First part.
How Abraham gives the household to Eliezer and seeks to marry his son Isaac.
V. 1-4. Abraham was old and well-born, and the Lord had blessed him in every way. And he said unto his eldest servant of his house, which was the head of all his goods, Put thine hand under my thigh, and swear unto me by the Lord God of heaven and earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; but that thou shalt go unto my fatherland, and to my friendship, and take a wife unto Isaac my son.
So far Moses has brought the history and the life of Abraham up to the part, which is used to be the last in this life, namely, up to his testament, which Abraham will now make. And now the father has this some care, that he may be anxious how he may promote his son to the marriage state, and have offspring, which were promised to him. Therefore this whole chapter belongs to Isaac, whose marriage is described in it.
The first teaching, however, is very clear,
concerns the service of parents to their children, and again, how children should also show themselves godly and obedient to their parents, if they want to take up the marriage state. This doctrine, as it is common nowadays, is also very annoying, because such service and obedience, which parents and children should practice toward each other and which is commanded by divine and worldly laws, has almost been extinguished and abolished by the wickedness of men. And since only now we want to bring such love and obedience back into pregnancy, and teach the people that the betrothals, who happen without the knowledge and will of the parents, are not allowed, are also not valid or can last, we must invite many people's hatred upon us, and let ourselves be blasphemed and scolded about it.
(3) For the papal canonists are hard against us, and in this case our jurists, whom we have as irreconcilable adversaries, as rejected and deadly enemies in the whole world, hold it with them quite splendidly. Although this doctrine is therefore not almost pleasant, one must nevertheless not cease to confess and defend the truth; for we have here a clearly beautiful example of our opinion, although no law is made here. For there is a lack of
We are otherwise lacking in testimonies and proofs of good laws, and not only of divine ones, but also of those which are deduced from the sources of natural law, as is the case with secular laws and civil rights. We have on our side the examples of Scripture, the written laws and rights: why then do the jurists and tongue-thrashers persecute us?
(4) Therefore let us arm ourselves with the holy Scriptures against their obdurate wickedness; for this they are wont to boast of to their hearers: They could not depart from their canons, and in this matter pronounce judgment from our writings, which they scornfully and ignominiously call canons, as if we were devising or setting up something new and out of our own heads. We have on our side the will of God, natural reason, the examples of the fathers and civil law.
(5) And they know this well, but will not be admonished and punished. But it is not to be suffered that they seduce and mislead the hearts of young people with their so shameful and unfounded pretensions; and we will never suffer that their ungodly, shameful and wicked canons, which are so radically contrary to God's word, should command us in this. I therefore make this admonition, so that God-fearing young people may prepare and guard themselves against their falsification and blasphemy.
For what wickedness is this, that one knows the truth, and yet says: I find differently written in my book, therefore I must also judge differently; regardless of the laws, the civil right and God's word, which even conclude and judge the contradiction. Are people to be deceived and led around by the nose in such a way that they must regard as certain and right everything that the canonists ungodly recognize and pronounce as right according to their canons? This is a wicked nonsense, which is also utterly contrary to the reason and common sense of all men. They confess that they know very well that this opinion of ours is Christian and honest, and
But against their conscience and against the known truth they speak a different judgment in this matter, namely because it is written differently in their books.
(7) In the same way, I would like to say that I have become a doctor in scholastic theology, but I find many things in the Bible that are contrary to this theology; nevertheless, I would like to follow the Cardinal of Cammerich, although the Holy Scripture teaches much differently: who would suffer this and not curse and condemn such doctors? The Cauonists, however, indicate that they carry great hatred in their hearts against the Holy Spirit, because they have the spirit of the pope in their hearts, and such their malice finally gets to the point that it becomes a public blasphemy. Against such insolence and wickedness, which is not human, we should arm ourselves and strengthen ourselves with the Holy Spirit, and should only freely despise them. Let him who has hitherto erred with them learn that he may understand the matter better, and follow those who speak better of the matter and teach rightly. And when thou seest the seducing canons, thou shalt say, Hear thou, papal law, thou shalt yield to the truth of the Holy Ghost.
(8) This is why we are dealing with this text, although it is annoying that Isaac does not take a wife where he desires, but he is forbidden by his father to take a concubine, and the father himself takes care that he procures a wife for his son. But the son obeys his father with the highest will and obedience.
(9) For daily experience bears witness to the fact that the clandestine engagements that take place in the corners are a cause of much great misfortune, daily strife and strife; in addition, false oaths, murders and deaths follow from them, and finally, a terrible disruption of the churches and the secular regime follows from them. So the canonists do nothing else but tear the church apart and mislead the whole world for the sake of their foolish and clumsy canons. But shall we now suffer that
they introduce so much unhappiness into our churches and world regiment? This should be suffered by the devil and no one else. Yes, I will banish all these lawyers and doctors before we suffer their ungodly opinions and pretensions in our churches.
(10) For behold, how vain and loose are their reasons, on which they stand, that they say, I cannot judge otherwise, because it is not otherwise written in the canons. In the same way, some Turk or Mahometist might also argue and conclude: I cannot accept the Gospel, because it is not written in my Alkoran. Thus a Jew will not be converted to the Christian faith because the same faith is not taught in the Law of Moses. The Romans and Gentiles could also have excused themselves for not accepting the gospel, because there was nothing about it in their books. If all that is true which is written in the books of the canonists, and that alone, but all that is false and wrong which is not taught in them, we must throw away the other books.
(11) But let the honor and glory of the married state move us to speak and teach of it thoughtfully, chastely, and Christianly; for it is not a small thing, but a heavy and great thing in the whole world. For it is the origin of all things that men have, and of the whole human race, and this whole life has nothing more excellent nor more glorious; therefore let it be spoken of with great fear of God, and from important and constant reasons, proofs, and causes; for otherwise, alas, this estate is sufficiently obscured with the lust of the flesh and shameful immorality.
For this reason, one should look at God's will above all things. God wanted it that way, ordered it that way and established it that way. We should not seek our honor from it, much less revile God's order. And experience itself also shows that it is not a joke or a game to become married. In the first year everything is delicious, cheerful and merry; one spends the same time laughing and loving; but after that, when all the
When you find misery and wretchedness in your life, it is necessary to take comfort in knowing that it is certainly God's will that we should live in this state, and that God Himself should join man and wife together in it; so that you may certainly conclude in yourself: This woman is my wife, whom I have taken in marriage, since God Himself has willed it, by testifying to His pleasure in it, and the angels have also granted it. After that, you shall also ask God for help, so that he will assist you from heaven. And then you will be able to overcome the most difficult danger and hardship. The canonists make a cold definition or description of the marriage state, since they say: The marriage state is where man and woman are joined together according to the law of nature. This is a poor and weak description, for which reason they are unskilled in deciding this controversial business of betrothal, for they do not consider how this is such a great thing.
Theology describes the marriage state differently, saying: "The marriage state is where a man and a woman are joined together so that they cannot be separated again, not only according to the law of nature, but also according to God's will, pleasure and good pleasure, that I may speak thus. For the will and approval and pleasure of God covers the wretched shame of fornication, and turns away the wrath that follows such sin and lust. And in such a way one acts from the marriage state with due reverence.
(14) The pope does not understand anything else about it, because where two of them run together, and one says to the other: I am yours and you are mine, that should be the marriage state. But he does not think that God is pleased with it, wherewith the married couple shall comfort themselves, and how husband and wife shall be instructed to use the heat of fornication moderately, and how they shall govern children and servants. Item, from the divine blessing; and after that, how the husband is to bear with the weakness of the wife, and how she is to bear the danger and displeasure that comes about for the sake of the children, and unrighteousness.
or the burdening of evil neighbors. He only looks at the shameful mixture of the flesh, which he calls the bond; but to the promise and order of God he pays no attention at all.
For this reason, Christians should be admonished and armed against such poisonous serpents, who praise their canons so highly against divine truth, and reject and destroy this right papal reason that they claim it is written differently in their canons and decrees. However, in this way they definitely judge our doctrine. They confess that they know very well that our doctrine is the true, pure gospel, and yet they pay no attention to it. Bishop Albrecht of Mainz used to say that our doctrine was founded in the Holy Scriptures and was the right truth, but he would not and could not accept it. This is also what the canonists do. For they say that this sentence, in which secret betrothals and marriages are condemned, is right and true; but since the canons are against it, such an opinion must be rejected.
(16) These are abominable words, and I had never imagined that in my life I would hear such words, or that any man would be allowed to speak such abominable blasphemy, namely, that he would hear the truth and understand it well, but nevertheless deny it for the sake of some people's uncertain and unfounded opinion. Is this proper for a pious, sincere man? Yes, it is not due to a Turk or a pagan.
(17) A pious man may well be deceived and fall, if he has been led astray by other people's error; but when he is admonished, he recognizes his error and corrects himself, rejects and condemns his erroneous opinion. Therefore, I will never admit or defend the error and foolishness of the canonists, but rather consider the canons and the pope himself to be wrong; since even imperial law holds the contradiction and something more honest of this order of God.
18 Therefore this history is to be remembered well. Abraham, since Sarah, who had given him his
He then considered how he could arrange and order the household in a different way; for such a household needs such a Sarah, or it must be ordered in a different way. For this reason, he orders the entire household to his oldest servant and makes him master of it. The good, pious old man had previously placed the entire burden of the household regiment on his dear wife Sarah; now that she has died and he has had to bear the burden himself, he places it on the servant until he can again look for a housemother, namely, his son's wife.
019 Therefore, when Sarah died, he laid aside the whole rule, not wanting such a heavy burden to be upon him in his old age, though he took a wife afterward. Therefore he thought of a person who would be able to govern the household; but now he uses his oldest servant, who has governed the household for three years.
020 For when Isaac was seven and thirty years old, Sarah died, and in the fortieth year of his age he took Rebekah to wife. Both father and son spent the same three years, always mourning and grieving, for they did not have hearts of stone. When Abraham thought of the kind fellowship and beautiful virtues his dear wife had, his sorrow and heartache were always renewed. Isaac also could not soon forget his beloved mother, for they were very pious and heartfelt people. Therefore, in order that the father might comfort his son Isaac, he sought him a wife for the companionship of this life.
21 So that the lesson we are to take from this text is that parents should provide for their sons and daughters, so that they may be promoted honestly to the state of marriage. Although we must not ignore the fact that in this life it often happens that parents at times abuse their power and their right, and want to force their children to take care of their children.
They shall take to marriage those whom they do not love, which often happens in the great families of the nobility. Such parents are to be punished, for they have no fatherly heart or inclination at all, but are lumps and sticks who do not love their children as they should. Therefore, the priest with his office or the secular authorities with their power should interfere, for this is not paternal power but tyranny.
22. And therefore we press so diligently for the authority of parents, first of all for the commandment and order of God, and also for the sake of the examples of Scripture and also for the sake of worldly law; then for the sake of the great wickedness that has been practiced in the world at all times by force, and is very hard to suffer for pious, God-fearing and honest parents, that when they have raised their children godly and honestly, so that they should be heirs to their goods, some have been found afterward who, without their knowledge and will, have taken the liberty of deceiving and seducing honest virgins or young men with deceit and cunning, so that they have secretly engaged themselves to those who, at the same time, were not nearly honest and not worthy of them, and who were neither pleasing nor pleasant to their parents.
The pope has opened the door to such sins and has given free access to the procurers and whoremongers, so that they may steal my sons and daughters from me, from you, and from every one of us. Shall we then take it for granted that such things are to be suffered and defended? Yes, they say, one must keep the children and care for them diligently. But how can this be done, since the wickedness and perverseness of men is so great? How easy it is for a poor, simple heart to be seduced and deceived!
(24) Therefore, the parents should think that they have been given power and authority by God to provide for their children honestly, and that the betrothals made without their knowledge and consent are invalid and may not exist either in divine or human rights.
(25) After this, the children should also know that they are to show this honor to pious parents.
that they seek advice from them and inquire from them what their will is. A young man who is old enough to marry should not be afraid to reveal his heart to his dear parents and declare to them that he loves a pious, honest virgin, and therefore ask them to give her to him as a wife. For although it may be seen as a sign of fornication and impudence, young people should know that divine grace and goodness cover such fornication in marriage, and thus have wanted to counsel and help this epidemic.
