26

he traveled abroad; but he did not offer that prayer symbolically, as some of the extremely foolish have supposed, but since he took God as a partner in the betrothal, he prayed that some signs be shown to him by which he wanted to know if the betrothal was pleasing to God. And the sign was not beauty of body, nor prominence of family, nor anything else of those things that seem brilliant, but hospitality and friendliness and gentleness of mind; "for he says, let it be that the maiden to whom I shall say, 'Please, let down your pitcher that I may drink,' and she shall say to me, 'Drink, my lord, and I will give your camels drink also, until they have finished drinking,' let her be the one you have prepared for your servant Isaac; and by this I shall know that you have shown mercy to my master Abraham." For since the patriarch was preeminently adorned with these advantages, he wished for the bride also to be in accord with the character of her father-in-law, so that a contrary purpose might not produce any strife and contention. And that these things were not symbolic, but indicative of faith and piety, the earnestness of the prayer teaches first; then, that he awaited the counsel of God; for holy scripture teaches this: 71 "But the man was observing her in silence to know whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not." For as she was drawing the water and offering the stream to the camels, he waited to see if she would provide for all their need according to his request; and when the camels had drunk, he immediately brought forth the tokens of the betrothal; and having learned her lineage and kinship with his master, having been well pleased, it says, the man bowed down to the Lord and said: "Blessed be the Lord, the God of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his righteousness and his mercy from my master. As for me, the Lord has led me in the way to the house of my master's brother." And all his conversation proclaims the piety of his mind, and indeed, even after the conversation, it signifies the same purpose; for when those who had begotten the maiden agreed to the marriage, he immediately "bowed down to the Lord." And what follows also holds the same thought: "For do not detain me," he says, "since the Lord has prospered my way." LXXVI Why were the wives of the patriarchs barren? For Sarah was barren, and Rebecca likewise, and Rachel, and indeed also Leah. "For," it says, "when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her womb." God, wishing to establish the Israelite race, shows that it received its fruitfulness not according to 72 the sequence of nature, but according to the generosity of grace; and that race obtained this care because the Lord Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, was