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"Now, Sarah, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. She had, however, an Egyptian maidservant, whose name was Hagar."
=) ODAY'S [350] READING AS WELL BIDS our tongue follow the theme of the patriarch. Don't be surprised if after giving an exposition of this story on so many days we haven't yet been able to bring it to a close. You see, there is great richness in the just man's virtue, and the extent of his good deeds taxes every human tongue. What human being, after all, could worthily commend the man whom God rewarded and eulogized from on high? Still, even if we fall far short of doing him justice, at least we have dealt with him to the level of our ability and would like to encourage you to imitation and emulation of his virtue. The man's sound commonsense, remember, was sufficient to instruct the whole human race and to draw those willing to heed him to follow the way of virtue. Pay attention, however, I beseech you, to what is said so that we may come to learn the just man's commonsense from what was read just now. This passage, in fact, is capable of instructing both men and women to give evidence of harmony in relating to each other and to preserve inviolate the bond of marriage, to teach the husband not to contend against his wife but to make great allowance for her as being the frailer vessel,? and the wife not to disagree with her hus1. Gen 16.1. Unless Migne's text is faulty, Chrysostom is inconsistent throughout this chapter in aspiration in citing Hagar's name; we shall stay with "Hagar."
2. De Montfaucon defends Chrysostom's use of this term of women by commenting: "In the Rule of Pachomius, too, women are called 'frailer vessels'.
But in Livy and other historians they are called impedimenta, 'baggage'." See Introduction (14) in FOTC 74. Cf. 1 Pet 3.7.
200)
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band, but to rival each other in carrying the other's burdens and to prize domestic peace [351] ahead of everything.
(2) It is necessary, however, to listen to the words themselves so that the teaching may become clearer to you. "Now, Sarah,
Abram's wife, had borne him no children. She had, however, an Egyptian maidservant, whose name was Hagar." Consider in this passage, I ask you, dearly beloved, God's unspeakable longsuffering and the extraordinary degree of the just man's faith and gratitude of which he gave evidence with regard to the promises made to him. You see, though God had so often promised that he would give the land to his descendants, and that they would grow into such a great multitude as to be compared with the multitude of the stars, Abram saw that none of the promises had taken effect and that on the contrary the fulfillment of the promises was still at the level of words. Far from being disturbed in mind or shaken in his resolve he remained firm in his faith in the power of the one making the promises. Hence Sacred Scripture suggests as much in this passage too when it says, "Now, Sarah, Abram's wife, had borne him no children," as if to indicate to us that despite all these disappointments, despite the covenant made with him, despite the promise of an unnumbered multitude descending from him, he was not distressed, he held no doubts to see that none of the words had taken effect but quite the reverse. Hence it says despite all that, "Now, Sarah his wife had borne him no children," for you to learn that nothing further had happened to him despite the wonderful promises, and in fact Sarah's sterility and the infertility of her womb should have been enough to instill into him a deep sense of perplexity. The patriarch, however, far from regarding any longer the obstacles on the side of nature, realized instead the inventiveness of the Lord and the fact that, being creator of nature, he is able to find ways even where there are none, and so, like an obedient servant, he did not concern himself with the manner of fulfillment but left it to his inscrutable providence and had faith in his words.
(3) Hence it says, "Now, Sarah," despite such wonderful promises, "had borne him no children. She had, however, an
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oO Egyptian maidservant, whose name was Hagar." It was not without purpose that Sacred Scripture even at this point made mention of the maidservant, but rather for us to learn from where she got her. The reason it added that she was
Egyptian was that we might refer back to that incident and the fact that she was one of the things handed over by Pharaoh when he was the object of such awful vengeance from the God of all, and Sarah took her with her on her return; her name and race Sacred Scripture sedulously communicated to us. Notice, however, at this point Sarah's sensible attitude and the extraordinary degree of her self-control, as well as the patriarch's unspeakable faith and obedience.
