Genesis 20:4
Now Abimelech had not touched her, and he said: Lord, wilt thou slay a nation, that is ignorant and just?
Open Genesis 20:4 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Abimelech vero non tetigerat eam, et ait : Domine, num gentem ignorantem et justam interficies ?
- Septuagint (Swete)
- Ἀβιμέλεχ δὲ οὐχ ἥψατο αὐτῆς, καὶ εἶπεν Κύριε, ἔθνος ἀγνοοῦν καὶ δίκαιον ἀπολεῖς;
- Hebrew (WLC)
- וַאֲבִימֶ֕לֶךְ לֹ֥א קָרַ֖ב אֵלֶ֑יהָ וַיֹּאמַ֕ר אֲדֹנָ֕י הֲג֥וֹי גַּם צַדִּ֖יק תַּהֲרֹֽג
The Fathers on this verse
St Augustine On Marriage and Concupiscence, The Pelagians Argue that God Sometimes Closes the Womb in Anger, and Opens It When Appeased
Carefully consider the rest of his remarks: “This likewise,” says he, “is confirmed by the apostle’s authority. For when the blessed Paul spoke of the resurrection of the dead, he said, “Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened.” And afterwards, ‘But God giveth it a body as it pleaseth Him, and to every seed its own body.’ If, therefore, God,” says he, “has assigned to human seed, as to every thing else, its own proper body, which no wise or pious man will deny, how will you prove that any person is born guilty? Do, I beg of you, reflect with what a noose this assertion of natural sin is choked. But come,” he says, “deal more gently with yourself, I pray you. Believe me, God made even you: it must, however, be confessed, that a serious error has infected you. …