to spring from there according to the flesh. LXXVII Through whom did Rebecca wish to learn about the children she was carrying? Some say that she went to Melchizedek, since he was both a high priest of the most high God and distinguished in piety and very renowned; but since the patriarchs were accustomed to build altars to God in the places where they dwelt, it is likely that having gone to one of these she supplicated the God of all, and made known the things that were to happen. LXXVIII Why does God prevent Isaac from traveling to Egypt, when the famine compelled him to do this? The Lord God reveals his own wisdom and care through all things; for he permitted the patriarch Abraham to go to Egypt, not as though he were at a loss to provide for him in Palestine; but in order to show the man's piety to the Egyptians, and to urge them to emulate the patriarch's virtue. But he commanded Isaac to remain there, and he surrounded him with an abundance of necessities, showing that he was able to provide for the father these things which he also generously gave to him. For when all were in want and in scarcity of necessities and the land had become barren, he himself, having sown, received an abundant harvest. 73 LXXIX For what reason did Isaac wish to give the blessing to Esau? According to the law of nature; for he was the firstborn; and the firstborn were also first, and they received a double portion. And his service also increased it

26

ἐξεδήμησεν· ἐκείνην δὲ τὴν εὐχὴν οὐ συμ βολικῶς προσενήνοχεν, ὥς τινες τῶν ἄγαν ἠλιθίων ὑπέλαβον, ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ τὸν Θεὸν συνεργὸν ἔλαβε τῆς μνηστείας σημεῖά τινα αὐτῷ δειχθῆναι παρεκάλει δι' ὧν ἠβούλετο γνῶναι, εἰ ἀρέσκουσα τῷ Θεῷ ἡ μνηστεία. τὸ δὲ σημεῖον ἦν οὐχ ὥρα σώματος οὐδὲ περιφάνεια γένους οὐδὲ ἄλλο τι τῶν δοκούντων λαμπρῶν, ἀλλὰ φιλοξενία καὶ φιλοφροσύνη καὶ ἠπιό της φρονήματος· " ἔσται, γάρ φησιν, ἡ παρθένος ᾗ ἂν ἐγὼ εἴπω, ἐπίκλινόν μοι τὴν ὑδρίαν σου ἵνα πίω, καὶ εἴπῃ μοι, πίε, κύριε, καὶ τὰς καμήλους σου ποτιῶ ἕως ἂν παύσωνται πίνουσαι, ταύτην ἡτοίμασας τῷ παιδί σου Ἰσαάκ· καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γνώσομαι, ὅτι ἐποίησας ἔλεον μετὰ τοῦ κυ ρίου μου Ἀβραάμ ". ἐπειδὴ γὰρ τούτοις ἐκοσμεῖτο τοῖς πλεονεκτήμασι διαφερόντως ὁ πατριάρχης ἠβουλήθη καὶ τὴν νύμφην συμβαίνειν τῷ τρόπῳ τοῦ κηδεστοῦ, ἵνα μὴ ἔριν τινὰ καὶ φιλονεικίαν ὁ σκοπὸς ὁ ἐναντίος ἐργάσηται. ὅτι δὲ οὐ συμβολικὰ ταῦτα ἦν, ἀλλὰ πίστεως καὶ εὐσεβείας δηλωτικά, πρῶτον διδάσκει τὸ σπουδαῖον τῆς προσευχῆς· ἔπειτα τὸ προσμένειν αὐτὸν τὴν βουλὴν τοῦ Θεοῦ· τοῦτο 71 γὰρ ἡ θεία διδάσκει γραφή· " ὁ δὲ ἄνθρωπος κατεμάνθα νεν αὐτὴν καὶ παρεσιώπα τοῦ γνῶναι εἰ εὐώ δωκε Κύριος τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ, ἢ οὔ ". ἐκείνης γὰρ τὸ ὕδωρ ἀρυομένης, καὶ ταῖς καμήλοις προσφερούσης τὸ νᾶμα, ἀνέμενεν οὗτος ἰδεῖν εἰ πάσαις παρέχει τὴν χρείαν κατὰ τὴν αἴτησιν· πιουσῶν δὲ τῶν καμήλων, εὐθὺς προσενήνοχε τῆς μνηστείας τὰ σύμβολα· γνοὺς δὲ τὸ γένος καὶ τὴν δεσποτικὴν συγγένειαν, εὐδοκήσας, φησίν, ὁ ἄνθρω πος προσεκύνησε τῷ Κυρίῳ καὶ εἶπεν· " εὐλογητὸς Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ κυρίου μου Ἀβραάμ, ὃς οὐκ ἐγκατέ λιπε τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ καὶ τὸν ἔλεον αὐ τοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ κυρίου μου. κἀμὲ ἐν ὁδῷ ἤγαγε Κύ ριος εἰς τὸν οἶκον τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ τοῦ κυρίου μου ". καὶ πᾶσα δὲ αὐτοῦ ἡ διάλεξις τὸ εὐσεβὲς κηρύττει τῆς γνώμης καὶ μέντοι καὶ μετὰ τὴν διάλεξιν, τὸν αὐτὸν σημαίνει σκοπόν· συνθεμένων γὰρ τῶν τὴν κόρην γεγεννηκότων τῷ γάμῳ εὐθὺς αὐτὸς " προσεκύνησε τῷ Κυρίῳ ". καὶ τὰ ἑξῆς δὲ τῆς αὐτῆς ἔχεται διανοίας· " μὴ κα τέχετε γάρ με, φησί, καὶ Κύριος εὐώδωσε τὴν ὁδόν μου ". LXXVI ∆ιὰ τί τῶν πατριαρχῶν αἱ γυναῖκες στεῖραι; καὶ γὰρ Σάρρα στεῖρα, καὶ Ῥεβέκκα ὡσαύτως, καὶ ἡ Ῥαχὴλ καὶ μέντοι καὶ ἡ Λεία. " ἰδών, γάρ φησι, Κύριος, ὅτι μισεῖται ἡ Λεία ἀνέῳξε τὴν μή τραν αὐτῆς " Τὸ ἰσραηλιτικὸν συστῆσαι γένος βουληθεὶς ὁ Θεός, δείκνυσιν οὐ κατὰ 72 φύσεως ἀκολουθίαν, ἀλλὰ κατὰ τὴν τῆς χάριτος φιλοτιμίαν τὴν πολυγο νίαν δεξάμενον· ταύτης δὲ τῆς κηδεμονίας ἐκεῖνο τὸ γένος τετύχηκεν, ἐπειδήπερ ὁ δεσπότης Χριστός, ὁ μονογενὴς τοῦ Θεοῦ υἱός, ἐκεῖθεν ἔμελ λε κατὰ σάρκα βλαστήσειν. LXXVII ∆ιὰ τίνος μαθεῖν ἠθέλησεν ἡ Ῥεβέκκα τὰ περὶ τῶν κυοφορουμένων παιδίων; Τινές φασι πρὸς τὸν Μελχισεδὲκ αὐτὴν ἀπεληλυθέναι, ἅτε δὴ καὶ ἀρχι ερέα ὄντα τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου καὶ ἐπίσημον ἐν εὐσεβείᾳ καὶ λίαν περι φανῆ· ἐπειδὴ δὲ εἰώθεισαν οἱ πατριάρχαι καὶ θυσιαστήρια τῷ Θεῷ κατασ κευάζειν ἐν οἷς ἐσκήνουν χωρίοις, εἰκὸς παρ' ἓν τούτων αὐτὴν ἀπελθοῦ σαν ἱκετεῦσαι τὸν ὅλων Θεόν, καὶ γνωρίσαι τὰ συμβησόμενα. LXXVIII ∆ιὰ τί κωλύει τὸν Ἰσαὰκ ὁ Θεὸς εἰς τὴν Αἴγυπτον ἐκδημῆσαι, τοῦ λιμοῦ τοῦτο πρᾶξαι καταναγκάζοντος; Τὴν οἰκείαν σοφίαν τε καὶ κηδεμονίαν διὰ πάντων δηλοῖ ὁ δεσπότης Θεός· καὶ γὰρ τὸν πατριάρχην Ἀβραάμ, οὐχ ὡς ἀπορῶν ἐν τῇ Παλαιστίνῃ διαθρέψαι συνεχώρησεν εἰς τὴν Αἴγυπτον ἀπελθεῖν· ἀλλ' ἵνα τοῖς αἰγυπ τίοις ἐπιδείξῃ τοῦ ἀνδρὸς τὴν εὐσέβειαν, καὶ ζηλῶσαι προτρέψῃ τοῦ πατριάρχου τὴν ἀρετήν. τὸν δὲ Ἰσαὰκ αὐτοῦ μεῖναι προσέταξε, καὶ τῇ τῶν ἀναγκαίων αὐτὸν περιέκλυσεν ἀφθονίᾳ, δεικνὺς ὡς καὶ τῷ πατρὶ ταῦτα παρασχεῖν οἷός τε ἦν, ἃ καὶ αὐτῷ ἔδωκε φιλοτίμως. πάντων γὰρ ἐν ἐνδείᾳ ὄντων καὶ σπάνει τῶν ἀναγκαίων καὶ τῆς γῆς ἀγόνου γεγενη μένης, αὐτὸς σπείρας πολύχουν ἔλαβε τὸν καρπόν. 73 LXXIX Τίνος ἕνεκεν ὁ Ἰσαὰκ τῷ Ἡσαῦ δοῦναι τὴν εὐλογίαν ἠβούλετο; Κατὰ τὸν νόμον τῆς φύσεως· πρωτότοκος γὰρ ἦν· οἱ δὲ πρωτότοκοι καὶ πρῶτοι, καὶ διπλῆν ἐλάμβανον μοῖραν. ηὔξησε δὲ καὶ ἡ θεραπεία