For this reason, children should humble themselves before their parents and freely say: "My dear father, my dear mother, give me this young man or this maiden whom I love. If she is then worthy of your or your parents' or friendship, pious, honest parents will not refuse their child such, if the gift or the good is not so great that it should be equal to theirs.
(27) Such marriages must certainly be blissful and well-directed, and God blesses them according to His great goodness, and easily sees and covers, as it were, with the cover of matrimony, the fornication: yes, that is even more, such fornication of love confirms the holy Scriptures, and makes an example of the love and the voice of the bridegroom and the bride. So God forgives us the shame in which we were born, and the wretched fornication also; yes, He honors and adorns it with the honest and proper state of marriage.
(28) But let young people beware of disobedience and contempt of their parents, which, alas, is now very common, so that some of them become quite foolish, go blind, and make dishonest marriages, bringing disgrace to themselves, their parents, and their ancestors. For here the holy scripture holds up an example for us to follow, which is quite repugnant to such senseless and foolish behavior, namely, when Isaac, according to his father's will, counsel and good pleasure, takes Rebekah as his wife.
(29) So the pope and the canonists do not teach, nor do they mean, that one should be honest.
but to take wives by force, as if the children had the power in themselves and were powerful in their own right, or if such a holy union or joining together should take place and be carried out without the due order of God. The holy scripture says Proverbs 19:14: "A sensible wife comes from the Lord." Therefore, the prayer should be preceded by asking God for help and saying: "Dear Lord God, you see that I cannot abstain from marriage without sin; give me good counsel and give me a pious, God-fearing and honest wife.
030 As this servant, which is sent forth by Abraham, hath asked, and Abraham shall doubtless have taught him to pray; and Isaac himself hath prayed also. After this, the parents' advice and consent must be given, and you must not do or begin anything without the parents' knowledge or against their will. For, my dear, consider how your parents have showered you with great benefits, how much you owe them, and how unreasonable it would be to grieve or anger them in their hearts, who have so kindly nourished and brought you up, and love you so dearly. Let the bachelors reproach themselves with this and always remember it. For in this way they will become accustomed to honor their parents; which is not only honest and godly, but also in accordance with the commandments of God and examples in Scripture, and is also very useful and good throughout life. Thus the papal canons are to be condemned and abandoned, which do not teach such works of obedience, which children are obliged to show to their parents, but against all this they trick and confuse the simple hearts into the secret corner alliances, steal away the parents' children, and couple and hang them together without their foreknowledge, counsel and will, as for example, a loose woman or boy seduces the poor children, and some enemy or loose boy steals their child from the parents by force and steals it away.
(31) Now what can happen to a man that is more grievous and unreasonable, than when he has brought up his child in a Christian and chaste manner, and has taught him good manners?
must follow a loose boy and a disgraceful unflattery, who is after his inheritance and property? Should one take such a boy for his son and heir to all his goods? Is this not a far more miserable and sorrowful thing than death itself?
For this reason, I do not often impress this upon the youth in vain, and warn them how to approach and begin such a great and holy thing, so that the authority that parents have over their children, and the obedience and reverence that children owe them, may be preserved. The son or daughter shall ask and desire counsel from them, as they can well counsel for the best and out of divine order and blessing.
Again, parents should not be harsh and sharp, should not force their children to marry those they do not love, nor should they easily and without good reason withdraw and prevent them from loving those who are honest and pious, unless the children have chosen those who are unlike themselves and their parents, and are not honest and pious. They should think of the natural inclination that is given to them by God, and not resist so hard the honest love that their children bear to others with honor. Thus did the parents of Samson, when they heard that their son loved a woman of the Philistines, and he asked and desired that they give her to him in marriage, they allowed him to take her, even though she was a Gentile.
Now I have again admonished that, above all, if one wants to take up the marriage state, it is necessary to call upon God that He may choose and give a husband or wife. When this happens, it is followed by God's blessing, and that the marriage state will be blissful everywhere. The Lord gives your husband the grace to have patience and to be able to take his wife's weakness into account, and that she, in turn, may also be able to put up with her husband's ways. On the other hand, where the fear of God and prayer do not come into play, it is easy for a woman to fall from grace.
such displeasure and indignation, from which hatred, quarrels and eternal resentment and enmity arise. As I have often seen such badly turned out marriages, and such happens commonly to those who follow the pope and his canons.
35. But those who take to the marriage state in a proper and Christian way, according to God's order and appointment, and are certain of God's will and that of their parents, often overcome the greatest disagreement and unwillingness and great danger without any effort or difficulty, with God's help and with a good conscience, which is certain that if any misfortune occurs, it will not happen by chance, but out of God's good gracious will, out of which commandment and command they have entered this state. The papists do not see any of these things; they neither see the cause from which the marriage state has its origin, nor what makes the marriage state or for what it is ordered, but consider it to be such a pandering as is in the life of a whore.
In the law of Moses the secret betrothals were so seriously forbidden and condemned that the parents could cancel and break them again, even if one had already touched the other. And even if we cannot or should not follow the same law, since such external and judicial laws of Moses do not bind us or concern us, it is nevertheless a written law that was given and announced by God at that time, and with which example and testimony of the same law our opinion is confirmed tremendously. According to this, the secular and civil law is also on our side, to which the canonists and all those who are subject to the Roman Empire should be obedient at the same time.
(37) When Moses says in the text that the Lord blessed Abraham in every way, he means all the goods and welfare of the married state. These are called blessings, because everything that a householder has in the way of possessions and goods is called a blessing by the Scriptures. And if people knew and believed this, there would not be so much robbery and unseemly
Handling should not be. But the greatest hemp lives without prayer; therefore there is no blessing with it. And with such certainty they enter the marriage state, gain and collect money and property without the blessing, which they do not even think of in their lives. How few are the peasants and citizens who have the blessing of God and possess their property without other people's harm and wrong? It is all full of usury, avarice, scratching and scraping.
38. But if thou wilt enter into matrimony by divine blessing, seek counsel first of all from the Lord, and pray thus: Dear Lord God, give me a godly wife and my daily bread. God is pleased with such a prayer and answers it, saying, "I have made you a man and a wife, why should I not feed you? see to it that you refrain from robbing and stealing, since one tries to get rich by doing wrong and harming his neighbor.
39. and this is called the marriage state, where a man and woman are joined together by God and according to the will of God; and the spouses, knowing this, easily suffer and overcome all harm and misfortune that may befall them. So this is the first and highest blessing, when you know that you have entered the marriage state according to God's will, and that you were forced to take a wife out of necessity, namely, to avoid sin by doing so. What God gives you after that, call all these goods by their proper names and say: This son or daughter the Lord has given me; this field, meadow, these cows and goats God has given me, it is all God's blessing.
40 This is truly a very beautiful and blissful marriage, in which both are written at the table and at the bedside: Here is God's favor, will and gracious pleasure. These are the right and immeasurable goods and riches, the like of which you will not find in the papist canons. Thus the patriarch Jacob says afterwards Gen. 33, 5: "These are my sons, whom the Lord has given me," namely, by special favor and by his blessing; for such people understand and recognize their Creator and his creature; they know from whence they came.
are, and from where they receive everything they have.
41 But this is not taught, neither in spiritual, nor in temporal, nor in civil law, nor in medicine, but only in the Holy Scriptures. They all hear how Abraham had many good things and good fortune and acquired great wealth; but from where did such good fortune and wealth come to him? The scripture answers and says: It all came from God's blessing and grace, and he who made him a man also gave him the wealth.
(42) If we could think and believe this, we would be very happy even if we were not very fortunate, and if we had a lot of money and property, we would not be of a different mind than if we had nothing. For there is no difference between small and great goods, as far as God is concerned, who gives the blessing: he who has a cow or a child has the same Lord who blesses him, whom even the most powerful king has.
(43) If in this way we could ascribe to God the enjoyment of all the good things we have and confess that we have them from Him, then everyone would be content with his own happiness. He who cannot do this sets out on a shameful course of action, and picks and pulls to himself, rightly and wrongly, that he may have it all; and if he has already obtained it, his heart is never satisfied, but he has to fight for and against avarice and covetousness for riches and goods, which cannot be satisfied. But if he were so minded that he could say to God: Dear Lord God, what you will give me, I will accept with a glad heart in gratitude; but what you will not give me, I will gladly do without: I will be content with a few goods as well as with great riches; then he would be much happier.
(44) But no one follows this teaching, but people follow their understanding and carnal wisdom; therefore let us govern and direct it all with reason. Otherwise we are ungrateful to God and do not recognize the divine blessing, which the holy scripture remembers in this place, when Moses
speaks of Abraham's possessions and goods, silver and gold, small and large livestock, which he had, even though he was a stranger, and calls all this a blessing from God.
45 Now follows the instruction that he gave to the servant, and it follows that Abraham appointed this servant to be the head of his household in his place. If he was a true God-fearing man who knew God and believed in Him, it is a miracle and a great grace and blessing of God that he had such a servant, to whom he could entrust his house and all his servants, and that he made him master of it; just as Joseph was master of the king in Egypt, Gen 41:41.
(46) It is indeed a great blessing in the household where one may have a faithful servant or maidservant, for it is a common complaint throughout the world about the wickedness and wickedness of unfaithful servants; and it is a curse of God, which increases daily and grows greater and greater, because we are sure to despise God's word and do not pray diligently. Therefore with this calamity the wicked and ungodly are punished; but the pious are exercised and afflicted with it, as with other plagues and afflictions.
(47) Those who are blessed have all kinds of goods, and they also have a ruler and an Eliezer, who administers the house rule faithfully and rightly. Sirach says Cap. 33:3l: "If thou hast a faithful servant, keep thee above him, as thyself: for whosoever shall hurt him shall mean thy life and thy limb. If thou hast a servant, let him keep as thou wouldest: for thou hast need of him as of thine own life." Such a servant was Eliezer, to whom this great patriarch entrusted and commanded the administration of his household regiment. He must have been very holy and pious and full of the Holy Spirit, and may have been released afterwards: but here he is still called a servant. Therefore, God has blessed this house with great incredible blessings: First, with goods and riches; second, with faithful servants. Now follows the third blessing with bride and bridegroom.
Second part.
As Abraham requires an oath from Eliezer, demanding that he not take a wife for his son from the daughters of the Cananites.
(48) But someone might ask here, Why Abraham, when he commanded his servant to swear an oath to him, had him put his hand under his thigh, or in the place of his thigh? For the Scripture says nothing about whether it was such a way that the fathers kept, and thus came from one to another from time immemorial; or whether it was first instituted by Abraham, that the servant had to swear and at the same time put his hand or fingers on his thigh. If it was an old custom to swear in this way, Abraham followed the same custom of the fathers, and the servant, knowing this custom, swore in this way.
49) It has a wonderful and great, glorious meaning that he does not lay his hand on the breast, nor on the head or on the hand of Abraham, but on the place to which the birth or the begetting of children is assigned in the holy scriptures. Thus it says hereafter, Cap. 46, 26: "All the souls that came with Jacob in Egypt, which were of his loins" etc. Item: Levi was in the loins of Abraham; David came from the loins of Abraham, that is, Abraham was like a fountain and origin of the same children.
(50) The Jews say that this was done because of the circumcision that took place in the same part of the body. But I believe rather that it came from the mind of the fathers, who soon understood from the beginning that the Savior would come and be born of the human race.
51 The oath is one of the most holy things, because it contains the name of God, the service of God, the invocation and all divine works. Because such a sacred thing and the noblest worship is applied to this place,
so it follows that it was considered a very sacred and, as it were, a divine place. One would have such thoughts about it, where this would have been established and accepted by the fathers. But since the Scriptures are silent about it, it does not behoove us to conclude or deny anything certain about it. What the holy scripture teaches, denies or asserts, we can also teach confidently and may follow it freely; just as it is also silent about Sem, and describes neither his birth, death, nor even his parents. Therefore we can neither miss nor teach anything about it. And this has been done with diligence, so that a figure of Christ may be held up to us in it.
