{"author":null,"canonical_references":[],"database_sha256":"8cfbe7284c6936871d57c02dc6aa63ebbdfd4722422d539dd9f716e46e91112e","date_end":null,"date_start":null,"edition_year":null,"id":"sermonindex-ecf-5885","native_reference":{"book_number":10,"chapter_from":25,"chapter_to":25,"system":"MyBible module coordinates (mapping unverified)","verse_from":1,"verse_to":1},"public_import_allowed":false,"record_kind":"verse-keyed-module-record","review_required":["English edition and exact text","author/work attribution","dating","verse mapping and citation kind","reuse and attribution","split author quotations and deduplicate"],"review_status":"unreviewed","source_html":"<p><b>Augustine of Hippo</b>: As for those who prefer to read no symbolic meanings into such facts, they still have no ground of complaint against Abraham. For, in the literal sense, there may be meant to be here an argument against those heretics who are opposed to second marriages, since the example of the very father of many nations proves that there is no sin in a second marriage that is made after one's wife is dead.<br/><i>— City of God 16.34</i></p><p><b>Ephrem the Syrian</b>: Because no law concerning virginity or chastity had been set down, lest desire ever make a stain in the mind of that just man.… Abraham took for himself a concubine after the death of Sarah, so that through the uprightness of his many sons who were to be scattered throughout the entire earth, knowledge and worship of the one God would be spread. Abraham then had sons from Keturah, and he sent them eastward with gifts. Abraham died 175 years old and was buried next to Sarah, his wife.<br/><i>— COMMENTARY ON Genesis 22:1</i></p><p><b>Jerome</b>: (Chapter 25, Verse 1) And Abraham added and took another wife, and her name was Keturah. And she bore him Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah. And Jokshan begot Sheba and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, Letushim, and Leummim. And the sons of Midian were Ephah, Epher, Hanoch, Abida, and Eldaah. All these were the sons of Keturah. And Abraham gave everything that he had to Isaac. But to the sons of the concubines whom Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and he sent them away from Isaac his son, while he was still alive, to the east, to the land of the east. Cetura is interpreted in the Hebrew language as 'joined' or 'bound'. For this reason, the Hebrews suspect that, with a changed name, she is the same as Hagar, who, after the death of Sara, went from being a concubine to a wife. And it seems that the advanced age of Abraham is now being excused, so that he is not accused of indulging in new marriages after the death of his old wife. Leaving aside what is uncertain, we say this: the sons of Abraham born from Cetura, according to Hebrew historians, occupied Troglodytis and Arabia, which is now called Idumea, up to the borders of the Red Sea. But it is said that one of the descendants of Abraham, who was called Apher, led an army against Libya, and there, after defeating the enemies, settled. And his descendants from the name of their ancestor were called Africa. This fact is testified by Alexander, who is called Polyhistor, and Cleodemus, nicknamed Malchus, who retell the barbarian history in Greek. And as for what he says, 'And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim': they think that Asshurim refers to merchants, Letushim to those who work with copper and iron, and Leummim to chiefs, meaning leaders of many tribes and peoples. Others claim that they are called Asurim, that they are Syrians, and that the regions of India have been occupied by most of the sons of Abraham from Keturah.<br/><i>— Hebrew Questions on Genesis</i></p><p><b>Origen of Alexandria</b>: The holy Apostle always furnishes us with occasions for spiritual understanding and, though few, nevertheless shows to the diligent the necessary indications by which it may be recognized in all things that \"the law is spiritual.\" He himself, then, in discussing Abraham and Sarah, says in a certain place: \"He was not weakened in faith,\" he says, \"when he considered his own body, now dead, since he was nearly a hundred years old, and the dead womb of Sarah.\" This man, therefore, whom he says was of a dead body at the number of a hundred years and who begot Isaac more by the power of faith than by the fruitfulness of his body, Scripture now reports to have taken a wife named Keturah and to have begotten from her very many sons, though he seems to have been nearly a hundred and thirty-seven years old. For his wife Sarah is written to have been ten years younger than he, and she, having died in her one hundred and twenty-seventh year, indicates that Abraham was over a hundred and thirty-seven years old when he took Keturah as his wife. What then? Are we to suppose that in so great a Patriarch the incitements of the flesh flourished throughout that same span of time? And shall he who is long since said to be dead as to his natural motions now be thought revived unto lust? Or, as we have already often said, do the marriages of the Patriarchs signify something mystical and sacred? Just as does that man too who said concerning wisdom: \"This one I resolved to bring home to myself as a wife.