusebius of Caesarea | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 314–324 |
| Lev 18:6–9 | Demonstration 13.2 · Aphrahat | allusion, medium confidence | 337-345 |
| Lev 18:6 | Letter 160 · Basil of Caesarea | quotation, high confidence | ca. 357–378 |
| Lev 18:6 | Against Faustus the Manichaean 22.45 · Augustine of Hippo | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 398–400 |
| Lev 18:6–17 | Leviticus, lines 102–126 · Cyprianus Gallus | allusion, high confidence | early 5th cent. |
| Lev 18:6–18 | City of God 15.16 · Augustine of Hippo | allusion, low confidence | 413–426 |
Leviticus 18:7
You must not expose the nakedness of your father by having sexual relations with your mother. She is your mother; you must not have sexual relations with her.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lev 18:7 | Life of Macrina, part 11 · Gregory of Nyssa | allusion, high confidence | ca. 380 |
| Lev 18:7 | On the Beatitudes 1203 · Gregory of Nyssa | quotation, high confidence | ca. 380–394 |
| Lev 18:7 | The Conferences 8.23 · John Cassian | quotation, high confidence | ca. 426–429 |
Leviticus 18:8
You must not have sexual relations with your father’s wife; it would dishonor your father.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lev 18:8 | Leviticus, lines 127–149 · Cyprianus Gallus | allusion, medium confidence | early 5th cent. |
| Lev 18:8 | Questions on Leviticus 61 (on Lev 18:16) · Augustine of Hippo | allusion, high confidence | ca. 419–420 |
Leviticus 18:14
You must not dishonor your father’s brother by approaching his wife to have sexual relations with her; she is your aunt.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lev 18:14 | Letter 10, canons of the Roman synod to the bishops of Gaul, chapter 14 · Siricius, bishop of Rome | allusion, medium confidence | 385 |
Leviticus 18:15
You must not have sexual relations with your daughter-in-law. She is your son’s wife; you are not to have sexual relations with her.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lev 18:15 | Homilies on Leviticus 11.2 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 238–250 (Rufinus's translation ca. 400–410) |
Leviticus 18:16
You must not have sexual relations with your brother’s wife; that would shame your brother.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lev 18:16 | Homily on Luke 27 · Origen | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 233–250 |
| Lev 18:16 | Commentary on Matthew 10.21 · Origen | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 246–248 |
| Lev 18:16 | Book 3, lines 26–51 · Juvencus | echo, medium confidence | ca. 330 |
| Lev 18:16 | Letters 198, 199 · Basil of Caesarea | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 357–378 |
| Lev 18:16 | On the Destruction of Jerusalem 2.2 · Anonymous | allusion, low confidence | ca. 370 |
| Lev 18:16 | On the Destruction of Jerusalem 2.5 · Anonymous | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 370 |
| Lev 18:16 | On Virgins 3.6 · Ambrose | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 377 |
| Lev 18:16 | Explanation of Twelve Psalms 35.13.2 · Ambrose | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 387-397 |
| Lev 18:16 | Letter 4.96 (to Martianus) · Isidore of Pelusium | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 393-ca. 435 |
| Lev 18:16 | Questions on Leviticus 61 (on Lev 18:16) · Augustine of Hippo | quotation, high confidence | ca. 419–420 |
Leviticus 18:18
You must not take your wife’s sister as a rival wife and have sexual relations with her while your wife is still alive.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lev 18:18 | Dialogue with Trypho 134.3 · Justin Martyr | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 155–160 |
| Lev 18:18 | Letter 160 · Basil of Caesarea | quotation, high confidence | ca. 357–378 |
| Lev 18:18 | Apostolic Canon 19 · Anonymous | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 380 |
| Lev 18:18 | Letter 10, canons of the Roman synod to the bishops of Gaul, chapter 12 · Siricius, bishop of Rome | quotation, medium confidence | 385 |
| Lev 18:18–28 | Leviticus, lines 127–149 · Cyprianus Gallus | allusion, high confidence | early 5th cent. |
Leviticus 18:19
You must not approach a woman to have sexual relations with her during her menstrual period.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lev 18:19 | The Instructor 2.10.92 · Clement of Alexandria | allusion, high confidence | ca. 190–200 |
| Lev 18:19 | Fragment on 1 Corinthians (Jenkins § 34, part 2) · Origen | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 226-254 |
| Lev 18:19 | Homilies 11.28 · Anonymous | allusion, high confidence | 4th century (reworking earlier material) |
| Lev 18:19 | Recognitions 6.10 · Anonymous | allusion, high confidence | Greek original 3rd–4th century; Rufinus's Latin translation before 407 |
| Lev 18:19 | Recognitions 9.9 · Anonymous | allusion, medium confidence | Greek original 3rd–4th century; Rufinus's Latin translation before 407 |
| Lev 18:19 | Apostolic Constitutions 6.28.7 · Anonymous | quotation, high confidence | ca. 380 |
| Lev 18:19 | On the Merits and Forgiveness of Sins 3.21 · Augustine of Hippo | allusion, medium confidence | 411–412 |
Leviticus 18:20
You must not lie carnally with your neighbor’s wife and thus defile yourself with her.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lev 18:20 | The Instructor 2.10.91 · Clement of Alexandria | quotation, high confidence | ca. 190–200 |
Leviticus 18:22
You must not lie with a man as with a woman; that is an abomination.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lev 18:22 | The Instructor 2.10.91 · Clement of Alexandria | quotation, high confidence | ca. 190–200 |
| Lev 18:22 | Commentary on Romans 4.4 · Origen | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 244–246 (Rufinus's translation ca. 405–406) |
| Lev 18:22 | Preparation for the Gospel 8.8.32 · Eusebius of Caesarea | allusion, high confidence | ca. 313–324 |
| Lev 18:22 | Demonstration of the Gospel 4.10.6 · Eusebius of Caesarea | allusion, high confidence | ca. 314–324 |
| Lev 18:22 | Apostolic Constitutions 6.28.4 · Anonymous | quotation, high confidence | ca. 380 |
Leviticus 18:24
Do not defile yourselves by any of these practices, for by all these things the nations I am driving out before you have defiled themselves.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lev 18:24–25 | Demonstration of the Gospel 4.10.6 · Eusebius of Caesarea | quotation, high confidence | ca. 314–324 |
| Lev 18:24 | Homilies on Matthew 52.1 · John Chrysostom | allusion, low confidence | ca. 390 |