52 But it is believed that Abraham first began this way and told his servant to put his hand under his thigh as on a very holy thing. For he could have found Mount Moriah, an altar, the heavens, the earth, the sun, the moon, or any other creature where he would have stretched out his fingers, just as people swear by the gospel today. In the papacy they swear by the sanctuary of the dead saints. For the oath is always made on something that is more holy and divine than we are. Because he called the servant to touch his hip, he would undoubtedly have considered it a holy thing.
53) And if it is true that Abraham first raised this way of putting his fingers under his waist, then he did not understand the promise in this way, when God said to him, "Through your seed," etc., but according to Paul's interpretation, namely, that from his loins the Savior of the world should come. As then St. Paul acts this text Gal. 3, 16. "He saith not, Through the seed, as through many, but as through One, through thy seed, which is Christ." This opinion of the promise was well understood by Abraham, especially since Isaac had already been born, who was his son and was to be an heir of the same land. Therefore he considered his loins a sacred thing, on which he called the servant to put his fingers when he was to swear. For this was the beginning and the origin, of which the
Seed should come, which should make the whole human race alive and righteous. This rhymes finely with the Scriptures, which often praise the loins and hips, as said before. It seems to be an ugly thing for the sake of fornication and abominable lust, which has its place in the body of man, in the loins, hips or kidneys: but nevertheless God considers it to be a very holy thing, which is abominable and disgraceful because of its kind and nature and is also defiled with sins.
Thus God commands circumcision in a very shameful place, which can hardly be thought of, let alone spoken of, with shame and breeding. It means that we poor sinners are not only conceived and born in the plague of lust, but also that the seed promised to Abraham would come, which would not only be blessed and without all sin and evil desire, but also bless all nations.
For this reason, God also has regard for such very shameful things, and the Holy Scriptures are much more explicit in describing the marriage state in this regard than they are in speaking of great, high things. The promise of spiritual blessings in the 22nd chap. V. 16. 18. with few words: "I have sworn by myself, through your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." This whole chapter, however, contains nothing else, except that it describes Isaac's marriage, how the servant is sent out and how the bride is brought.
56. But why does this happen? Because God created us, we are his creature and his work; therefore he also takes care of his works, and provides for them even in the midst of sins, death, hell, shame and disgrace; as divine help and salvation, life and all his salvation are in such means, which are quite absurd. He helps in death, gives peace and safety in the highest danger and distress. These are divine works, which carnal men, who are without the Holy Spirit, do not understand: therefore they turn their eyes only to fornication and shame in the state of marriage. In lust they do not see the
very sacred blessing of child rearing; for they feel or sense nothing but the rutting of the shameful lust pestilence. So in death they see nothing but death; in hell they see no heaven: and as they understand and feel it, so they judge of it. But since we did not make ourselves (for God made man, and created him a man and a woman), we should take it for granted that God cares for us as for His creature.
(57) This is the reason why the Scriptures speak of this thing, which seems so contemptible, in so many words. The marriage state is nothing new and unusual, or has been considered good and praised even by the pagans according to the judgment of reason. But who has ever considered or regarded this state as a divine creature, a blessing in cursing and chastity in fornication? If you judge by reason and outward appearance, there is no difference between the cohabitation of man and woman in the marriage state, and between lewd intermarriage, as whores and boys do shame with each other: and yet the marriage cohabitation is chaste and honest under the forgiveness of sin, under the blessing, and is pleasing to God. But that cohabitation which takes place outside the marriage state is shameful and condemned under the wrath of God. For in the marriage state, even in the midst of fornication and disgrace, God keeps His appointment and order.
(58) Therefore Abraham understood this text gloriously and well: "Through your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed," which understands Christ in itself. Therefore, for the sake of Christ, who was born from the loins of Abraham, from whom the whole human race came, all things are to be esteemed pure, clean and holy. For it is the same seed and the same flesh, which we also are. But he was conceived quite holy and miraculously, not like us, but born without heat, evil desire, fornication and abominable shame of the father, even without pain of the mother, and yet he is the seed of Abraham.
(59) This is what is meant by Abraham's putting his hand under his thigh. For Christ is in the thigh, and therefore also the marriage state for Christ's sake must be holy and pure, and the marriage camp, which is in itself very shameful, must also be chaste and honest. And Abraham held it that his thigh was holy, not for his own sake, but because of the divine promise. For the promise, which in itself is holy, comprehends his loins: therefore it sanctifieth them also, that they also which come by fornication and carnal mixture of them should not be reckoned unclean, but chaste and pure; and that the marriage bed should be undefiled, and that marriage should be kept honest, for the sake of the seed that is to come.
(60) Now if Paul had not thus acted and interpreted this text, I would not have understood it. David, Isaiah and Jeremiah also saw the same thing; but the common hand of the prophets and the Jews only looked at it above; just as we also do and seek only the shameful lust in women, and nothing else than that which we feel and which pleases and lusts us after the flesh. But this is to be learned and diligently remembered, that in the midst of death is life, and in dishonor is honor.
(61) The ancient theologians make three kinds of chastity, namely, of virgins, of widows, and of husbands. But if this is chastity, when a husband begets children, then it is truly hidden and covered with a wonderful shapelessness, so that no one can see that it is chastity; since it is not much different from fornication in the gross sense and outward appearance. As no virgin is so chaste and pure that she does not feel heat toward her husband, and even bachelors experience this, and this is even more, shameful dreams and defilements also follow; which is truly not true chastity, but only outward chastity; for inwardly in the blood and in the marrow burns the evil desire. Nature is so completely depraved. Therefore the papists boast in vain of their chastity and virginity.
(62) But they do not like to admit that there is or should be called conjugal chastity, unless they are forced to do so by the reputation of the ancient theologians. For otherwise they say it is an impurity; just as they interpret the saying of the prophet Isaiah Cap. 52, 11, where he says: "Purify yourselves, you who wear the Lord's apparel," that is, they say, abstain from the marriage state if you want to serve God and share the sanctuary of God.
Chastity is a beautiful gift, and it is very honest for a man to live with his lawful spouse and avoid fornication: although the chastity of widows and virgins is somewhat better and higher, it is nowhere pure; and you will not find a virgin or a widow in whom all feeling and desire for fornication has died out and died away. When one therefore comes before God's judgment, God passes such a sentence and says: "You have been a very pure virgin, a chaste, pious youth, you may not have been carnally defiled, but you have not been without heat and evil desire, therefore the law condemns you, saying: "Do not let yourself be lustful.
64 So chastity will remain in Christ alone, who was born from the womb of Abraham without evil desire, fornication and sin, and through his chastity we will also become chaste and blessed.
And Abraham did not understand this for himself alone and put it into his heart, but also taught it in many sermons, which he always did with diligence from this one saying: "through your seed". For while he wished to establish this new way in his church, he diligently impressed the promise upon the people, that he might persuade them that the seed which was promised would surely come; even as we diligently pursue daily the doctrine of the redemption and resurrection of our bodies at the last judgment. "It is sown," says St. Paul 1 Cor. 15:42, 43, "in weakness, corruptible and in dishonor, and shall rise again in glory, incorruptible and in power. "etc. Therefore, Christians are to be admonished that they give precedence to the feeling or sensation of the eyes.
Faith will hold out against the dead, and in the midst of the decay and dishonor of our dead bodies, behold the clarity that surpasses the sun and stars in brightness and brilliance; in the shameful decay and great abominable stench, as the worms consume the body, the beautiful fragrant balsam and eternal glory. So when faith sees a dead man being buried in the earth, it does not look at the carrion and decay, but at the perfect body, the immortal honor and glory, and the spiritual life.
(66) So Abraham preached that in fornication and evil desire, as it appears before our eyes and reason, we should look to the Seed, which shall be without fornication, pure and undefiled, who shall save the whole world, and said that he was chosen to be the father of the Seed. Pious hearts and especially the servants in his house believed this, and therefore held the hip in honor as a holy thing: but not in honor of Abraham, as we used to show the service and honor due to God to the creatures, but for the sake of faith and hope in the future seed. If the Pope had the honor and glory that whoever kissed his feet kissed a holy thing, God forbid, how hopeful and proud he would be! And yet, he obtained and achieved such things from kings and potentates with nothing but lies.
67 Abraham had the promise that his hip was the origin of the seed, therefore he considered it a holy thing, not for his own glory, but for God's: just as he was justified not by much seed, not by the flower, nor by the will of man or flesh, but by God, that is, by the future seed, which should have come from his hip; and thus in the midst of dishonor he found glory, and in the midst of fornication he found the highest chastity and discipline.
(68) But I am concerned that not long after this, the horrible disgrace of the pagan Ishmaelites has followed. For human nature can hold no measure, nor above that, so
The Midianites have heard this great glorious promise, that the hip or child rearing of Abraham would have such great honor, and soon they have fallen into a shameful idolatry. When the Midianites heard this great glorious promise, namely, that Abraham's hip or child-breeding would have such great honor, they soon fell into a shameful idolatry, and not only stained themselves with the shame of fornication, as if that should be a special holiness and righteousness, but also aligned and served a special idol, which they called Priapus. For this is what idolaters do; they accept only the works of outward ceremonies and abandon the word and the spirit.
(69) This is what happened when it was not thought that Abraham had a special commandment to sacrifice his son; for others also went and slaughtered their children in honor of God without faith and God's command, which means to conclude from the example how to serve God, and not to learn from the faith of the fathers. They did the same work, but their faith and heart were not like Abraham's faith and heart. Abraham had a divine commandment: but they had no commandment, no promise, no word, but were idolaters.
(70) Thus it is undoubtedly from Adam's teaching that the Gentiles worshipped the sun and paid divine homage to it. For Adam taught his servants and children that when the sun went out, they should bow the knee and praise the Lord of heaven and earth, and recognize his many innumerable benefits, which God shows through the beautiful, glorious light of the world: then the descendants kept such a manner and the outward ceremonies, that they bowed the knee to the sun, but forgot to thank God for such benefits, who created the light and the sun, and afterwards made an idol out of the sun. All this came from the godly teachings and good order of the fathers; for the devil always, where Christ builds a church and gathers a congregation, also serves Him there like a
But the promise and spirit of the fathers he snatches away and draws away, and in the meantime sets up beautiful outward ceremonies and splendid ostentation, so that with such an outward appearance of religion and holiness he also preempts and obscures the worship and the true church.
So the pope has turned the Lord's Supper into an abominable idolatry, which Christ instituted that we should eat and drink his body and blood, to build up our consciences and strengthen our faith; as he says Luc. 22:19: "Do this in remembrance of me," that is, preach about me, give thanks to me, and thereby awaken your faith. But the pope has kept the outward work, and has even abolished the proper use of remembering Christ the Lord; indeed, he has forbidden in a special commandment that no one should publicly read the words of the institution of the Lord's Supper. This is testified by the book that went out under the title: De secretis sacerdotum: Of the priests' secrets. No one may read the Canon at Mass except the priests, and it would have been a great sin, which would have been particularly penalized, if one had spoken the words of the Lord's Supper in a loud voice.
After that, he took away the other form of the Lord's Supper from the church and pretended that the mass was a sacrifice for the sin of the whole world. This has been a rich handicraft for him, which has brought him a lot of money; for that is why so many churches, altars, monasteries and the whole papal service have come into being, with so many innumerable ceremonies, just to strengthen and confirm this shameful abomination of the sacrificial mass.
(73) Thus the world always wants to follow the works and the ways of the fathers, but it cuts off their heads, that is, it takes away the faith, the promise, and the commandment of God, and keeps only the outward work for itself: then it makes a vapor to the people who are inexperienced, and so they are filled with
The poor consciences were miserably deceived by the great pomp and splendor of the works and outward ceremonies.
74 Thus it was said above of Ur in Chaldea, where they served the idol Orimasda, that is, the sacred fire. This service came about because they saw the fire fall from heaven and consume the sacrifice, which was a sign of God's promise and will, so that he might show that the sacrifice of the fathers had pleased him. Therefore they forcibly drew this to their idolatry and also performed such sacrifices, serving the light or the holy fire and showing divine honor, from which they called themselves chasidim, that is, holy. For this is the devil's rule, that he also builds a chapel for himself near the church and temple of Christ, that is, that he accepts the examples and works of the fathers, and disguises them, changing them into an outward work and abandoning the faith.