"Now, Sarah said to Abram in the land of Canaan," the text goes on, "'Lo, the Lord has stopped me from bearing children; so go into my maidservant so that you may have children by her.'"? Notice the woman's excellent attitude: she said nothing of the kind that Rachel later said to Jacob, "'Give me children—if not, I'll die.'"* Instead, what did she say? "'Lo, the Lord has stopped me from bearing children.'" Since the Creator of our nature has rendered me childless, she is saying, and has deprived me of progeny, accordingly, lest you remain without an heir on account of my sterility now that you have reached old age, "'go into my maidservant so that you may have children by her.'"> A remarkable degree of good sense in the woman, beyond all telling: what woman would ever have elected to do this, either to give her husband this advice, or to cede the marriage bed to her maidservant?
(4) [352] Do you see how independent they were of any emotional influence? They had but one end in view, not to die childless; they were concerned how they might salvage some comfort from the situation and preserve intact the bond of peace. Consider, I ask you, the patriarch's great self3. Gen 16.2, with the addition by Chrysostom of "in the land of Canaan."
4. Gen 30.1.
5. In the Hebrew it is Sarah whose posterity will thus be assured—albeit by an ambiguous expression; the LXX and Chrysostom cut the Gordian knot by assigning posterity to Abram.
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control in this incident and the extraordinary degree of his restraint: he didn't rant and rave against his wife for her childless condition, as some mindless people do, nor diminish his love for her. You know, of course, you well know how this of all things proves for the majority of men a cause of scorn for their wives,® just as, on the other hand, they take the contrary as a basis for greater affection, quite stupidly and without reason attributing both sterility and fecundity to their wives without acknowledging that everything comes from nature's Creator and that neither intercourse nor anything else is capable of ensuring succession unless the hand from above intervenes and prompts nature to birth. Having a precise understanding of this, the just man did not attribute childlessness to his wife, and he continued to show her the proper regard. This was the reason, of course, that sensing his love she wanted to show how great was her affection for him, concerned not for herself but for a way in which she might devise some compensation for him for the lack of children; as though with her own hands, she took the Egyptian maidservant and led her to her own marriage bed, while showing by her words the reason she had in consenting to do it—namely,
Since I appear to be useless and unsuited for childbearing, for "the Lord has stopped me from bearing children."
(5) See her wonderful disposition of spirit in uttering no cross word nor lamenting her sterility; instead, the intention was simply to indicate to us that by attributing this to nature's
Creator she bore it meekly and nobly, giving prior regard to God's decision ahead of her own desire and considering how she might console her husband. Since, she said, therefore,
"'the Lord has stopped me from bearing children.'" What tremendous import in these words of hers! how she demonstrates God's providence and ineffable power! She is saying, after all, just as we close and open our house, so too the Lord works on our nature, turning the key by his personal command and then opening it whenever he wishes and bidding
6. Chrysostom uses here as correlatives the generic anthropos (not anér) and guné. Cf. Introduction (14) in FOTC 74.
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nature take its course. Since, then, she is saying, "'the Lord has stopped me from bearing children, go into my maidservant so that you may have children by her.'" I know that I am the cause of our childlessness; hence I don't want to deprive you of consolation on this account. Perhaps, on the other hand, Sarah even suspected that the cause of their childlessness lay not with her alone but also with the patriarch; hence out of a wish to determine it by the course of events she yields place to her maidservant and leads her to the very marriage bed so as to learn from developments whether she should attribute it all to herself. "Abram consented to Sarah's request." Remarkable the just man's commonsense: what I said before I say again, that he had not planned this previously despite being in advanced old age, and now being given this invitation by Sarah he readily consented to it, showing that it was not simply from desire nor in response to passion that he agreed to intercourse but so as to guarantee succession of his line.
