Origen of Alexandria, Selections on Genesis

A voice for the elder of the house of Abraham, and fitting for the ruler of all his possessions. And see the wisdom, what kind of sign he sets. But the man was observing her, and was silent, to know whether the Lord had prospered his way or not. From this we are to be taught that it is good for the one praying not to pray with an audible voice, but in the heart to the one who searches hearts and reins. And Isaac was traveling through the desert by the well of vision. A journey fitting for the holy one, traveling through the desert because of the great withdrawal, and traveling by the well of vision because of the contemplation of things concerning God. And Isaac went out to meditate in the field toward evening. One who is about to converse about divine things must go out from earthly things, which he has now called to meditate. But it is not added with whom; reasonably so, since such conversation does not happen with men, but either with God, or of someone with himself. By the same. And "toward evening" is a symbol of how someone, having come to old age, is scarcely able to converse with comprehension of the more divine things. And Abraham again took a wife, whose name was Keturah. And she bore him Zimran, and the rest. From the children of Keturah came very many nations, which inhabited the Troglodyte desert, and Arabia Felix, and the adjoining region, both Midianitis and the city of Midian situated in the desert beyond Arabia opposite Paran to the east of the Red Sea; whence the nation of the Midianites from Midian the son of Abraham and Keturah; so that it is clear from this that Jethro the father-in-law of Moses was a descendant of Abraham and a kinsman of Moses. By the same. Keturah is interpreted as smaller 12.121 or inferior; Jokshan, a leaving, or he will let go; Shuah, a good people; Sheba, an aversion; Tema, their eclipses, or being completed; Dedan, sufficient judgment, or solitude; Raguel, a strong friend, or the shepherding of God; Nabdeel, serving God; Asshurim, steadfast, or directing; Letushim, hammerers; Ephah, needy, or lacking; Epher, dust, or earthy, or ashes. Henoch, your grace; Abida, height of my father; Ephron, dust, or earthy, or ashes; Shaaph, midday; Dumah, silence; Mamre, from vision; Massa, a lifting up, Ishmael, hearing of God; Hadad, a measure being emptied; Nabaioth, prophecy; Tema, a completion; Kedar, darkness; Jetur, exiled; Nabdeel, serving God; Naphish, refreshment; Masma, attention, or hearing; Kedmah, foremost; Massam, from seasonings; Havilah, travailing; Shur, a wall. Dwell in the land which I shall tell you; and sojourn in this land, and I will be with you, and I will bless you. If, where one must dwell by God's command, someone