Thus the Jews very clumsily imitate the fathers in their ceremonies, and make circumcision only an outward work, and miserably torture the poor children; but the faith and the promise they have cast away, and think that much is attached to the work and outward ceremonies, and not to the word and promise of God. In the same way, the Ishmaelites (knowing that they were children of Abraham and came from his loins, and that the loins had the blessing for the sake of the seed to be born from them) took up the outward work and fornication without the promise and faith, until they finally worshipped the male member. What shameful works the Greeks and Romans followed them after; yes, the idol Baal Peor, although I dread to say it, is nothing else but the shame of the human member in its strengthening.
76) But the rearing of children is a blessing and work of God; therefore the loins and thighs of Abraham are blessed, not because of the work itself, but because Christ, the divine Seed, is in the thighs, since
in the midst of fornication and lust is the blessing, and fornication is covered and tolerated by divine forbearance and forgiveness.
(77) Abraham did not deny that evil desire should not be sin, nor that the hips should be corrupted by the pestilence: but he added to it the sanctity and remedy of the marriage state and divine order. Neither do we deny that the body is buried in great dishonor: but we have a plaster, that such dishonor may be covered and healed: for we know that such dishonor shall be changed into great glory.
Dishonor is in itself nothing other than the highest impurity, but that it is changed into honor is by the grace of God. If I were to accept the thing and work in itself alone for honor, I would retain nothing but vain dishonor. But the work must be done out of the Spirit, faith, and according to the promise; then the work is no longer dishonorable, but is transfigured and made glorious by a beautiful, glorious light, which is brighter than the sun, and gives off a more sweet odor than any balm or incense: but this comes not from dishonor, but from the grace of the Holy Spirit.
(79) So the male or female member is also very shameful in itself, and a shameful work is done with it; but because the promised seed came out of the hips of Abraham, the same seed covers the shame and makes it a holy thing. But the Ishmaelites ascribed purity, discipline, righteousness and holiness to the work itself, saying, "What can the male or female member sin, since the Scriptures say that the hip of Abraham was blessed?
(80) It is indeed to be lamented and wept over that human nature is so horribly corrupted; for this reason, fornication should be diligently restrained and the evil lust pestilence kept in check and condemned, and, on the other hand, discipline and chastity should be practiced: and wherever this great infirmity, which is planted in our nature by reason of original sin
If one cannot resist and avoid the sin that is in him, one should sigh and complain about it; as St. Paul complains in 1 Cor. 9, 27: "I stupefy my body and tame it"; "and yet I find nothing good in my flesh", Rom. 7, 18. But after that one should hold on to the seed and call upon it, because of which God has blessed us that the remaining sins are not imputed to us. For "there is nothing condemnable in them that are in Christ JEsu," Rom. 8:1. He does not say that there is no sin in them, but nothing condemnable; otherwise we would pursue the work of the flesh, fornication and adultery, and leave fornication in the bridle, and thus accept the mere work in itself and exclude the blessing. As is the case with all kinds of superstition and idolatry, which commonly arises and has a very beautiful origin from the fathers. But the idolaters do not rightly put together what belongs together, nor do they know how to divide and distinguish it rightly; for they separate the work from faith, and the work itself from that for which it was primarily commanded and done. Thus they make righteousness out of the work, which is a truly diabolical dialectic.
Now Abraham, who was able to discern these things aright, was a very excellent man, who did not indulge in wantonness and carnal lust, and yet taught and proved that under fornication and sin there was a secret blessing hidden, for the sake of the future seed that should come out of his loins, which was so wholly holy and chaste that it should bless the whole world, and that for the sake of the blessing God would tolerate conjugal intermarriage. For otherwise we would all be damned, since the evil lust is in our legs and marrow, and there is no man who can overcome or quench it; as it says in the 51st Psalm v. 7: "Behold, my mother conceived me in sins."
(82) Now this is the report and cause of this ceremony, which Abraham first introduced into his church, namely, that with it, out of a great and excellent spirit, the wonderful mystery of the incarnation of Christ was indicated and signified, which he not only wanted to impress upon his household, but also to make it known to them.
with words, but also with an outward work and sign.
83. The reader should also know that from the religion and worship of the fathers always and much abominable superstition used to follow; as it is certain that the Ishmaelites boasted of Abraham's hip, as that they were born of the flesh, which was considered worthy that God should be called upon over it: And yet they fell into a miserable blindness, that they worshipped the very shame, and so embraced the flesh, not spiritually, but as it is in itself. This pestilence has raged in human nature at all times and has ruled by force, turning us into apes, so that we follow the works and example of the fathers and abandon their spirit. This is the main thing to be remembered here, for it is worthy of careful attention.
So the pope had such clear testimonies of Scripture and explicit signs of grace, and if someone looks at them, he will hardly believe that such a great abomination could have followed. For what is clearer than the sacrament of Holy Baptism? item, the Lord's Supper, the use of the keys, the word of the Gospel, and that the passion of Christ was preached, painted, and otherwise acted upon in various ways? And yet, in such a multitude of sacraments, signs of grace, words and examples, the Antichrist has reigned mightily for so many hundreds of years.
We have now, by the grace of God, swept away and cleansed this doctrine again; but I have no doubt that there will soon follow some who will reject the true doctrine of godliness and abandon the reason and root cause of justification, and will again embrace works and human statutes. For if Muenzer and the sacramentalists, having heard that we teach the Spirit and reject works, have been able to abuse this doctrine and despise the Word and sacraments, and can cry out about nothing but the Spirit, the Spirit, and do so in our lives, in which we teach and argue against them, what will become of them when our doctrine is no more?
be heard! They hold and preach with us that the pope's works do not make righteous, and another righteousness of the Spirit belongs to it: but the same Spirit they understand as a divine breathing on and inward movement of revelation and of their thoughts.
86. the antinomians have followed them, who teach badly that all sins are abolished and that they should not be punished, that people should not be frightened by the law; just as the Ishmaelites thought that because the hip of their father Abraham was holy, everything was also holy. And the antinomians still keep this secretly with diligence, do not break out with it freely, and seek how they can embellish their doctrine; but this is secretly still behind it, that they will say, sin is forgiven, there is nothing condemnable about us, Rom. 8, 1. therefore sin is nothing or is even abolished. And such error comes from the beautiful teaching found in the writings of the apostles, 1 John 3:9: "He who is born of God does not commit sin"; item, since we say: I believe forgiveness of sin. For they do not understand that righteousness and forgiveness of sin is in the midst of sins; but had that they are wholly abolished and gone.
The Jews also conclude: "If we are the seed and children of Abraham, we are holy, blessed and pleasing to God alone. And this opinion could not be taken away from them in so many miseries and misfortunes, which they have suffered for many hundred years up to now. But that Abraham's hip is holy, and his seed is sanctified, this is not for the sake of his hip in the flesh, nor for Abraham's sake, according to the saying John 1:13: "Not of the blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of the man" etc.: but because the holy seed is included and enclosed in the hip. They cast away the seed and blaspheme it, and think that they are the seed that is given; therefore they take the hips and understand them only according to the flesh without the spirit, and become Ishmaelites, Epicureans and Antinomians, who say that there is no more sin at all for the forgiveness of sins.
But St. Paul describes the forgiveness of sins much differently, as he says Rom. 7, 25: "With the flesh I serve the law of sin"; item, v. 19: "The good that I want to do, I do not do", that is, I am still attached to many evil, infirm tendencies and irritations, certainty, doubt, impatience in misfortune and adversity. Therefore, we should teach and believe about the forgiveness of sins, that sin will not condemn us, because it is forgiven, not by the righteousness of the flesh, but by the Son of God, who has put on our flesh. If then you separate him from the flesh, you are already condemned.
(89) Those who are justified and have forgiveness of sins are still sinners. For they complain, they cannot do what they would like to do; they fight and resist the evil lusts and the pestilence that clings to them; they crucify the flesh and yet cannot be completely redeemed; as Paul laments and cries out Rom. 7:24: "I wretched man, who will deliver me from the body of this death?" This teaching the antinomians will obscure, and will make grace so great that they will suppress it and put people under the wrath of God. For they will make them quite sure that they will not regard the wrath and judgment of God, as if there were no more sin, no more terror of death and hell.
(90) Therefore sin still hangs over the saints, against which grace fights very fiercely in them, and there remains a conflict between the spirit and the flesh, between the old serpent and the seed of the woman, as long as this life lasts: the seed crushes the serpent's head, but the serpent secretly pursues the seed and bites it in the heel. The Ishmaelites cast away the seed and boast that they are children of the flesh, thus understanding the blessing according to the outward work and carnal; therefore they are damned sinners, even though they are born of Abraham.
91 Thus we have said above that the married state is holy, and St. Paul says in 1 Timothy 2:15 that wives who have children are holy.
be holy and blessed, but if they remain in the faith, that is, if they will believe in Christ and contend with the serpent, that is, if they will be chaste and chastened or resist the evil inclinations of their flesh; otherwise a woman will be condemned according to the carnal birth, without faith and without the seed.
(92) Therefore, because of necessity, we must keep the holiness and blessing of the hips, or rather of the seed that is born of the hips and has blessed all nations, and has also sanctified the chastity that is defiled in the state of marriage, so that the impurity and defilement of the flesh does not condemn us. If this does not happen, we will soon fall into the error of the Ishmaelites and with them into the same condemnation, and nothing else will remain of us but the name and false delusion of holiness.
Thus the pope has taught holiness by rejecting the Word and the Spirit, namely, that after baptism Christians, when they are grown up, should go into the monasteries, torture their bodies, and do enough for sin; not unlike the Turks, who also have many works and practices for which they boast themselves holy, but it is only a pretense and name of holiness, under which abominable sins lie hidden. Where therefore the doctrine of the seed is abolished and taken away, there is no more salvation or blessedness; for there sins become virtues, and become even common to men, that they no longer regard them, and consider them no sin, as Seneca says. It is taught that this, which should be punished as a sin, is righteousness, wisdom, and blessedness, just as in the papacy pilgrimages, caps, differences in food, and special clothing were considered the highest righteousness; indeed, such things were considered perfection.
94 Where sin, that is, idolatry and error, are held up to people as if they were righteousness, what then are revealed sins? Therefore the word of Christ is fulfilled, when he says Matth. 6, 23: "If the light that is in you is darkness," that is, if error and idolatry are held up to people as if they were righteousness.
If the lie is thy light, and thy life, and blessedness, and perfect righteousness, "how great then shall be the darkness itself?" that is, the flesh itself, which is hidden and adorned, and becomes sevenfold sin.
95 Therefore I exhort you to study diligently and always keep fresh in your minds the doctrine of justification. The false brethren also condemn with us the works of the pope, and yet cry out against us; for they conceive new and unusual works, and this is done while we still live and teach against them. But the justification of Christians consists in the fact that sin is weakened and does not reign over us. If you take a wife, you will feel fornication; but you will be able to live chastely and godly with your wife if you believe in Christ, by which sin is weakened. But again, when you enter the marriage state with great ardor and hope of many pleasures, soon in a month or two, when they have passed, even often before the wedding, you will feel disgust, and between you and the woman there will be more ill will and hatred and enmity than there was love at first: So that you will desire with more diligence how you may be divorced from her than you desired before to become intimate with her; you will wish and desire that she would only die soon, and any other woman will seem to you to be more beautiful and to have better manners and ways about her than your wife; for sin then reigns.
For this reason, we are given an example of the marriage state, where grace reigns and sin is weakened. If you do not begin such a great thing in this way, namely, with humble prayer and faith, you will have a miserable, sorrowful marriage, which is always full of quarrels, strife, and constant unwillingness, as is commonly written about it, as: Nec tecum possum vivere, nec sine te, that is: I can neither live with you nor without you. Item, that the pagans have said: A woman is a nuisance that one cannot do without.