(6) "Abram's wife Sarah, after ten years of living with her husband Abram in Canaan, brought her Egyptian maidservant and gave her as a wife to her husband Abram."' Consider [353] the precision of Scripture: for us to learn that Sarah did not show haste in execution of the deed even after the words she had addressed to him, it goes on to say, "His wife Sarah brought her Egyptian maidservant Hagar," as if Sacred Scripture wants to show us that it was to console his spouse and out of a wish to consent to her request that he agreed to the deed. I mean, so that you might learn with precision the patriarch's self-control and the extraordinary degree of his restraint, it added, "After ten years of living with her husband Abram in Canaan." It was not without purpose that even the time was conveyed to us, but for us to be in a position to know for how many years the good man showed his patience in nobly bearing his childlessness, prov7. Gen 16.3, where Chrysostom's reading differs from Hebrew, and LXX in speaking of ten years of life together rather than just ten years' residence in Canaan—an almost irrelevant comment Chrysostom has perhaps adjusted himself, though he later accepts and justifies it!
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ing superior to all passion and giving evidence of great selfcontrol.* And not merely this, but also for us to learn something else from the incident, it added, "After ten years of living with her husband Abram in Canaan." It did not at this point reveal to us the total period of their living together but the period spent by them in Canaan. What was the reason of this? Well, the loving Lord had promised him immediately on arrival in Canaan, ""To your descendants I will give this land,'" and again afterwards more than once he had made the promises to him so that you might know, dearly beloved, for how many years the Lord had postponed putting his promises into effect without the good man being disturbed in mind; rather, he had placed greater reliance on God's words than on his own thoughts. Hence it says, "After ten years of their living together in Canaan."®
(7) Do you see the valor of his soul, do you see his practice of commonsense, how the Lord wishes to make him more conspicuous and so defers the promise? You see, since he is concerned for his servants, he does not simply want to bestow kindnesses on them but also to bring them to public attention and cause their faith to be made obvious. In other words, if after promising to give the land to his descendants he had immediately opened Sarah's womb and granted him succession of his line, he would not in this manner have revealed an extraordinary marvel nor would the just man's faith have been rendered conspicuous to everyone. I mean, while on the other hand God's power would then have been manifested, since once again he had personally with his own power brought to life nature's work place that had been dead and had proved useless for childbearing, yet the patriarch would not have been crowned in the way he now was for the trial of his virtue for such a length of time and its daily becoming more resplendent.
8. Does Chrysostom portray Abram instead of Sarah as the object of Scripture's implied encomium here for altruism? g. Now Chrysostom alters his text somewhat in the direction of Hebrew and LXX—to support the rather different point he has been making,
Abram's virtue instead of Sarah's.
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(8) For you to learn that it is not only his wish to bestow kindnesses and provide gifts at his hand, but it is his custom also to cause their recipients to be more conspicuous, see him practicing this also in the case of the Cananite woman, postponing and delaying, for the purpose not only of granting her request but also of bringing her to the attention of the whole world. When she approached him, remember, making her request in these words, "'Have pity on me, Lord, my daughter is possessed by an evil spirit,'"!® merciful and loving though he is, always anticipating our requests, he did not vouchsafe her a reply. The disciples for their part did not realize what was going to happen, and that it was because of his concern for the woman and his wish that her treasure
[354] not be hidden that he did not reply; so they approached him like people all the more moved, and besought him in these words, "'Grant her relief, because she comes shrieking after us,'"!! as if to show that they still had no patience with her insistence. "'Grant her relief,'" they said, note, not because she was deserving of pity or because her request was eloquent, but "'because she comes shrieking after us.'" So what did the Lord do? Wishing to reveal little by little even this woman's treasure and to teach them how far they fell short of his loving kindness, he gave a reply which was capable of devastating her thinking, had her mind not been on the alert, her desire alive and her enthusiasm heightened, and capable also of causing them to desist from entreaty on her behalf. "'I was not sent,'" he said, remember, "'except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.'"!" While causing them to desist from entreaty on behalf of the woman, on the other hand, far from making her less insistent, he even made her become more demanding. This, you see, is what a suffering soul is like, making supplication with warmth of manner; it heeds nothing that is said, considering one thing alone—how to gain the object of its endeavors—as the woman did, too.