\" Perhaps, then, already at that time Abraham too thought of something similar and, although he was wise, yet by this very fact he knew that of wisdom there is no end, nor does old age impose a limit upon learning. For he who is accustomed to obtain a marriage in that manner which we indicated above concerning him — that is, he who is wont to have virtue in his marriage — when can he cease from a marriage of this kind? For the falling asleep of Sarah is to be understood as the consummation of virtue. But he who is of consummated and perfect virtue must always be engaged in some learning; and this learning the divine word calls his wife. According to this, I think that in the law the celibate and the barren man lies under a curse; for it says: \"Cursed is he who has not left seed in Israel.\" But if these words are thought to be spoken of carnal seed, all the virgins of the church will seem to be placed under a curse. And why do I speak of the church's virgins? John himself, than whom \"there was none greater among those born of women,\" and very many others of the saints left no seed according to the flesh, since they are reported not even to have entered into marriages. But it is certain that they left spiritual seed and spiritual sons and that each had wisdom as his wife, just as Paul too begot sons through the gospel. So then, the old man Abraham, of a body now dead, took Keturah as his wife. I think, according to the reasoning which we set forth above, that a wife is better taken then, when the body is dead, when the members are mortified. For there is a greater capacity for wisdom in our senses when \"the mortification of Christ is carried about in our\" mortal \"body.\" Finally, Keturah, whom the aged Abraham now obtains in marriage, is interpreted as thymiama, which is incense or a good odor. For he too used to say, as Paul said, that \"we are the good odor of Christ.\" But let us see how anyone is made \"the good odor of Christ.\" Sin is a foul-smelling thing. Indeed, sinners are compared to swine, who wallow in their sins as in foul dung. And David, in the person of the penitent sinner, says: \"My scars have rotted and been eaten away.\"<br/><i>— HOMILIES ON Genesis 11.1</i></p><p><b>Origen of Alexandria</b>: [One] who wishes to show himself to be a child of Abraham by doing the works of Abraham in accordance with the Savior's explanation need not literally have sexual intercourse with a handmaid or take another wife in old age after the death of his wife. We also learn from this quite clearly that we must interpret the whole story of Abraham allegorically and make each thing he did spiritual, beginning with the command, \"Go forth from your land, your kindred, and your father's house, into the land that I will show you.\" This statement is made not only to Abraham but also to everyone who will be his child.<br/><i>— COMMENTARY ON THE GOSPEL OF John 20.67</i></p><p><b>Origen of Alexandria</b>: If, therefore, there is anyone of you in whom there is now no odor of sin, but the odor of righteousness, the sweetness of mercy, if anyone by praying \"without ceasing\" always offers incense to the Lord and says: \"Let my prayer be directed as incense in your sight, the lifting up of my hands an evening sacrifice,\" this man has taken Keturah as his wife. Thus, therefore, I think it more worthy to interpret the marriages of old men, thus beautifully do I regard the marriages of the patriarchs entered into in their last and now-failing age, thus I reckon their necessary begetting of sons is to be counted. For to such marriages and to offspring of this kind, not the young so much as the old are suited. For the more a man is wearied in the flesh, the more he will be robust in the virtue of the soul and more fit for the embraces of wisdom. So too that just man in the Scriptures, Elkanah, is reported to have had two wives at once, of whom one was called Peninnah, the other Hannah, that is, 'conversion' and 'grace.' And first indeed he is said to have received sons from Peninnah, that is, from conversion, and afterward from Hannah, who is grace. For Scripture figuratively designates the progress of the saints through marriages. Hence you too can, if you wish, become the husband of marriages of this kind, and, for example, if you gladly practice hospitality, you will seem to have taken this as your wife. If to her you add care for the poor, you will seem to have obtained a second wife. And if you join to yourself patience and gentleness and the other virtues, you will seem to have taken as many wives as the virtues in which you rejoice. Hence, then, it is that Scripture records that some of the Patriarchs had several wives at once, others took other wives when the former had died; so that this may be figuratively indicated, that certain men can exercise several virtues at once, while others do not begin those that follow before they have brought the former to perfection. Hence, finally, Solomon is reported to have had several wives at once, to whom the Lord had said: \"There has not been a wise man like you before you, and after you there shall not be.