97 And this is what commonly happens to those who look at nothing but the poor wretched flesh and fornication, and imagine for themselves how they will have all kinds of pleasure and joy in marriage. But why do they not call upon the Creator, who created both man and woman, who is also the founder and best advisor in marriage? They follow only the description of the marriage state, which is in imperial law and thus reads: "The marriage state is where man and woman are joined together and live together without separation. In this description the right distinction and the noblest parts are excluded; for they do not understand the matter, how should they be able to describe it rightly? Their definition says nothing more than that a marriage state is when man and woman come together.
A proper definition and description, however, is to say that the marriage state is where a man and a woman are joined together divinely and properly, in the hope that they will beget children with each other, or else that they may at least avoid fornication and sin and live in honor of God in your state. The final cause is that one may be obedient to God and seek help and counsel against sin, call upon God, strive for children, love them and raise them in honor of God, live with the wife in the fear of God and bear the cross; but if no children follow, that you nevertheless live with your wife in the state and be content with her and avoid fornication with others.
99. And thus far we have dealt with the way of swearing which Abraham used. Now let us see what the form of the oath was. It was even a new ceremony, since the servant, when he was to swear, put his finger or hand under Abraham's hip. We use two fingers, because two witnesses are required for all things: therefore the two fingers, which instead of two witnesses are raised up to God, point to the right God.
100. the form of the oath is: Jurare te faciam, that is: "I will take an oath from you", or: "You shall swear to me by
The Lord, the gods of the heavens and the gods of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from among the daughters of the Cananites, among whom I dwell. Here the Scripture clearly testifies that the mystery of the Godhead was not unknown to the fathers, and especially to Abraham, who would not have suffered the oath to be made with these words if he had not understood that the seed was something more than a mere man.
For the Son of God is mixed into the flesh, and is sunk like a divine leaven into such a dough, which is full of sin and corruption. That is why Abraham speaks of a divine being, and yet at the same time he sets as if he were speaking of many, since he says: "by the Lord, the gods of the heavens and the gods of the earth." Therefore God is a simple being, and yet more than one in persons.
102. But when we swear, we always put two things together, namely, that we call upon God for help and protection and curse the punishment upon ourselves. It is as if we want to say: If God helps me or not; if I keep the oath, he will be merciful to me, but if I deceive someone with it, he will punish me.
This is a very beautiful service and invocation. For he who swears confesses that he is calling on God for mercy and favor, and expects him to protect him and help him, and that he will curse divine vengeance and punishment upon himself if he deceives anyone with his oath. Therefore a threat is attached to the other commandment, so that those who swear a false oath are threatened, Exodus 20:7: "For God will not hold him innocent who uselessly uses the name of the Lord"; for it is a denial and contempt of God.
But where you keep your oath, you do the greatest service to God. For "to swear" means to confess that God is a protector and helper. But if you take a false oath, you have already denied God, rejected His grace, and provoked and drawn His wrath and displeasure upon your own head.
105. since above (Cap. 21, v. 23.) Abimelech swore to Abraham, they have
But this is a new way of swearing. For Abraham wants to include and draw Christ into the oath; as it is written in the 63rd Psalm v. 12: "He who swears by him will be praised." For he who swears rightly serves and honors God and calls upon His name: he who swears falsely and wrongly blasphemes and curses the divine majesty, and dishonors it, despises it, and thinks it nothing. Finally, he also sins who swears without need, namely, if the authorities and the law of love do not require him to do so.
(106) But why does Abraham forbid that the servant should not take a wife for his son from among the daughters of the Cananites? Response: Since Abraham was soon to die, he had experience in many things here on earth, since he had lived with pagan people, whose customs and life he had to observe somewhat diligently, had to deal with them, talk to them and trade with them about many things, since all the goods and food was in cattle breeding and farming, almost like the shepherds, from which he not only fed and maintained his own household, but also sold meat, butter, milk, cheese and such other things; This could not have happened without the fellowship he had with the inhabitants and citizens. Therefore, some may have been moved by such fellowship and kindness to desire that Isaac, who was such an honest and handsome youth, become their son-in-law or brother-in-law; and they may have been of the noblest families of Ephron or the others. And it is also said above that Abraham was rich through God's blessing and was well off for food. Therefore, they alone may have desired to make friends with him.
107 Now Abraham, nevertheless, had many reasons to reject this, for he was concerned about the household or the church being in danger because of it; and perhaps he did not like the manner and manners of the virgins in the land, seeing that they were either very rich or beautiful, or were of
great lineage and have therefore been all too hopeful. For it is a hard thing to be an oath-keeper in a powerful and rich Hanseatic League, and there is nothing on earth more unbearable or unpleasant than a rich wife who always wants to rule. For a man must follow his wife, let her rule over him and have power over him, or overcome and soften her, at least such men as are captives of love.
(108) Therefore he thought of such danger in housekeeping that he did not desire one who was too beautiful or too rich to be his son's wife, but a plain, pious, simple and honest virgin who would be diligent in housekeeping and accustomed to housework. For to serve the wives, who want to be masters in the house, is not only annoying, but also disgraceful, and the wives should not rule and reign over the men, but over cattle, sheep and donkeys. But higher than this cause was his consideration for the church. For this land was condemned by God; as God said to Abraham above (Cap. 13, v. 15.), "This land will I give thee"; item (Cap. 15. v. 16.), "The iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full." Therefore he considered it to be such a land, rejected and hostile to your God, who also threatened him that he would destroy it: but in the meantime he dealt with them in a neighborly and friendly manner in buying and selling and all kinds of dealings, and it was a great miracle that he still found there a few remaining pious people, of whom it was said above.
(109) Abraham understood all this well, for he was a spiritual and understanding man. Therefore he did not want to mix his seed with the blood of the Canaanites, so that his son would not become idolatrous and with the mixing of the seed also the right worship and the idolatrous worship would be mixed together. The worship of the saints seems simple, and has no outward appearance and special appearance; but the ungodly are puffed up and proud because of their righteousness, and with such appearance they are able to convince the weak of heart.
easily deceive. Therefore Abraham saw that even though his son would not be deceived, he would still be in great danger; therefore he took care of him and his bride and household. And if this is part of the divine right, it is also part of the description of the marriage state against the priest, who makes of the marriage state a common house, in which dishonest mixtures take place, and makes no distinction between the union and the mingling of unreasonable animals and men.
110. And I do not doubt that many virgins, among whom some were very beautiful, rich and of great lineage, were offered to Isaac; but Abraham simply closes his eyes and forbids his son not to take any of them, not that he has refused his son that he might age with honor to the marriage state, because he was fit and skilled for it in his old age, but that he would gladly give him a pious, honest child in marriage, and not such a one as would be harmful to him and annoying to the whole church.
Now Isaac is not against his father in this, but accepts his counsel willingly and gladly. Therefore let all young people remember this example, and learn to hold their parents in honor, and let them rule over them, considering also the holy divine order: let them not think that the married state is such a mixture as is among unreasonable animals, as the pope understands and means; but let them first of all call upon the right Father and Founder of all things with right faith, that they may begin this state without sin, and thus say and pray: O Lord God, thou hast made me a man; thou seest that I cannot live chastely; I call upon thee, and beseech thee to govern my purpose, and give me happiness in it. Give me good counsel and help me; choose me one with whom I may live honestly and serve thee, and by faith and prayer overcome the misfortunes and troubles that may befall the married state. Now those who despise such admonition go up and run as if they were blinded, without faith and without prayer.
Prayer, such will finally also feel all kinds of unhappiness and be crushed under it.
What could anyone want and desire more on earth than such a blessed and peaceful marriage, where husband and wife love each other, and their hearts are also friendly and united? Such a marriage is praised everywhere as a great miracle. And since I was still a young journeyman and heard that an honest and blissful marriage was praised and extolled, item, I read in St. Paul that he says Eph. 5, 25: "Husbands, love your wives," etc., I wondered why such a thing would happen, and why it served to admonish and command that husbands and wives should love each other, among whom often not only love, but also senseless rancor is found.
But experience has taught me that among many marriages there is hardly one to be praised. Hence it has come about that this state has been commonly scolded by many; as a poet says: "There is always quarreling and strife in the marriage bed etc. For this reason, there are also many who are very shy about marriage.
(114) But one must not think or judge of this state, as the heathen do; but in it one must recognize God the Creator, and bow the knee before him with all humility, and call upon him in faith, that he may give thee a helper and a bedfellow. If such a spirit and faith is present in the invocation, then one may arrange the other according to reason, and talk to the parents and listen to their advice. Afterwards, when not everything goes according to your will, you still have this comfort, that you think: I have prayed, I have asked the Lord for advice, and also my parents and friends who are related to me: If something unpleasant happens to me, I will suffer it with patience. For this is a great comfort, where one has God as a witness and founder, with whose counsel one has entered this state, and also with the foreknowledge and counsel of parents and friends has begun the same.
115. again, if by your own boldness and iniquity, without the foreknowledge of your parents, you fall into
When you have entered this state, it will always bite and torment you in your heart. You will say, "Behold, I am now punished for my foolishness and disobedience; I have angered my parents, and now I am again afflicted with all kinds of displeasure. This is then an unbearable cross. Therefore this is a very beautiful chapter, not only to honor the marriage state with it, but also to comfort the consciences of those who feel harm or burden of the marriage state with it.
Young people who are still inexperienced in these matters do not think about the discomfort, trouble and burden of marriage, nor do they think that they have the devil as an enemy, who is hostile to the discipline of children, obedience, love and unity that spouses should have among each other. A young bridegroom and bride are not concerned with these things, therefore they must be taught to bring such faith with them into the marriage state, that they pray and say: Lord God, I have entered this state according to your command and will and have called upon you for help, you will now also give me grace and blessing, so that I may bear and endure the burden and burden that will be found in it. God is undoubtedly pleased with such a prayer, says yes to it, and answers: "Whatever you ask shall be done.
(117) But the wicked remember how the married state is now and then reproached by many, and what harm and accidents are wont to happen therein. Therefore they flee this state and fall into the works of the flesh, such as impurity, fornication, adultery; of which St. Paul says Gal. 5:21: "Those who do these things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
118. And I speak of it all the more diligently and extensively because I see that the Holy Spirit has not disdained to describe this His own work in so many words. The godless and unbelieving people of the world, who think that everything happens by chance, do not understand anything in the holy Scriptures and about the creatures of God: But it is our duty to read diligently and to teach others, so that we learn to recognize the creatures from the holy Scriptures and also the Creator from the creatures.
119. For the Scripture herewith shows that the creature is darkened and deformed, therefore it adorns and praises with so many words the honor and worthiness of the marriage state, so that we may learn and also teach and report to others that the marriage state is by no means to be held in low esteem; As the flesh and the world hold it in very low esteem, because they do not consider what the married state is, but look only to lust, fornication, and other pleasures, and pursue only idleness and riches, which is original sin itself, so that poor human nature is horribly defiled. And that is why the world, instead of the pleasure and joy it had hoped for, finally finds toil, pain and cross.
120 Therefore it is a strange thing about a well-born and happy marriage state. For men do not distinguish the work of God from original sin; but the holy Scriptures praise and extol the married state rightly and very highly, and show how this state is the beginning and origin of the household and worldly regiment, and also of the church, all of which are derived and built up from it, as far as the matter is concerned. In the church God's honor is sought, in the worldly regiment peace, in the house regiment child discipline. According to all this, this state has a lot of good works and fruits in it. For this reason, God and Abraham, as well as those who are truly God-fearing, judge the marriage state much differently than does the pope, who reads into the marriage state only the fornication and lust of the flesh, that is, original sin, and then also the cross and tribulation.
121 But God, according to His common grace and mercy, tolerates the sin and punishment of the inheritance; for they are hidden under the blessings and under the great heap of many good works that are done therein. The papists do not see such fruits, but call them common, worldly, and carnal works; therefore they regard this estate as a horse or ass, not judging it according to the Scriptures, which point to the fruits and good works of the marriage estate.