Hearing this, the text repeats, "she fell at his feet and said, 10. Matt 15.22.
11. Matt 15.23.
12. Matt 15.24.
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'Have pity on me, Lord.'"!' She knew the Lord's pity, and for that reason she applied considerable pressure.
(g) Notice in turn, however, the wise and inventive Lord: far from acceding to her request at this point, he delivered an even more severe and abrasive reply. You see, he knew the woman's fortitude, and his intention was that she should not escape notice in receiving the favor but rather that the disciples as well should discover the reason for his reluctance and everybody else learn the power of entreaty and the woman's great virtue. He said, you recall, "'It's not right to take the children's bread and toss it to puppies.'"!* Consider in this case, I ask you, the woman's perseverance in being fired with the ardor of enthusiasm, borne up by her faith in God, with her very entrails, so to say, torn asunder, and aching with concern for her daughter, far from being deterred by the haughtiness of the reply she is prepared to accept the remark about pups and confesses she is a pup so as to be acquitted of the ferocity of dogs and be admitted at once into the ranks of sons. Listen now to the woman's reply so as to learn how great an advantage came from God's reluctance: not only did the severity of his words to her not deter the poor creature, but it even prompted her to greater earnestness. When she heard those words, remember, she said, ""True, Lord; even the puppies eat some of the scraps that fall from their master's table.'"!®
(10) Do you see why he gave evidence of reluctance to that point? So that we might learn from the woman's words the extraordinary degree of her faith. I mean, see how the Lord immediately sang her praises and rewarded her, saying, "'O woman, great is your faith.'"!® With admiration and praise he sent on her way the woman who originally had not been vouchsafed a reply from him. "'Great is your faith,'" he says.
Truly great it was, in fact, for being refused her request over and over again without losing heart or desisting but rather winning him over with the persistence of her supplication and 13. Matt 15.25 in a variant reading.
14. Matt 15.26.
15. Matt 15.27.
16. Matt 15.28.
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causing him to put into effect her request. "'Let it be done to you,'" he said, remember, "'as you wish.'" Do you see how he, who previously had not even deigned to reply, now plies her with favors? Nor did he [355] simply grant her request but sang her praises and rewarded her, and by saying, "'O woman, " he showed how he was struck by her faith, and by saying, "Great is your faith,'" he made clear to us the woman's wealth. Then he said, "'Let it be done to you as you wish'": whatever you want, whatever you wish, this I grant you. In other words, such extraordinary supplication demonstrates your worthiness of the request. Do you see the woman's perseverance, do you see the reason for God's reluctance and the fact that out of his wish to make her more conspicuous he consequently kept putting her off?!"
(11) Let us, however, if you don't mind, return to the story before us to learn that for so many years he did not put into effect the promises made to the patriarch for no other reason than that he might grant them to him with great publicity and draw to everyone's attention the just man's faith. Hence the text reads, "after ten years of their living together in Canaan," so that you may learn how much time passed from the time he received the promises. Immediately on arriving in Canaan, remember, he heard that "'to your descendants I will give this land,'" and for such a long period of time he had remained childless and Sarah's sterility was accentuated.
"She gave Hagar as a wife to her husband Abram," the text reads. See how much commonsense was practiced by them in olden times, how men were continent and gave a great example of self-control, and women proved to be above jealousy.
Of set purpose, you see, Scripture says, "Sarah brought her maidservant Hagar," and immediately goes on to say, "and gave her as a wife," so that you may learn how disinterested she was in putting the scheme into effect and how great was
17. De Montfaucon notes the resemblance of this treatment of the pericope of the Canaanite woman in Matt 15 to Chrysostom's commentary on the gospel (not to mention a recurrence in Homily 44)—a case that reminds us of the similarities between his Genesis homilies and sermons in places. See
Introduction (7) in FOTC 74 for the likely explanation of such similarities.
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the degree of their commonsense. "He went in to Hagar," the text goes on, "and she conceived."!* See how Sarah obtains the proof that the cause of their childlessness lay not with the good man but with her own sterility, intercourse leading immediately to conception.