sojourns, God is with him, and blesses him; but if, where one must not sojourn, someone dwells, God is not with him, nor will he bless him. Because Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my commandments and my ordinances, and my laws. If the law according to Moses had not yet been written, but Abraham kept the aforementioned things, he kept them thus, as nations that do not have the law, and by nature do the things of the law; showing the work of the law written on their hearts, their conscience bearing witness, as the Apostle says. And the servants of Isaac dug in the valley of Gerar; and they found there a well of living water. Each one who prays to be a child of Isaac must be ambitious to understand these wells, and to dig them within himself. And having departed from there he dug another well, and 12.124 they did not fight over it. And by not resisting those who do wrong, he shows that he was truly without guile. Wherefore, God, approving his forbearance, appears to him, and promises the land, so that he might not be disheartened that as a stranger and sojourner he was exposed to those wishing to do wrong, fulfilling what is said at all times, if they persecute you. And he said: The voice is Jacob's voice. Recognizing the pious voice, which would not have been spoken by Esau: What your God delivered before me; Isaac said: The voice is Jacob's voice. And he said: Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell

φωνὴ τῷ πρεσβύτῃ τῆς οἰκίας τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ, καὶ ἁρμόζουσα τῷ ἄρχοντι πάντων τῶν αὐτοῦ. Καὶ ὅρα σοφίαν, οἷον τίθησι σημεῖον. Ὁ δὲ ἄνθρωπος κατεμάνθανεν αὐτὴν, καὶ παρ εσιώπα, τοῦ γνῶναι εἰ εὐώδωκε Κύριος τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ ἢ οὔ. Ἐντεῦθέν ἐστι διδαχθῆναι, ὅτι καλόν ἐστι τὸν προσευχόμενον μὴ μετὰ αἰσθητῆς ἀκουόμενον τῆς φωνῆς προσεύχεσθαι, ἀλλ' ἐν τῇ καρ δίᾳ τῷ ἐτάζοντι καρδίας καὶ νεφρούς. Ἰσαὰκ δὲ ἐπορεύετο διὰ τῆς ἐρήμου κατὰ τὸ φρέαρ τῆς ὁράσεως. Πρέπουσα πορεία τῷ ἁγίῳ διὰ μὲν τὴν πολλὴν ἀναχώρησιν πορευομένῳ διὰ τῆς ἐρήμου, διὰ δὲ τὴν περὶ τῶν εἰς Θεὸν θεωρίαν πο ρευομένῳ κατὰ τὸ φρέαρ τῆς ὁράσεως. Καὶ ἐξῆλθεν Ἰσαὰκ ἀδολεσχῆσαι εἰς τὸ πεδίον τὸ πρὸς δείλης. Ἐξελθεῖν δεῖ τῶν γηΐνων τὸν μέλλοντα περὶ τῶν θείων ὁμιλεῖν, ὅπερ ἀδολεσχῆσαι νῦν ὠνόμασεν. Οὐ πρόσκειται δὲ τίνι· εἰκότως, ἐπεὶ μηδὲ ἀνθρώπων ἡ τοιαύτη ὁμιλία γίνεται, ἀλλ' ἤτοι πρὸς Θεὸν, ἢ αὐτοῦ τινος πρὸς ἑαυτόν. