23. After God had often spoken with Abraham, Sarah was moved to wrath against Hagar, being jealous that she, the mistress, was barren, while her handmaid had conceived a son. Then, when Hagar had departed from her sight, the Spirit speaks thus concerning her, And the angel of the Lord said unto Hagar, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, and it shall not be numbered for multitude, and again, And she called the Name of the Lord that spake with her, Thou art God, Who hast seen me195    Gen. xvi. 9, 10, 13.. It is the Angel of God Who speaks196    The parenthesis which follows: “Now angel of God has two senses, that of Him Who is, and that of Him Whose He is” interrupts the sense and seems quite out of place. The same distinction in the case of the word Spirit, in Book II. § 32 may be compared., and speaks of things far beyond the powers which a messenger, for that is the meaning of the word, could have. He says, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, and it shall not be numbered for multitude. The power of multiplying nations lies outside the ministry of an angel. Yet what says the Scripture of Him Who is called the Angel of God, yet speaks words which belong to God alone? And she called the Name of the Lord that spake with her, Thou art God, Who hast seen me. First He is the Angel of God; then He is the Lord, for She called the Name of the Lord; then, thirdly, He is God, for Thou art God, Who hast seen me. He Who is called the Angel of God is also Lord and God. The Son of God is also, according to the prophet, the Angel of great counsel197    Isaiah ix. 6 (LXX).. To discriminate clearly between the Persons, He is called the Angel of God; He Who is God from God is also the Angel of God, but, that He may have the honour which is His due, He is entitled also Lord and God.

23. Angelus Dei Agar allocutus, Deus est. Filius et angelus Dei et Deus.---Post multas namque Dei ad Abraham allocutiones, cum adversum 0113C Agar Sara commoveretur, conceptui ancillae domina sterilis invidens, cumque discessisset a conspectu ejus, ita de ea Scriptura loquitur: Et dixit Angelus Domini ad Agar, Redi ad dominam tuam, et humilia te sub manibus ejus. Et dixit ei Angelus Domini, Multiplicans multiplicabo semen tuum, et non dinumerabitur a multitudine (Gen. XVI, 9, 10). Et rursum: Et vocavit nomen Domini qui loquebatur secum, Tu Deus qui adspexisti me (Ibid., 13). Angelus Dei loquitur (duplex autem in angelo Dei significatio est: ipse qui est, et ille cujus est): et loquitur non res secundum nomen officii sui; ait 0114A enim: Multiplicans multiplicabo semen tuum, et non dinumerabitur a multitudine. Ministerium angeli potestas multiplicandarum gentium excedit. Sed quid tandem de eo, qui Dei Angelus quae soli Deo propria sunt loquebatur, Scriptura testata est? Et vocavit nomen Domini qui loquebatur secum, Tu Deus qui adspexisti me. Primum angelus Dei, secundo Dominus; vocavit enim nomen Domini qui loquebatur secum; dehinc tertio Deus, Tu enim es Deus qui adspexisti me. Qui angelus Dei dictus est; idem Dominus et Deus est. Est autem secundum prophetam filius Dei magni consilii angelus (Esai. IX, 6, sec. LXX). Ut personarum distinctio absoluta esset, angelus Dei est nuncupatus; qui enim est Deus ex Deo, ipse est et angelus Dei. Ut vero honor debitus redderetur, 0114B et Dominus et Deus est praedicatus.