(12) Now, however, on the contrary, see the ingratitude of the maidservant and the frailty of woman's nature so that you may learn in this instance as well the patriarch's great restraint. "She saw that she was pregnant," the text goes on,
"and her mistress was shown scant respect by her." This, you see, is the way with servants; if they happen to gain some slight advantage, they can't bear to stay within the limits of their station but immediately forget their place and fall into an ungrateful attitude. This is what happened to this maidservant, too: when she saw the change in her figure, she gave no thought either to her mistress's ineffable forbearance, nor her own lowly station, but became arrogant and self-important, scorning the mistress who had shown such great regard for her as even to bring her to her husband's very marriage bed. So what did Sarah do? "She said to Abram," the text goes on, "'I am being wronged on your account. Lo, I gave my maidservant into your arms, but when she saw she was pregnant, I was shown scant respect by her. Let God judge between you and me.'"?9 In this case, I ask you, consider the just man's unspeakable longsuffering and the regard he shows for Sarah, begging pardon of her for this unreasonable accusation. I mean, it was she who gave her maidservant into her husband's arms, she who said, "'Go in to my maidservant,'" she who of her own accord urged him to have intercourse, whereas now she changes her mind and says, "'I am being wronged on your account.'" After all, O woman, he did not take the initiative in running off to have intercourse with your maidservant, did he? It wasn't at the spur of lust that he rushed into the affair, was it? He did it in response to you
[356] and your direction—so why are you aggrieved with your husband? "'Lo, I gave my maidservant into your arms.'"
18. Gen 16.4.
19. Gen 16.5.
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Well, if you admit that you yourself gave her and he didn't take her on his own initiative, why do you claim injustice? All right, she says, if in fact I did give her, still once you saw her frowardness you should have corrected her insolent attitude; after all, "'once she saw she was pregnant, I was shown scant respect by her. Let God judge between you and me.'"
(13) Really, all these words were women's words, coming from the frailty of her nature, as if to say this to him: I for my part wanted to console you for your childlessness, so I demonstrated so much concern as to hand over to you my maidservant with my own hands and encourage you to have intercourse with her; whereas when you saw her becoming arrogant on account of the change in her figure and filled with self-importance, you should have corrected her and punished her for disrespect shown me, but instead of doing so you were prepared, as if forgetful of all that had happened before, to despise me, the one who had lived with you for so many years and am now being mocked by my Egyptian maidservant. "'Let God judge between you and me'": the cry of a tortured soul. Had the patriarch not been a man of good sense, and had he not shown great concern for Sarah, he would have been distressed by these words and have fallen into depression at her remarks. This remarkable man, however, had regard to the frailty of her nature and made complete allowance for her. "'Let God judge between you and me.'"2° Consider, she is saying, what an awful exploit I deigned to be involved in for your comfort, in my wish for you to have the name of father at least in your old age, and so I elevated my maidservant to my own position, whereas you saw her behaving ungratefully but did not chide her, you did not reward me for the care I showed you. He who understands the secrets of each person's mind, she is saying, he will be judge between us and decide how I for my part proved superior to every passion in placing your comfort ahead of mine and bringing my maidservant into the marriage bed,
20. For a preacher who has only reached ch. 16 of Genesis after 38 homilies, Chrysostom is permitting himself the luxury of exploiting all the emotive potential of this incident.
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whereas you took no account of what was happening to me and allowed her to take advantage of my restraint, you did not check her insolence or restrain her ingratitude.
(14) So what was the response of the man of steel, God's noble athlete, who won recognition for his deeds on all sides?
See what he says to her to show his characteristic virtue in this as well: "'Lo, your maidservant is in your hands; treat her whatever way seems best to you.'"?! Wonderful commonsense in the just man, extraordinary the degree of his longsuffering; not only did he not get upset by the words from Sarah but he even makes reply with extreme restraint, saying,
You suspect me of being the cause of the insults shown you, and you think I take satisfaction in what was done by the maidservant because on one occasion she shared the marriage bed with me; accept the fact that in the first place, had
I not been prepared to take your advice, I would never have agreed to take the maidservant into your marriage bed. As it is, to make quite sure through the facts themselves, lo, she is in your hands, "'treat her whatever way seems best to you.'"
I mean, no one has undermined your authority, have they?
No one has deprived you of your position, have they? After all, even if I consented to have intercourse with her, you still have your authority and she is in your hands: punish her, chide her, chastize her, wreak upon her whatever is your will and desire—only don't get upset, don't blame me for her fractious behavior. You see, it was not [357] under the impulse of my own desire that I consented to have intercourse with her with the result that I should accord her any unreasonable preference out of my passion for her from that incident. I know the respect due to you, I am not unaware of servants' ingratitude. She has no claim on me, she is not a concern of mine; one thing alone concerns me, to keep you undisturbed, without distress, free from any sorrow and enjoying the highest respect.
(15) This is a true relationship, this is the duty of a husband, while not taking too much notice of his wife's words
21. Gen 16.6.
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but making allowance for natural frailty, to make it his one concern to keep her free from anguish and tighten the bonds of peace and harmony. Let husbands take heed and imitate the just man's restraint in according their wives such great respect and regard and making allowances for them as the frailer vessel so that the bonds of harmony may be tightened.
This, you see, is real wealth, this is the greatest prosperity, when a husband is not at odds with his wife but rather they are joined together like one body—' 'the two will come to be one flesh,'"?? Scripture says. Such couples, be they even in poverty, be they in low estate, would be more blessed than all the rest, enjoying true delight and living in unbroken tranquility, just as those who don't enjoy this have to put up with jealousy and lose the advantage of peace. Even should they abound in wealth, have luxurious tables and happen to live in the glare of publicity, they still live a more miserable life than anyone, day in day out experiencing troubles and disturbances, suspecting one another, unable to have any joy as the conflict within them causes total confusion and creates complete disgust within them. In the present instance, however, there was nothing like that; instead, the patriarch both allayed the mistress's anger and by giving her complete authority over her maidservant he filled his house with unbroken peace.
(16) "Sarah maltreated her," the text goes on, "and she fled from her presence." That is to say, probably because she punished her insolence, the maidservant took to flight. That is the way with servants, after all: whenever they are not permitted to have their own way but rather their efforts at independence are thwarted, immediately they throw off the yoke of their masters and take to flight. See once more in this incident, however, how much favor from on high the maidservant also enjoyed on account of the esteem for the just man: since she carried with her the just man's seed, accordingly she was accorded also the vision of the angels. "An angel of the Lord," the text goes on, remember, "found her at the 22. Gen 2.24.
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spring in the desert on the Sour road."** Consider the Lord's loving kindness in overlooking no one; instead, even if she be a servant or maidservant he personally gives evidence of his characteristic providence for everyone, having regard not to the difference in status but to the disposition of soul. In this case, however, the angel appeared, not on account of the maidservant's position, but out of regard for the just man: as I said before, she was due to be shown great care for the reason of her being worthy to receive the just man's seed.
"On discovering her," the text says, "the angel said to her, 'Hagar, maidservant of Sarah, where have you come from and where are you going?'"'*4 See how even the angel's words made her mindful of her proper station: to make her more attentive, he immediately brought her name to the fore by saying, "'Hagar.'" We are accustomed, you see, to pay attention to people who call us by our name. Then he said, "'Maidservant of Sarah.'" He reminded her of her mistress, so that she might know that even if she shared her mistress's marriage bed countless times, [358] she still ought acknowledge
Sarah as her mistress.