\" Because, therefore, the Lord had given him a multitude of prudence, \"like the sand of the sea,\" that he might judge his people \"in wisdom,\" therefore he was able to exercise several virtues at once. Indeed, besides what we are taught from the law of God, if we also touch upon some of those branches of learning which seem to be outside, in the world — for example, as is the learning of letters or of the grammatical art, as is geometrical instruction or the theory of numbers or even the discipline of dialectic — and if we bring all these things, sought from outside, to our institutions and adopt them into the confirmation of our law, then we shall seem either to have taken foreign women in marriage or even \"concubines.\" And if by disputing, discoursing, and refuting our opponents concerning marriages of this kind we are able to convert some to the faith, and if, overcoming them by their own reasonings and arts, we persuade them to take up the true philosophy of Christ and the true piety of God, then out of dialectic or rhetoric we shall seem to have begotten sons as though from some foreign woman or concubine. Therefore, from such marriages, or from begetting sons of this kind through old age, no one is excluded; rather, this chaste offspring is more befitting to mature age. Just as now too Abraham, advanced in years and, as Scripture says, \"old and full of days,\" takes Keturah as his wife. But not even this ought to escape us from the things that are reported through the history, namely what and of what kind are the generations that are propagated from her. For if we remember these, we shall more easily be able to recognize the things that are said in the scriptures about various nations; for example, as when it is said that Moses took as his wife the daughter of Jethro the priest of Midian, who Midian is found to be the son of Keturah and Abraham. We recognize, then, that the wife of Moses was of the seed of Abraham and was not a foreigner. But also when \"the queen of Kedar\" is written of, it must nonetheless be known that Kedar too descends from that very race of Keturah and of Abraham. But also in the generations of Ishmael you will find similar things. If you examine these diligently, you will discover in them very many histories that lie hidden from the rest. But let us for the present defer these to another time and hasten to the things that are recited in what follows.<br/><i>— HOMILIES ON Genesis 11.2</i></p><p><b>Augustine of Hippo</b>: ON POLYGAMY. — And Abraham again took a wife, whose name was Keturah . The question that arises here is whether this would be a sin, thinking especially of the ancients, who were dedicated to the propagation of the offspring. Here you can think of anything but the lack of self-restraint of a man so outstanding as Abraham, taking into account also his advanced age. I said earlier why he had children of Keturah, when Sarah only had them by miracle. Although there are some who think that Abraham's gift, consisting of a kind of bodily rejuvenation to father children, remained in him for a long time, so that he could become the father of other children. But it is much easier for an elderly man to have children of a young girl than to have a man of advanced age from a woman of similar age, if God had not done in him a miracle, taking into account, above all, not only the age of Sarah, but also her sterility. In fact, a man of an advanced age can even be called an elderly man, and, as the Scripture says, to one full of days. This is what is meant by πρεσβυτην (elder), which is what was said of Abraham when he died. Every old man is therefore an (elder) πρεσβυτης, but every πρεσβυτης is not an old man: for it is ordinarily referred to as the age next to oldness. Also, in the Latin language, the word old age, senectute , is “senior” which means old age and applies to πρεσβυτης. In Greek, mainly in the style of writing, it is said by contrast πρεσβυτεροι and νεωτεροι even when we still speak of young men, as we say among us the eldest, and the youngest. However, the fact that Abraham, after Sara's death, had children by Keturah, should not be taken in the sense that this is due to human custom and desire only to have a larger offspring. Because then men could also interpret what happened with Hagar, if the apostle had not warned us that those things prophetically came to pass (Gal. 4:22-24), so that in the people of those two women and their children the allegorical sense would represent the two Testaments for the revelation of future things. That is why, in this fact of Abraham, we must also look for something similar. Although this sense does not appear easily, I, in the meantime, say what I think: the gifts that the children of the concubines received (Cf. Gen. 25:5-6) seem to me to mean certain gifts of God already in the mysteries, already in certain signs given also to the carnal people of the Jews and the heretics, as children of the concubines, while the gift of the inheritance, which is charity and eternal life, belongs only to Isaac, that is, to the children of the promise. [<br/><i>— QUESTIONS ON GENESIS, Q. 69 (tr. J. Litteral, draft)</i></p>","source_html_sha256":"091d1c6e2d4c7434a73c43d7ca8e1347d31a4bc20b34cebfa4b3efc19aea1e58","source_module":"ECF","source_row_id":5885,"source_url":"https://www.sermonindex.net/commentary/ecf/","text_sha256":"bcb758ffba19159fcdc71c4b29776dbc1d418a41e47cd439ea8e74cf004cace2","translator":null,"work":null}