Early Church Fathers Scripture Index : Texts

Genesis 4:12

There are 8 footnotes for this reference.

Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 3, page 156, footnote 4 (Image)

Tertullian (I, II, III)

Apologetic. (HTML)

An Answer to the Jews. (HTML)

Of Sacrifices. (HTML)
CCEL Footnote 1198 (In-Text, Margin)

... Abel his brother, Let us go into the field: and he went away with him thither, and he slew him. And then God said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: am I my brother’s keeper? To whom God said, The voice of the blood of thy brother crieth forth unto me from the earth. Wherefore cursed is the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive the blood of thy brother. Groaning and trembling shalt thou be upon the earth, and every one who shall have found thee shall slay thee.”[Genesis 4:2-14] From this proceeding we gather that the twofold sacrifices of “the peoples” were even from the very beginning foreshown. In short, when the sacerdotal law was being drawn up, through Moses, in Leviticus, we find it prescribed to the people of Israel ...

Ante-Nicene Fathers, Volume 8, page 178, footnote 1 (Image)

Twelve Patriarchs, Excerpts and Epistles, The Clementina, Apocryphal Gospels and Acts, Syriac Documents

Pseudo-Clementine Literature. (HTML)

The Recognitions of Clement. (HTML)

Book VIII. (HTML)
Chastisements on the Righteous and the Wicked. (HTML)
CCEL Footnote 821 (In-Text, Margin)

... inquire their causes from those who have learned them by prophetic teaching: for those who have become acquainted with prophetic discourse know when, and for what reason, blight, hail, and pestilence, and such like, have occurred in every generation, and for what sins these have been sent as a punishment; whence causes of sadness, lamentations, and griefs have befallen the human race; whence also trembling sickness has ensued, and that this has been from the beginning the punishment of parricide.[Genesis 4:12]

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 1, Volume 9, page 217, footnote 3 (Image)

Chrysostom: On the Priesthood, Ascetic Treatises, Select Homilies and Letters, Homilies on the Statutes

Homily on the Paralytic Let Down Through the Roof: and Concerning the Equality of the Divine Father and the Son. (HTML)

Homily on the Paralytic Let Down Through the Roof. (HTML)

CCEL Footnote 723 (In-Text, Margin)

... is which brings on disease: therefore also on this occasion He said, “Son! be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee.” And on the other He said, “Behold! thou art made whole, sin no more lest some worse thing happen unto thee,” intimating to both that these maladies were the offspring of sin. And in the beginning and outset of the word disease as the consequence of sin attacked the body of Cain. For after the murder of his brother, after that act of wickedness, his body was subject to palsy.[Genesis 4:12] For trembling is the same thing as palsy. For when the strength which regulates a living creature becomes weakened, being no longer able to support all the limbs, it deprives them of their natural power of direction, and then having become unstrung ...

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 1, Volume 12, page 180, footnote 2 (Image)

Chrysostom: Homilies on First and Second Corinthians

Homilies on First Corinthians. (HTML)

Homily XXX (HTML)

CCEL Footnote 189 (In-Text, Margin)

... trembles, keeping his wealth within as a wilful runaway slave, and beset by I know not what various and unaccountable passions. For unaccountable desire, and manifold fear and anxiety, and trembling on every side, agitate them. And they are like a vessel driven by contrary winds from every quarter, and enduring many heavy seas. And how much better for such a man to depart than to be enduring a continual storm? Since for Cain also it were more tolerable to have died than to be for ever trembling[Genesis 4:12].

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 2, Volume 4, page 241, footnote 2 (Image)

Athanasius: Select Writings and Letters

Apology to the Emperor. (Apologia Ad Constantium.) (HTML)

Apology to the Emperor. (Apologia Ad Constantium.) (HTML)

This charge utterly incredible and absurd. (HTML)
CCEL Footnote 1311 (In-Text, Margin)

... greatly indebted to him for his conduct, that when your departed brother had filled our churches with sacred offerings, he murdered him. For the wretch was not moved by the sight of these his gifts, nor did he stand in awe of the divine grace which had been given to him in baptism: but like an accursed and devilish spirit, he raged against him, till your blessed brother suffered martyrdom at his hands; while he, henceforth a criminal like Cain, was driven from place to place, ‘groaning and trembling[Genesis 4:12],’ to the end that he might follow the example of Judas in his death, by becoming his own executioner, and so bring upon himself a double weight of punishment in the judgment to come.

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 2, Volume 4, page 272, footnote 5 (Image)

Athanasius: Select Writings and Letters

Arian History. (Historia Arianorum ad Monachos.) (HTML)

Arian History. (Historia Arianorum ad Monachos.) (HTML)

Arian Persecution Under Constantine. (HTML)
CCEL Footnote 1535 (In-Text, Margin)

... they immediately set upon the man, and strangled him. This was the end of his life; and they said that Philip who was Prefect was their agent in the perpetration of this murder. Divine Justice, however, did not overlook this; for not a year passed, when Philip was deprived of his office in great disgrace, so that being reduced to a private station, he became the mockery of those whom he least desired to be the witnesses of his fall. For in extreme distress of mind, groaning and trembling like Cain[Genesis 4:12], and expecting every day that some one would destroy him, far from his country and his friends, he died, like one astounded at his misfortunes, in a manner that he least desired. Moreover these men spare not even after death those against whom they ...

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 2, Volume 7, page 9, footnote 10 (Image)

Cyril of Jerusalem, Gregory Nazianzen

The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril. (HTML)

On Repentance and Remission of Sins, and Concerning the Adversary. (HTML)

CCEL Footnote 511 (In-Text, Margin)

... from Paradise, for because of sin he was unworthy to live there; but He puts him to dwell over against Paradise: that seeing whence he had fallen, and from what and into what a state he was brought down, he might afterwards be saved by repentance. Cain the first-born man became his brother’s murderer, the inventor of evils, the first author of murders, and the first envious man. Yet after slaying his brother to what is he condemned? Groaning and trembling shalt thou be upon the earth[Genesis 4:12]. How great the offence, the sentence how light!

Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Series 2, Volume 8, page 297, footnote 6 (Image)

Basil: Letters and Select Works

The Letters. (HTML)

To Optimus the bishop. (HTML)

CCEL Footnote 3152 (In-Text, Margin)

... therefore avenged in the destruction of Cain. For when the Lord said, “Cursed is the earth which has opened to receive the blood of thy brother,” and “groaning and trembling shall there be on the earth,” Cain said, “If thou castest me out to-day from the earth, then from thy face shall I be hid, and groaning and trembling shall I lie upon the earth, and every one that findeth me shall slay me.” It is in answer to this that the Lord says, “Whosoever slayeth Cain will discharge seven vengeances.”[Genesis 4:11-12] Cain supposed that he would be an easy prey to every one, because of there being no safety for him in the earth (for the earth was cursed for his sake), and of his being deprived of the succour of God, Who was angry with him for the murder, and so ...

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