(122) Yea, the heathen also have vowed matrimony, and have willed that the youth should be married.
should be forced to do so, so that the society of the human race might be preserved. Those, however, who escaped the displeasure, toil and labor of this state, as the papists and monks did, devised special works and orders which should please themselves and also God, and thus could not see these right works with seeing eyes.
(123) But be it so, that such things are commonly despised by everyone, yet righteous bishops and pastors should learn them and also teach other people. For our Lord God did not reveal His word to be despised, but that we should hear it and handle it, and learn from it what we do not know by nature. Those who study other arts, such as physicians, lawyers and philosophers, have more listeners. But because we despise this teaching, all kinds of punishments and a miserable blindness follow; for we have the Scriptures and the creature of God: if we do not diligently search and inquire therein, it is our own fault that we must also be deprived of the benefits that are offered to us there.
Lastly, Abraham calls the servant to go to his fatherland and therefore bring a bride for his son Isaac. Abraham and Sarah were born in Babylon and were Babylonian citizens, that is, they were at home in Chaldea. V. 31, that Tarah took his son Abram and his wife Sarai and led them from Ur out of Chaldea; he was not born in Haran, as some would have it, and they dare to prove this from this text.
Third part.
How Abraham sends out Nieser and the latter "ach Abrahams Befehl seine Reise angetreten.
V. 5-7 The servant said, "If the woman will not follow me to this land, shall I bring your son back to that land?
Land from whence thou camest? And Abraham said unto him, Take heed lest thou bring my son thither again. The Lord God of heaven, which took me from my father's house, and from my home, and spake unto me, and we also sware, saying, This land will I give unto thy seed; and he shall send his angel before thee, that thou mayest take a wife for my son there.
(125) These things are not described for the sake of Abraham, Isaac and the servant, but for our sake and for the sake of all men until the end of the world; for God has set before us in Abraham a beautiful, glorious example of faith, which shines in his whole life and governs it; for he lives and is wholly attached to the word of God, who makes the promise to him, and according to it he directs all his undertakings and works, relying on his wisdom or prudence of reason for nothing.
After that, he diligently does what he is supposed to do. Do not sit idly and wait until an angel comes from heaven and brings the bride to his son, and do not let any of the things a father should take care of, so that he will not be regarded as trying to tempt God. For so it behooves parents to feast diligently and take care how they may help their children to an honest and godly marriage: they shall therefore inquire and ask after the bride, and not think that she will come by chance or by some new and unusual way of her own accord. And it is no sin for a bachelor or a virgin to think of a bride or a bridegroom; indeed, it is for this reason that banquets are held, where pious, honest people come together and eat and drink with one another. Item, one therefore also arranges the dances, which are not to be condemned by any means, if it is done with fine chastity, morality and honesty.
For since we were not created for fornication, but for marriage, it is not only lawful, but also godly and honest, for one to seek a spouse.
And ask and desire the same. This is to be done in the way mentioned above, namely, by faith and prayer, and also with the advice of the parents or those who are in their place, whoever they may be.
(128) So Abraham sends out his servant with silver and bride-gifts, for such things are part of the making of a marriage: and they shall not think that such things are displeasing to God, but shall know that they are well pleasing to Him, provided they be done with godliness and reverence.
129 But the commandment and the order, that he should dispatch the servant, is full of faith. Beware," he says, "that you do not bring my son back to the land from which I came, for God has forbidden me not to return there. I am brought forth by the Lord God of heaven, who hath more dwellings and mansions than this land and my fatherland: he is the Lord of heaven, therefore he hath appointed me another kingdom than this fatherland: and I will not have thee to desire any virgin for a wife unto my son out of this land wherein I dwell: for the Cananites shall be destroyed for idolatry, that they may be defiled. And the same is also indicated hereafter (Cap. 34) in the history of Dinah.
(130) In order that he might assure the servant and make him certain of all this, he adds that God not only spoke to him, but also swore to him. Thus Abraham praises and speaks of nothing else but God: he believes in the divine promise, and in such faith he happily arranges everything, both in terms of world and household government. Not only did he perform the high works, such as sacrificing his son and winning the victory over the kings, through his full and strong faith, but also the common and daily works. Because God has spoken to me, he says, promising and swearing to give me this land, beware and do not bring my son back there, for that would be against the promise and against the Bible or my Scriptures and faith. So
He lives completely in faith even in the smallest things, which the pope calls carnal and worldly; although these things are quite carnal, which are done according to the flesh, as evil desire, fornication and the like, Gal. 5:19. But to seek a wife is not carnal, but what is left of the flesh in her is devoured by faith, so that it must be spiritual; for the Spirit redeems us from corruption and from the harm of original sin.
Therefore Abraham keeps the promise and teaches that everything should be done in certainty and joy of faith, no matter how great or small, and so we should also learn that everything should be put in God's hands and commanded, no matter whether it is special or ordinary and common, high or low, so that we may rejoice and be strong in the Lord and cast all our care upon Him, 1 Sam. 2, 1. 5, 7. It may be seen as an unseemly and shameful thing to arrange a wedding for one's son; but see how it is held in such great dignity and honor in Abraham's sight, so also that he does not doubt that the angels are there, ordering, promoting, protecting and handling such work. But he exalts his Bible, that is, his promise, which he had instead of the Bible we have, very high. God of heaven, he says, who has spoken to me, will send his angel before you. For he concludes: To whomsoever God speaks, angels and all creatures serve him; but to me God has spoken, therefore angels also will serve me.
This is a beautiful conclusion from the divine promises, by which he considers it certain that the angels will be with his servant. For I, he says, have a God who has angels, who will send an angel to go with you and help you. And is this a strange speech and trust, that he believes that this work is commanded to the angels, that they should be with his servant. I will do what is due to me, he will have thought, I will give gifts to the servant and wedding rings, which he shall bring to the bride, but God will not give my servant a gift.
Servants to give an angel who will align and promote the other.
He therefore commands God and His angels with strong and perfect faith, believes that the heavenly spirits and princes are concerned with and want to deal with such a small, carnal and foolish work as it outwardly appears, and is so certain of their service that he not only knows and believes that he has the angels around him at home, but that they also want to be present wherever he sends his servant. Because we have the God of heaven and earth, he says, the angels are our protectors, administrators, yes, our servants, wherever we are.
The beautiful, glorious words and sayings in the Psalms come from this, as in the 34th Psalm, v. 8: "The angel of the Lord is encamped around those who fear him and helps them out"; item, in the 9th Psalm, v. 11: "He has commanded his angels over you. Psalm v. 11: "He has commanded his angels over you" etc. For David looked at these histories a little more diligently than the pope and we are wont to do, who think that the angels ask nothing of us, nor take care of us, but are quite idle and amusing themselves up in heaven. Thus we all judge by nature, and if, in addition to the harm of original sin, we have been taught and thought by long habit that the angels are quite far from us, we see that through their protection and service everything we have is preserved and protected, and that men often perish horribly when they are abandoned by the service of the angels. Abraham, however, judges it much differently and better: "The angel of God, who created me, promised me and swore to me, will provide and lead the bride here. He does not say, "My cousins or close friends will think about my son getting a wife," but says, "The angel will be the speaker and messenger who will advertise and persuade the bride and her parents to follow.
135 Who has ever heard or had such faith, and can be so sure of himself, that Abraham was the one who was the one who was the one who was the one who was the one who was the one who was the one who was the one who had the faith?
so certainly put off and assured. Ambrose, Augustine or such other fathers are nothing to be counted against Abraham. And see what his works are. He is a householder, a shepherd, lives among other men in the ordinary and common way of this life, and does as all parents are wont to do, that they take care of the children and arrange the wedding for them; and there seems to be nothing spiritual about him, nor is there any cap, plate or such foolish work on him.
For this reason it is necessary that our faith be awakened and that we be moved to call upon God diligently; that whoever wishes to enter into the marriage state, call upon God and believe that He will give him as a wife the one whom he desires and who will be directed according to him. Therefore, conclude with right confidence, saying, "Lord, I know that you will give me your angel to govern all things; I will give you my hand and my tongue, and I will do what is right for me, but you will take care of the rest.
We should also think this way when we want to administer church or secular offices. When I am called to the office of pastor or teacher, I will do what I can; the angel will be with me who will govern all things. Upon such faith there follows peace, assurance, and joy of the Spirit in all manner of temptations. For I am certain, even though much misfortune oppresses and weighs me down, that the angels are watching over me and are my guardians and watchmen; therefore they may also see to it that my work in my office has a blessed outcome and that I may also be delivered from the misfortune that comes my way.
Whoever believes this, we will say that he is truly blessed; but unbelief and blindness is a very shameful fault among us, who neither recognizes nor believes in such great benefits. That is why we are so ungrateful, so unkind and hard, that the services which the angels render to men grow cold among us, and one does not serve the other with such diligence, so that the heavenly spirits may perform their service with us daily and every moment in the most diligent manner.
Therefore, we will finally be punished for the sake of such ingratitude.
(139) And yet it is quite certain that the angels are present with us and around us, of which one should not even doubt. It is certain that they are not only waiting for our future in the future fatherland, but that they are also truly with us in this life, taking care of and governing our affairs, if only we firmly believe this.
If any misfortune or adversity befalls you in this life, think this: The God of heaven has promised and sworn to be my God, therefore I will not despair of His help and protection, because I hear that the great princes in heaven have nothing else to do but to be couriers and forerunners of the bridegroom at the wedding, to join bridegroom and bride, to order the wedding, to keep the children and what belongs to the house.
141. and so they are commanded to take care of it; and if we will believe it, everyone among us will experience such care of the angels as they carry for us. For so we see that Abraham is quite sure that the angels are with him and serve him, not otherwise than as if they were there before his eyes, though they are invisible; so great is his faith. And whoever has such confidence that the angels are among us and govern and administer everything, he certainly also sees the angels, but with spiritual and not with carnal eyes.
This is a great and excellent glory, and the angels are highly praised by the fact that they allow themselves to be used for such minor services, which, as it can be seen, do not befit them; and may we thank God for our innate hope and pride that we are not created angels, for we would not be able to bear such minor, contemptible service and would all have followed Lucifer. For is this not a contemptible and unkind thing, to give a bride to Isaac? For over and above the fact that human nature is corrupt and horribly deformed because of sins and punishments, the female sex also has a special accident and misfortune before men.
To bear a special cross: should such a holy angel allow himself to be sent to a woman? that is not at all befitting the majesty of the angels.
Thus we, who are nothing but muck, stink and worms, are wont to do: if some surpass others with special gifts, such as being eloquent, wise and understanding, even having more wealth and beauty than others, help God, how do such people exalt themselves above others who do not have these gifts, to whom they are equal because of sins and all kinds of accidents and miseries? So the devil also thought that it was not at all fitting for the majesty of the angels to serve Rebekah, since Abraham did not ask for it, but only wished and desired it, saying to his servant, "Go, the angel of the Lord will be with you"; and let it be seen, indeed, as a very cheap cause to be vehement and angry.
From this you can see what the nature of the good angels is, how it is such a humble, sweet and kind nature, which does not think itself too high and great to serve the poor sinners, both men and women. For they are full of light, knowledge of God and wisdom of divine goodness. Therefore, they understand that everything God commands is excellent and very good, because it pleases God.
So the angel Gabriel does not refuse to be sent to a virgin who is far inferior to him and bring her the message he was commanded by God. For he knows that such a thing is pleasing to God; whether it be a special or a common command, he asks nothing of it. The evil spirits, however, not only despise such services, but also the Lord and God Himself.
Since we now understand that we enjoy the protection and friendship of the holy angels when they have fellowship with us, let us give thanks to God for this, and let us follow the virtue and works of love of the holy angels, and also be friendly, kind and helpful to one another. No man is so friendly and willing and inclined to all kinds of service and good deeds as
the angels. But we do not believe this and we do not attribute such virtues to the angels. But it is certain that Rebekah and Isaac had a more faithful friend and guardian in the angel than in the servant and their relatives. They knew very well that the servant was pious and faithful, but that was nothing compared to the angel's faithfulness and favor.
