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The City of God

Chapter 36.--Of the Oracle and Blessing Which Isaac Received, Just as His Father Did, Being Beloved for His Sake.

Isaac also received such an oracle as his father had often received. Of this oracle it is thus written: "And there was a famine over the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar. And the Lord appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; but dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of. And abide in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee: unto thee and unto thy seed I will give all this land; and I will establish mine oath, which I sware unto Abraham thy father: and I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all this land: and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because that Abraham thy father obeyed my voice, and kept my precepts, my commandments, my righteousness, and my laws." ¹ This patriarch neither had another wife, nor any concubine, but was content with the twin-children begotten by one act of generation. He also was afraid, when he lived among strangers, of being brought into danger owing to the beauty of his wife, and did like his father in calling her his sister, and not telling that she was his wife; for she was his near blood-relation by the father's and mother's side. She also remained untouched by the strangers, when it was known she was his wife. Yet we ought not to prefer him to his father because he knew no woman besides his one wife. For beyond doubt the merits of his father's faith and obedience were greater, inasmuch as God says it is for his sake He does Isaac good: "In thy seed," He says, "shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because that Abraham thy father obeyed my voice, and kept my precepts, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws." And again in another oracle He says, "I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed for my servant Abraham's sake." ² So that we must understand how chastely Abraham acted, because imprudent men, who seek some support for their own wickedness in the Holy Scriptures, think he acted through lust. We may also learn this, not to compare men by single good things, but to consider everything in each; for it may happen that one man has something in his life and character in which he excels another, and it may be far more excellent than that in which the other excels him. And thus, according to sound and true judgment, while continence is preferable to marriage, yet a believing married man is better than a continent unbeliever; for the unbeliever is not only less praiseworthy, but is even highly detestable. We must conclude, then, that both are good; yet so as to hold that the married man who is most faithful and most obedient is certainly better than the continent man whose faith and obedience are less. But if equal in other things, who would hesitate to prefer the continent man to the married?

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De civitate Dei (CCSL)

Caput XXXVI: De oraculo et benedictione, quam Isaac non aliter quam pater ipsius, merito eiusdem dilectus, accepit.

Accepit etiam Isaac tale oraculum, quale aliquotiens pater eius acceperat. de quo oraculo sic scriptum est: facta est autem fames super terram praeter famem, quae prius facta est in tempore Abrahae. abiit autem Isaac ad Abimelech regem Philistinorum in Gerara. apparuit autem illi dominus et dixit: noli descendere in Aegyptum; habita autem in terra, quam tibi dixero, et incole in terra hac; et ero te cum et benedicam te. tibi enim et semini tuo dabo omnem terram hanc, et statuam iuramentum meum, quod iuraui Abrahae patri tuo; et multiplicabo semen tuum tamquam stellas caeli, et dabo semini tuo omnem terram hanc, et benedicentur in semine tuo omnes gentes terrae, pro eo quod obaudiuit Abraham pater tuus uocem meam et custodiuit praecepta mea et mandata mea et iustificationes meas et legitima mea. iste patriarcha nec uxorem habuit aliam nec aliquam concubinam, sed posteritate duorum geminorum ex uno concubito procreatorum contentus fuit. timuit sane etiam ipse periculum de pulchritudine coniugis, cum habitaret inter alienos, fecitque quod pater, ut eam sororem diceret, taceret uxorem; erat enim ei propinqua et paterno et materno sanguine; sed etiam ipsa ab alienis, cognito quod uxor esset, mansit intacta. nec ideo tamen istum patri eius praeferre debemus, quia iste nullam feminam praeter unam coniugem nouerat. erant enim procul dubio paternae fidei et oboedientiae merita potiora, in tantum, ut propter illum dicat deus huic se facere bona quae facit. benedicentur, inquit, in semine tuo omnes gentes terrae, pro eo quod obaudiuit Abraham pater tuus uocem meam et custodiuit praecepta mea et mandata mea et iustificationes meas et legitima mea; et alio rursus oraculo: ego sum, inquit, deus Abraham patris tui, noli timere; te cum enim sum et benedixi te et multiplicabo semen tuum propter Abraham patrem tuum; ut intellegamus quam caste Abraham fecerit, quod hominibus inpudicis et nequitiae suae de scripturis sanctis patrocinia requirentibus uidetur fecisse libidine; deinde ut etiam hoc nouerimus, non ex bonis singulis inter se homines conparare, sed in unoquoque consideremus uniuersa. fieri enim potest, ut habeat aliquid in uita et moribus quispiam, quo superat alium, idque sit longe praestabilius, quam est illud, unde ab alio superatur. ac per hoc sano ueroque iudicio, cum continentia coniugio praeferatur, melior est tamen homo fidelis coniugatus quam continens infidelis. sed infidelis homo non solum minus laudandus, uerum etiam maxime detestandus est. constituamus ambos bonos; etiam sic profecto melior est coniugatus fidelissimus et oboedientissimus deo quam continens minoris fidei minorisque oboedientiae. si uero paria sint cetera, continentem coniugato praeferre quis ambigat?