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Τὸ δὲ, πρὸς δείλης, σύμβολόν ἐστι τοῦ μόλις ἐπὶ γήρως δύνασθαί τινα ἐλθόντα μετὰ καταλήψεως τῶν θειοτέρων ὁμιλεῖν. Προσθέμενος δὲ Ἀβραὰμ ἔλαβε γυναῖκα ᾗ ὄνομα Χεττούρα. Ἔτεκε δὲ αὐτῷ τὸν Ζεμβρᾶν, καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς. Ἀπὸ τῶν τέκνων Χεττούρας ἔθνη γέγονε πλεῖστα, ἃ κατῴκησαν τὴν Τρωγλοδύτην ἔρη μον, καὶ τὴν Εὐδαίμονα Ἀραβίαν, καὶ τὴν διήκου σαν, τήν τε Μαδιανῖτιν, καὶ τὴν πόλιν Μαδιὰμ πα ρακειμένην τῇ ὑπὲρ τὴν Ἀραβίαν ἐρήμῳ ἄντικρυς Φαρὰν εἰς ἀνατολὰς τῆς Ἐρυθρᾶς θαλάσσης· ὅθεν τὸ Μαδιανιτῶν ἔθνος ἀπὸ Μαδιὰμ υἱοῦ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Χεττούρας· ὡς εἶναι δῆλον ἐκ τούτου, ὅτι ὁ Ἰοθὼρ ὁ πενθερὸς Μωϋσέως ἀπόγονος ἦν τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ συγγενὴς Μωϋσέως. Τοῦ αὐτοῦ. Χεττούρα ἑρμηνεύεται μικροτέρα 12.121 ἢ ὑποδεεστέρα· Ἰεσβὼκ ἄφεσις, ἢ ἀφήσει· Σωϊὲ χρηστὸς λαός· Σαβὰν ἀποστροφή· Θαιμὰν ἐκλείψεις αὐτῶν, ἢ συντελούμενοι· ∆αιδὰν ἱκανὴ κρίσις, ἢ μονότης· Ῥαγουὴλ φίλος ἰσχυρὸς, ἢ ποιμανσία Θεοῦ· Ναβδεὴλ δουλεύων τῷ Θεῷ· Ἀσσουριεὶμ ἑδραῖοι, ἢ κατευθύνοντες· Λατουσιεὶμ σφυροκόποι· Γεφὰρ, ἐνδεὴς, ἢ ἐλλείπων· Ἀφὲρ χοῦς, ἢ γήϊνος, ἢ σποδός. Ἐνὼχ χάρις σου· Ἀβιδὰ πατρός μου ὕψος· Ἐφρὼν χοῦς, ἢ γήϊνος, ἢ σποδός· Σαὰρ μεσημβρία· ∆ουμὰ σιωπή· Μαμβρῆ ἀπὸ ὁράσεως· Μασσῆ ἔπαρ σις, Ἰσμαὴλ ἀκοὴ Θεοῦ· Χοδδὰδ μέτρον κενούμενον· Ναβαιὼθ προφητεία· Θαιμὰν συντέλεια· Κηδὰρ σκο τασμός· Ἰετοὺρ ἐξωρισμένος· Ναβδεὴλ δουλεύων Θεῷ· Ναφὲς ἀναψυχή· Μασμὰν προσοχὴ, ἢ ἀκοή· Κεδμὰ ἐμπρόσθιος· Μασσὰμ ἐξ ἡδυσμῶν· Εὐϊλὰτ ὠδίνουσα· Σοὺρ τεῖχος. Κατοίκησον δὲ ἐν τῇ γῇ, ᾗ ἄν σοι εἴπω· καὶ παροίκει ἐν τῇ γῇ ταύτῃ, καὶ ἔσομαι μετὰ σοῦ, καὶ εὐλογήσω σε. Εἰ, ποῦ χρὴ κατοικεῖν ἐκ προστάγματος Θεοῦ, παροικήσει τις, ἔστιν ὁ Θεὸς μετ' αὐτοῦ, καὶ εὐλογεῖ αὐτόν· εἰ δὲ, ὅπου οὐ δεῖ παρ οικεῖν, κατοικήσει τις, οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ Θεὸς μετ' αὐτοῦ, οὐδὲ εὐλογήσει αὐτόν. Ἀνθ' ὧν ὑπήκουσεν Ἀβραὰμ τῆς ἐμῆς φωνῆς, καὶ ἐφύλαξε τὰ προστάγματά μου καὶ τὰ δικαιώ ματά μου, καὶ τὰ νόμιμά μου. Εἰ μήπω ἦν ὁ κατὰ Μωϋσέα νόμος γεγραμμένος, ἐφύλαξε δὲ Ἀβραὰμ τὰ εἰρημένα, οὕτως αὐτὰ ἐφύλαξεν, ὡς ἔθνη τὰ μὴ νόμον ἔχοντα, καὶ φύσει τὰ τοῦ νόμου ποιοῦντα· ἐνδεικνύμενοι τὸ ἔργον τοῦ νόμου γραπτὸν ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις αὐτῶν, μαρτυρουμένης αὐτῶν τῆς συνει δήσεως, καθά φησιν ὁ Ἀπόστολος. Καὶ ὤρυξαν οἱ παῖδες Ἰσαὰκ ἐν τῇ φάραγγι Γεράρων· καὶ εὗρον ἐκεῖ φρέαρ ὕδατος ζῶντος. Φιλοτιμητέον ἑκάστῳ εὐχομένῳ εἶναι τέκνον τοῦ Ἰσαὰκ ταῦτα νοῆσαι τὰ φρέατα, καὶ ὀρύξαι αὐτὰ ἐν ἑαυτῷ. Ἀπάρας δὲ ἐκεῖθεν ὤρυξε φρέαρ ἕτερον, καὶ 12.124 οὐκ ἐμαχέσαντο περὶ αὐτοῦ. ∆ιὰ δὲ τοῦ μὴ ἀν θίστασθαι τοῖς ἀδικοῦσι δείκνυσιν, ὅτι ἀληθῶς ἦν ἄπλαστος. Ὅθεν, ἀποδεξάμενος αὐτὸν τῆς ἀνεξικα κίας ὁ Θεὸς, ἐπιφαίνεται αὐτῷ, καὶ ἐπαγγέλλεται τὴν γῆν, ἵνα μὴ ἀθυμῇ, ὅτι ὡς ξένος πάροικος προὔκειτο τοῖς ἀδικεῖν βουλομένοις, πληρῶν τὸ εἰρημένον ἑκά στοτε, ἐὰν διώκωσιν ὑμᾶς. Καὶ εἶπεν· Ἡ μὲν φωνὴ φωνὴ Ἰακώβ. Τὴν εὐσεβῆ φωνὴν οὐκ ἂν λεχθεῖσαν ὑπὸ τοῦ Ἠσαῦ· Ὃ παρέδωκεν ὁ Θεός σου ἐναντίον μου· ἐπιγνοὺς ὁ Ἰσαὰκ, εἶπεν· Ἡ φωνὴ φωνὴ Ἰακώβ. Καὶ εἶπεν· Ἰδοὺ ὀσμὴ τοῦ υἱοῦ μου, ὡς ὀσμὴ