(147) Therefore we should learn that our very best and most constant friends are invisible, namely, the dear angels, who far surpass the visible friends we have in faithfulness and favor, as well as in all kinds of service and true friendship; just as, on the other hand, the evil angels and devils, who are invisible, are our much greater and more harmful enemies than the corporeal and visible ones. All misfortune, and whatever evil happens, comes much more from them than from the enemies we see before us with our eyes; but where something good happens to us, it is all directed together by the good angels.
If we then believe and fear God, the good angels are our very best friends, as they were Isaac's and Rebecca's friends, who were also poor sinners and unworthy of such great help: but because they believed, they had the angels as servants with them.
We should also consider that we enjoy the fellowship of the heavenly spirits, no matter how horribly we are disfigured and deformed because of sin and unworthy of the service of such great creatures.
150 There is a saying of Bernard about the fall of the evil angels, which poetically pretends, like the poets, that this was a cause for Satan to fall from heaven, because he saw that the Son of God should become man and take this poor lump of flesh of the human race to himself, and after that the angels should be commanded to serve the human nature, which was far inferior and more miserable than it, and to take care of it. For this reason, he took offense at such inequity and despised the Son of God, and therefore fell from heaven.
These are indeed fine and Christian thoughts, and let us see that the devil has also inflicted and instilled such plagues and afflictions on all men through sin, that the richer, more learned and more beautiful one is, the more he exalts himself; as the pagan poet also testifies when he says (Lucan. 2, 38.): Nec servare modum rebus sublata secundis: A man's heart can have no measure when it is puffed up by fortune and prosperity; it exalts itself and breaks through.
For this reason, people should be admonished to beware of such devilish hope and to recognize their misery and suffering. For if the angels have fallen because of such hopefulness, which they had because of the great and excellent gifts, such hopefulness will also do harm to men, and especially to those who may presume with iniquity to judge divine things according to their own discretion, and since they have scarcely a grain of wisdom, let them think that they have a whole penny of it.
By appointing and ordaining the angels to have respect for us and to be so kind and mean to us, God wants to show us how much He values us who believe in Him and how fiercely He loves us. Oh, that we could recognize this on account of our horribly corrupt nature, and in turn also love God, who shows himself so gracious and friendly that he dwells among us and deals with us, although invisibly, yet not insensibly, that I speak thus, and has given us a pledge of this same love and friendly fellowship, namely, his only begotten Son, as John 3:16 states. But men are surely without all knowledge and fear of God, have ears and do not hear: their heart is blinded and their ears are thick, Isa. 6, 10.
If we believed correctly, we would already be blessed and in heaven. For faith restores all things: we have the fellowship of angels and heavenly spirits, who delight in taking care of our lives and all our goods, and have respect for us.
ben. But the devil opened our eyes in paradise so that we would think that we are wiser and greater than God and the angels. But let us recognize our weakness and exercise our faith, so that we consider and also wait for such great benefits, which we enjoy because of the protection of the dear angels, while the Son of God Himself is present.
But this is also part of the confirmation of our doctrine of the marriage state, namely that God takes care of it, against the devilish blasphemy of the pope, who calls this state an impurity: but we know from the New Testament that John 2:2 ff. Christ Himself came to the wedding; but here it is said of the holy angels that they are the bride-servants, which God admits to His saints. Therefore, the parents should keep this comfort, pray and believe, and also do what is due to their office, send out their servants, seek the bride and have her courted, so that the angel of the Lord will be there, and God Himself, who will rule and accomplish everything.
But if the woman will not follow thee, thou shalt be quit of this oath. Do not bring my son back there alone. Then the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master and swore to him.
A very great care is described here, so Abraham had for it, that his son would not be brought again to Chaldea, his fatherland, by his servant. For he commands the servant to simply turn back if he does not find anyone who wants to follow him. And as a father he did his part, he sent the servant out to seek a virgin and to woo her, and he said to him: The Lord will provide my son with a wife, if there is one there whom God has given him; but if there is none to follow you, it is certain that they are not worthy of it and that they please neither God nor the angels; although he has a good hope that God will give the parents and also the virgin such a heart that she will follow him:
However, if it would be otherwise, he shall absolve the servant of the oath.
157 All this comes from a wonderfully strong faith and a certain confidence. For he was certain that if he could not find a wife for his son among his friends, God would raise up a bride from stones or from some earthen lump or from a rib. For he arranges a wedding for his son, although he is still uncertain whether the servant will bring the bride. But the previous benefits and miracles that God had done for him strengthened and increased his faith and hope, namely, the salvation of his son, since he was to be slaughtered for sacrifice etc.
(158) Therefore he said, "If I cannot find anyone in Syria or Babylon or in the whole world to marry my son, God will provide my son with a wife.
Therefore, let us learn from this example that we should believe the divine promises and wait for God's help and mercy, and be patient if we have to suffer any misfortune or adversity. For Abraham had such a heart, which was willing and ready: his things turned out as they always wanted, for better or for worse, so that he could be satisfied with them. He also dealt with outward things, which seem almost shameful, with right and strong faith, by which he both hoped for good things from God, and endured with patience the harm or accident he encountered. This is a truly Christian heart, and is quite free, safe and cheerful. If you find a bride, he says, bring her here; but if not, it is certain that there was none worthy to follow you, or to be provided and given to my son by God.
(160) As to the manner of swearing, it has been said above that not only the descendants, but also the Son of God, who was to come from the loins of Abraham, was honored; and by him one may swear, and by no one else. But that Abraham
When his servant, when he was to swear, put his hand under his thigh, the Scriptures indicate that this fruit from Abraham's loins is true God. But the question of whether Christians may also swear has been sufficiently dealt with elsewhere, and shows that Christians are permitted to take an oath from others and do it themselves.
So the servant took ten camels from his master's camels, and went, having with him all his master's goods, and arose, and went to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. Then he camped the camels outside the city by a well of water in the evening, when the women were going out to draw water.
161 All this can be seen as futile and worthless, or, as the papists judge, a worldly and carnal thing. Do they say that the Holy Spirit has nothing else to teach or write but about camels? Answer: God indicates that He cares for the godly and faithful even in such small and lowly things, and thus also proves that everything they do is pleasing to Him.
162 After that Moses also wanted to describe the splendor and the preparation of the wedding, when he tells how the servant took ten camels and led them with him. The pomp was not so glorious. For there were no horsemen, and perhaps the camels were used so that they had to wear the clothes and adornments of the women. For Abraham wanted the bride to come home in good order.
For this reason, the ordering and preparation of this is not to be punished, if it is in proportion and the expenses are not too great, so that respectability is considered and what belongs to such respectability and is appropriate, only that all this is done in reverence and the fear of God. The monks condemn all this, even the wedding itself,
The wedding is not held and celebrated for the sake of habit and pleasure, but for the sake of the end and benefit of the marriage state, namely, the household, secular and ecclesiastical regiment, which all come from the marriage state, and the wedding is a preparation and instruction for all of this.
Therefore Abraham gives the servant the camels and other gifts, which he should honor the bride and her parents. But that in the text it is added that the servant had with him all the goods of his master, this is what the Jews understand, as Lyra tells us, from the tablets or registers in which Abraham's possessions were listed and described, and that these tablets or registers were given to the servant so that he might show them to the bride and her friends, to soften their hearts and minds so that they would be favorable and inclined toward Isaac. But this understanding is better that it be understood of divers gifts, which the servant took of all Abraham's goods, and had in his hand, that is, power; which is a common use among all nations, that they send gifts one to another, and therewith make their friendship and favor among themselves.
So this servant took gold, silver, spices, and other such things to give to the parents, brothers, and sisters of the bride, as we are wont to give to the bridegroom or the bride at this time when we are invited to a wedding, which is not to be punished at all, as the monks have said is a sin. For the Scriptures indicate that this was also done by noble, great and holy men.
166 Finally, Moses also adds the circumstances, such as the place, the time, the city and the person: he has described all this so diligently. And this is done so that we may undoubtedly believe that God governs all our affairs and works, arranging and ordering them most diligently. The angel, who is the recruiter and assigned to the servant by God, shows him the way and governs all of his plans. It had
The servant was not commanded to go to the city of Nahor in particular, but Abraham only said to him, "Go to the land or to my father's country," but by the angel's counsel and inspiration he went to the city of Nahor; but because he was uncertain there where he should enter, he made his prayer to God, as follows in the text.
v. 12-14. And said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, meet me this day, and do mercy to my master Abraham. Behold, I stand here by the well of water, and the daughters of the people of this city shall come forth to draw water. If therefore a damsel come, to whom I say, Incline thy pitcher, and let me drink; and she shall say: Drink, and I will drink thy camellias also: that she may be she whom thou gavest unto Isaac thy servant, and that I may know that thou hast shewed mercy unto my lord.
There is one question that comes out of this prayer, namely, whether God can determine and prescribe the time, place, person and measure of the thing that we ask for in our prayer. For since God is free, we should pray in such a way that we do not bind God to any circumstances, but simply say: Your will be done. Thus, since in the history of Judith, Cap. 7, 22, Osia said: "Dear brothers, have patience, and let us wait for five more days of help from God," Judith punished him severely and said, Cap. 8, 11, 12: "Will you determine the time and days for the Lord of your favor, if he is to help?" This does not serve to acquire grace, but rather wrath and disfavor.
168 Therefore it is asked whether this servant has sinned by prescribing to God the measure and manner in which he should do this thing, and whether he has tempted God with it. Hezekiah the king also made such a prayer in 2 Kings 20:8, when he asked the Lord for a sign that the Lord would heal him and that he would go to the Lord's presence on the third day. V. 17, when he said to the Lord, "Dear one, if I have found favor in your sight, let me go to the Lord.
make me a sign that it is you" etc. He desires a sign of victory on the skin with the wool; for he says afterwards v. 36. f. further: "If thou wilt redeem Israel by my hand, as thou hast spoken, then I will put a skin with the wool on the threshing floor" etc.
169. To this I answer recently: According to the law, it is not proper to dictate to God, but according to the gospel, the pious who are without law may do so, but it is not proper for the wicked. Therefore, this servant is allowed to do this request because he has a command from God. So one could answer this question recently, but we do not want to use this evangelical liberty.
170 We would rather explain this question according to the law. And this is to be noted, first, that the examples of the saints and children of God are not to be taken to mean that one must follow them and make a rule out of them, unless they are in accordance with the rule prescribed for us in the Word. On the other hand, one may answer that the servant did not speak in such a way that he determined something, but in such a way that he desired something, that is, he did not determine such a goal and measure for the Lord, but desired and wished that it should be so; and it is well to be believed that he did not speak these words openly or aloud, but with a sigh and heartfelt desire. For the Scriptures also use to call this, when a man thinks, words; as in the 14th Psalm v. 1: "The foolish speak in their heart"; item, Matth. 9, 21. it is written of the woman who had the hemorrhage: "She spoke by herself," that is, she thought, "If I would only touch his garment, I would be healed." So this servant also thought, Behold, I am come to Mesopotamia; but what I shall do now I know not, I have no command of it, where I shall stop, and to what friends I shall go; dear Lord God, help me. And he wishes for this and says: Oh, that the virgin would come who will be the bride of my Lord's Son. He does not dictate to God what he must or should do, as if He were going to command him, which in the
History Judith happens, but only wishes and desires that it would come so; as if I would silently wish the future of a prince or otherwise a good friend, on which no one has hoped or thought.
This is part of the consolation and strengthening of our faith in prayer, for the Scriptures indicate in this place that God is so close to the pious that He not only hears their prayers to Him, but also the desires and wishes in their hearts. As every one, when he examines his whole life, has experienced and will have to testify, that many things have often happened to him without his hope, if he has only desired or longed for them.
Therefore it is not necessary to resolve this question of the freedom of the gospel, for it has no other meaning than that the servant silently wishes and desires: O that now the virgin, who is given to Isaac as a wife, would come to this well of water and bring a pitcher to draw water.
(173) The Jews tell vain lies, but this mind is simple, that the servant wished and desired that the virgin should come to the well of water. And when he sees that she comes to him with the same sign, he is frightened that what he wanted and desired happens so soon and unexpectedly. Therefore it is not a temptation, but a sign of a great desire, as if a young journeyman came to a place where virgins danced with each other, and thought to himself, "Oh, that I might see the one who is to be my wife," or otherwise looked at one who would be entrusted to him in marriage.