(17) Consequently, see the angel questioning her so as to put her in a position of having to reply: from where have you now arrived at this lonely spot, he says, and to what destination are you rushing off? The reason that the angel appeared to her as she found herself in this lonely spot was in case she should think it was just a chance traveler who was questioning her; it was a desert, you see, and nobody else was present, so for her to be in a position to know that it was not simply a chance traveler who was conversing with her, he accordingly appeared to her in the desert and questioned her. "She replied, 'I am running away from the presence of Sarah, my mistress.'"*> Do you see how she does not deny her authority, but admits everything truthfully? It is not a human being who is questioning me, she says, of the kind that I could mislead: he forestalled me by mentioning my name and reminding me
23. Gen 16.7.
24. Gen 16.8, slightly altered to suit Chrysostom's running commentary.
25. Ibid.
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of my mistress, so I for my part should speak the truth completely. "'I am running away from the presence of Sarah, my mistress,'" she says. See how she recalled the fact objectively: she didn't say, She gave me a hard time; she didn't say, She maltreated me, and through my inability to put up with the intense persecution I took to flight; far from making any complaint she only accused herself of running away. Do you see her good disposition? See in turn the angel's words to her:
"The angel of the Lord said to her, however, 'Return to your mistress and submit yourself to her control.'"?° In response to her admission, "'I am running away from the presence of my mistress,'" he says, ""Return,'" go back, don't be ungrateful to the one who has done you so many kindnesses. Then, since she had enraged her mistress from her superior airs and sense of importance, he says, "'and submit yourself to her control,'" be subject to her, as befits you, after all. Acknowledge your servitude, don't ignore her authority, don't get ideas above your station, entertain no high and mighty thoughts; "'submit yourself to her control,'" give evidence of your subjection.
(18) The angel's words adequately appeased her spirit, settled her thoughts, restrained her resentment and brought complete tranquility to her thinking. Then, in case you might think it was idly and to no purpose that she was accorded such wonderful care instead of learning that it was on account of the just man's seed that she enjoyed such great concern, see how he consoles her, restores her spirit and grants her abundant comfort in the following words: "The angel of the Lord said to her, 'I will greatly multiply your descendants, and there will be no numbering the multitude of them.'"®'
This I foretell to you, he says, that your descendants will be sO numerous as to defy numbering. So do not lose heart or be dejected or get upset in your thinking; rather, let your complete obedience be evident. "'Lo, you are pregnant, remember, you will have a son and call him by the name Ishmael.'"28 The reason, you see (he says), that I foretell the 26. Gen 16.9.
27. Gen 16,10.
28. Gen 16.11.
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birth to you and already impose the name on the child to be born is that you may gain greater certainty and thus make your way back and soon put to rights your mistakes, "'because the Lord has paid heed to your abasement,'" he says.
(19) Let us learn from this incident how great an advantage stems from adversities, how great the benefit of misfortune.
I mean, after she left home and pangs of distress grew stronger and she felt the onset of great distress, living in solitude, isolation and deprivation after great prosperity and elevation to equality of status with her mistress; on that account she enjoyed prompt assistance. What I promised, he said, remember, will happen to you; you will have a son, and [359] your descendants will be beyond number, "'because the Lord has paid heed to your abasement.'" So let us not on our part be distressed when we are humbled by some onset of problems. Nothing, you see, is so advantageous to our nature as humbling ourselves, having our self-importance lowered and our frowardness of spirit checked. Then in particular, after all, the Lord gives heed to us, when we listen to him with sorrowing spirit and contrite heart, bringing fervent supplication to our entreaties. "'Because the Lord has paid heed to your abasement, " the text reads.
(20) Then he foretells the occupation of the child due to be born: "'He will be a rough, uncultivated type,'" he went on; "'his hand will be raised against everyone, and everyone's hand will be raised against him; he will take up his abode in opposition to all his brothers.'"?° He predicts to her that he will be bold, warlike,.and will exert himself greatly in tending the soil. Do you see in what happened to the maidservant the regard for the patriarch? I mean, the care for her shows the Lord's favor demonstrated towards the just man. After giving counsel in this way and announcing good tidings to Hagar, the angel departed. Notice again, however, the maidservant's gratitude: "She invoked the name of the Lord as he spoke to her, 'You are God, who watched over me,' or in other words,
29. Gen 16.12, where the Greek softens somewhat the unflattering reference to Ishmael.
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'I saw him face to face as he appeared to me.' Hence she called the well 'Well Where I Saw Him Face to Face.' It is between Kadesh and Barach."° Consider how even she wants to leave a perpetual memorial to this place in its name: she called the place, the text says, ""Well Where I Saw Him Face to Face.'" Do you see the maidservant becoming gradually wiser from the hardship affecting her, giving evidence of deep gratitude for the kindness done her and acknowledging as far as in her lay the great care that had been accorded her.
"Hagar bore Abram a son," Scripture goes on, "and to the child that Hagar bore him Abram gave the name Ishmael."?!
(21) From this incident let us learn how great a good restraint is, how great an advantage we can gain even from afflictions. We see, on the one hand, restraint in the example of the patriarch appeasing Sarah's indignation, giving her authority over the maidservant and in this way filling the house with peace, while on the other hand we can see the advantage of afflictions in what happened to the maidservant. When she ran away, remember, after being maltreated by her mistress and putting up with great hardship, and after she called on the Lord in anguish of spirit, at once she was granted attention from on high. You see, for her to learn that she was accorded such wonderful care on account of her being humble and deferential, the angel said to her, ""You are pregnant, you will have a son and call him by the name Ishmael.'"
(22) Knowing, therefore, dearly beloved, that, if we are on the alert, afflictions rather recommend us to the Lord, and that then we will succeed in winning favor from him when we approach him with anguish of spirit and warm tears, let us not grieve in our afflictions but consider the advantage of afflictions and bear equally all occurrences; let us learn to be restrained and gentle with everyone, especially our wives, and take particular care not to be too demanding, even if they chide us, rightly or wrongly, but rather make it our sole concern to remove the cause of sadness and bring about a deep go. Gen 16.13—14, where the Hebrew text is uncertain.
31. Gen 16.15.
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sense of peace at home [360] so that the wife's attention may be devoted to her husband** and he may be able to find refuge in a haven from external confusion and disturbance and find there utter consolation. The wife, after all, is given by way of assistance so that the husband, strengthened by her support, may succeed in withstanding assaults against him.
You see, if she is discreet and restrained, not only will she provide her husband with comfort from their association but in all other respects as well she will give evidence of her great usefulness, rendering everything light and easy for him, not allowing him to find difficulty either in external matters or indeed in the problems that daily arise at home; instead, like a skilled pilot she will transform for him the storm of his spirit into calm by means of her particular wisdom, and by the understanding she shows she will provide him with deep comfort. Nothing of the affairs of this life, in fact, will succeed any longer in worrying people bound together in this manner, nor in undermining their contentment. You see, wherever there is harmony and peace and a loving relationship between wife and husband, all good things come together there and the couple will be safe from any stratagem, protected as they are by some wonderfully impregnable rampart, namely, their harmony in God's sight. This renders them stronger than steel, this makes them firmer than iron, this contributes to them more than all wealth and prosperity, this conducts them to glory on high, this also wins for them favor from God in generous measure.
(23) Accordingly, I beseech you, far from prizing anything more highly than this, let us move might and main to have peace and harmony in our family life. Then, you see, the children born of such union will follow the virtue of their parents, the servants will imitate them, in every respect the householder will advance in virtue and there will be great prosperity in our affairs. After all, when we give pride of place to God's concerns, everything else will go without hindrance for us and we will experience no sense of difficulty,
32. Chrysostom's phrase employs the language of Gen 3.16.
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since God's goodness is supplying us with everything in generous measure. In order, therefore, that we too may pass this present life free from distress and may win favor from the Lord to a greater degree, let us hold fast to virtue, make it our concern to introduce harmony and peace into our home, attend to the orderly behavior of our children and give thought to the conduct of the servants, so that after receiving rewards to an extent beyond all others we may also be found worthy of those promised good things, thanks to the grace and loving kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory, power and honor, now and forever, for ages of ages. Amen.