174 There are countless examples of this, even among the wicked, who at times, before they think of it, obtain what they have previously desired. But this is a great comfort to the pious, that they also pray and call upon God with desires and wishes. This servant also had such a heart about this that even if Rebekah had not come, he would still have been able to-
would have been satisfied with the will of God, otherwise it would rightly be called a temptation; but according to the aforementioned opinion it is not a temptation or a request for a sign.
175. If, moreover, a quarrelsome man is not satisfied with this text, he should answer in the same way as the example of King Hezekiah and Gideon; for they humbly ask for mercy, and desire that they may be forgiven for asking for a sign: And they are not moved to such a request by unbelief, but the thing promised to them is so great that they can hardly comprehend or understand it, and overwhelmed with joy and wonder must desire and ask for a sign of such a great thing.
Gideon does not doubt that he was sent by God and called to the battle that he was to lead; but out of special joy and because he is as it were upset in spirit, he demands a sign from God, so that the others who would hear this promise would also be strengthened by the sign. So this servant could also silently ask for a sign, not for his own sake, but to strengthen his heart and also the love of the virgin with it. This is not an inconvenient answer, but I like the idea that we said it was a wish and a heartfelt desire better, because it corresponds well with the common experience of both the pious and the wicked.
Now let us also look at the words in this prayer. The Latin text says that the servant said: Fac occurrere: Dear, let it befall or occur to me, that it may be those whom thou hast prepared and provided. The Hebrew word means, thou hast warded or punished; and the Jews are worthy to be hated, because they obscure the quality and power of the words, and make them as it were dull and feeble, by stretching and directing them to various meanings; but we are to learn that we understand and interpret them according to their right and proper meaning. As when the Scripture says, "God built a temple.
Woman from the rib, which he took from man," Genesis 2:22, which is how the Jews interpret it: He made a woman; and although the interpretation is not wrong, nor does it rhyme badly, the proper meaning and quality of the word is not fully explained.
178. Therefore, since it is probable that the servant did not express this opinion in these words, but only had it in mind and thought, it can be assumed that Moses wanted to express such an opinion with special and emphatic words, as befits his great spirit, and will undoubtedly have seen various obstacles that the devil is wont to throw in the way of all things that are to be started and accomplished, which is why it is necessary to call upon God to avert such obstacles and to give a happy outcome; For where He Himself does not build and preserve the city, house and church, all man's diligence and labor will be lost and in vain.
The servant has considered this, for he has had a learned schoolmaster, whom he has heard admonishing and reminding him many times that we have the devil as our greatest and most fierce adversary in all our dealings and schemes: therefore he asks that the devil's cunning schemes and obstacles may be averted, and that God may promote this cause and bring it to a good happy end. This is what he means when he says: "Let it happen to me, that is, give me grace, so that the parents and also their daughter will follow and obey my request.
He had a certain command and did not doubt the presence of the angel, even though he did not see him with his eyes; but as a disciple in Abraham's church he knew well that the devil cannot celebrate or rest, but tries all kinds of things he can and may to prevent the pious from their Christian and good conduct. Therefore he will have thought: What if they would not let me into the city, or at least into Laban's house? What if the harlot would not consent to it? Therefore help, dear Lord
God, that everything will be happy and well directed. How to speak in this way is also written in the prophet Isaiah in the 64th Cap. V. 5: "You met the happy ones", that is, you stood with your own and saved them. But who are they? The prophet says: "They are the ones who practiced righteousness," which means that however hard the devil and his enemies opposed you, you still saved your people.
For this reason Moses used a very emphatic word, indicating that this servant was a very good theologian, who understood the devil's cunning very well, that he was careful to resist all good works and to prevent them. Thus it is written in the prophet Daniel Cap. 10, 13: "The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days; and behold, Michael, one of the noblest princes, came to my rescue"; and Zech. 3, 1: "Satan stood at his right hand to resist him. Such great and various dangers should certainly take away our security and awaken us to pray that God will also meet us and make all our affairs prosperous and blissful.
The married state has many innumerable obstacles and dangers; but prayer and the angel of the Lord drive out such obstacles and dangers and easily break through. In the same way, you should learn to pray in all offices, whether you are a secular ruler or in the preaching ministry, and, following the example of this servant, ask God and say: "Oh, dear God, let it happen to me, that is, give me grace, so that everything may happen and take place of its own accord. And the servant could never have wished or asked for this if he had not been well instructed in the knowledge and experience of spiritual things and also of the devil's temptation. For this reason we should begin all our business with prayer, and after that we should also think of the protection of the holy angels who are watching over us.
183 Hence also belongs the quality of the other word: "Which you have given to your servant Isaac. The Jews interpret it: You
You have made it, you have gained it. This is not a bad word, but it does not express the power of the Hebrew word and the right spiritual understanding. The same word is also found in Psalm 6, v. 2, and Psalm 50, v. 4, and above in chapter 20, v. 16. V. 16: "This was Sarah's punishment." Therefore, this is my interpretation: The servant was in great fear, although the angel was with him, because he did not feel, or did not believe so firmly, that the heavenly spirit was present with him, as surely as it was with him. So also we do: although we know that we have the holy angels to guard us, we often doubt, and therefore fear and tremble; for the curse that is upon us and unbelief are a cause of such doubt and hinder faith in us.
184 Therefore, I believe that the word hochachta, which means you have punished, should be applied to the devil; that this is the opinion and understanding that the servant said: Lord God, punish and overcome the devil for Rebekah, so that she may become Isaac's wife and a mother of the church and the promised seed.
185. With this, Moses gives to understand that there is a strange fight and dispute in all divine works, and that God directs everything through the angels as in a dispute, which they hold with Satan about it: as the example above from the prophet Daniel Cap. 10, V. 13 proves; because we have the angels, who are present to us. But they must always dispute and fight with the devil, who is in charge of preventing the work that the holy angels desire to promote and continue.
The devil saw that Rebekah was a godly and chaste virgin, honest and well-bred, and that she was to be Isaac's wife and the mother of his seed; for therefore the servant was there with the command, which he had received from his master, that he should bring her with him. Therefore, the good angel who was with the servant had to argue with the devil and shut him up. And
The servant desired this alone and asked that the Lord would finally be victorious and overcome through the good angels in such a conflict, which he had to hold with the devil.
187 This right and proper meaning of the word is the right natural understanding of this text, namely, that this virgin has been disputed, that I speak thus, that is, that she had to be preserved with disputing, because between the good angels and evil spirits there is a constant disputation and dispute. The good angels preach and also promote what is good, but the evil spirits, on the other hand, preach evil; and the holy ones of the same resolve ungodly reproaches or pleas, and punish the counsel and evil pretensions of the vile spirits. In this way Moses wanted to describe the prayer of the servant poetically and with flowery words.
V.15. And before he had finished speaking, behold, Rebekah the daughter of Bethuel, who was the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor Abraham's brother, came out, bearing a pitcher on her shoulder.
From this text, one can take the explanation of the previous question in the servant's prayer, which comprehends almost all circumstances in itself and prescribes them to God. This is contrary to Christian doctrine and the word of God, for God's word teaches that one should command God the time, place, measure and manner in which a thing is to be done, and only ask for the thing with such confidence that He will give the thing for which one asks in its time and place. But where the help is delayed, one should not stop praying for it, and may nevertheless, with a difference, present the time or such other circumstances to God, and thus say: Lord God, if it should happen at this time or in this place, as I would like, then I pray to you, you will not leave me. As we are now praying for Mr. Philip, who is from us and is lying down in Weimar, that God will restore him to strength and health and keep him longer for the good of the Church and the good arts.
189. therefore it is also plausible that the
Not only in this hour, when he stood by the well of water, but all along the way he asked for it, and after he was commanded to go to these places, and Abraham had promised him that the angel would go with him and be his companion, he had to determine the place and time by necessity according to the command and promise of his Lord. And even though Abraham had said that he would not find a wife for his son who would be suitable for him, he undoubtedly presented the whole matter to God, so that he would be willing to give Isaac a wife from this land, city or house, but that he would give him one from another place or in another way who would be much more suitable for him.
190] Here we also have a beautiful and glorious example of the grace and goodness of God, that He hears the prayers of the devout, through which we are stirred to prayer and our faith is also miraculously strengthened against unbelief and doubt. For this is not written for the servant's sake, but for your sake and mine. Before he had stopped speaking, behold, his prayer was already answered, and while he was still speaking, God said yes to his prayer and answered him.
Therefore, we should be certain without any doubt that God is completely willing and inclined to hear our prayer and to give us what we ask; as the 66th Psalm, v. 20, praises Him, saying: "Praise be to God, who does not reject my prayer, nor turn away His goodness from me. And this is the right and proper name of God, that he is called a God who hears prayer; and this name is as much his own as it is that he is called a Creator of heaven and earth.
192. not only does he hear the prayer that is offered to him without difficulty, but we should take it for granted that at the same moment that the prayer is uttered, that which is asked should be done or has already been done; as many comforting words and sayings in the Psalms testify, as in Psalm 22, v. 6:
"Our fathers cried unto thee, and were saved." This is what it says quite simply, without any further additions.
Therefore, here is he who cries out, but there is God who hears cries and prayers. If you cry out, you will be heard; as the 34th Psalm v. 6. admonishes: "Those who look at him and run to him will not be put to shame. And therefore the prophet Isaiah took the beautiful promise in 65 Cap. V. 24. where he says: "It shall come to pass, before they call, that I will answer; while they yet speak, that I will hear." Thus St. Bernard said in a glorious and Christian way: "Dear brothers, do not despise your prayer, but know that as soon as you begin to pray, your prayer will soon be reported and written before the divine Majesty.
194 All monks know nothing of this way of praying, for they murmur their prayer only for the sake of obedience to the church or its rule. Therefore, we should learn to pray with such confidence and certainty that you can be sure that your prayer will be answered before it bursts out of your mouth: but if what you ask is not given to you as soon as you ask it, the prayer will not be in vain, but it will be given to you in its time, and you will be given what you desire, or something much better and dearer.
Therefore, let it be far from us to doubt that it will be answered. When I pray that God will sanctify His name against the Pope and the Turk, I know that such a prayer will surely be answered before I say Amen to it; for before I have begun to pray, God has seen my heart's desire and longing, which He sees and hears long before the words pass through my mouth.
But many obstacles are thrown in the way; for the devil contends against this faith, and hinders it in every way that he can and is able: our flesh and our hearts are not heated in the faith, neither are they awakened by always handling such examples of the Scriptures as are to be found in the heart.
and repeat them often, so that they may awaken us to prayer against the pope and all princes who persecute sound doctrine. But if it does not follow this year that it will be fulfilled and gain the outcome that we have desired in prayer, it will follow in another year.
197: But among all the examples of prayer, this is very excellent, and like a precious stone, as Daniel chapter 9, v. 20, 21, is described, which I will diligently command all devout Christians: "While I was yet thus speaking and praying," 2c, "therefore the man Gabriel flew," etc. For all these things are described, not that we are to read them only once, as we do in secular examples, but that we are to be instructed by them and believe that they concern us, and therefore not to doubt the answer to prayer; but the place, time and all circumstances we are to leave to the will and counsel of God and command.
198. Whoever does this will also feel in reality how prayer has such wonderful power. For in it, "the Spirit helps our weakness and represents us in the best way with inexpressible groaning," as St. Paul says in Romans 8:26 and Ephesians 3:20: "Who is able to do abundantly above all that we ask or understand. We ask only for external goods, such as peace, tranquility, health and whatever we need for this life, but the power of God surpasses all understanding, hope and all our requests. Therefore, God gives those who call upon Him many more and greater gifts than the human heart can comprehend, understand or ask for. For we worship Him whose power and benevolence are infinite; indeed, He provides and arranges all circumstances, place, time and person far better than we could have prescribed with our thoughts. Therefore, we should get our hearts accustomed and awakened to prayer, so that many pray with one another at the same time; for the more there are who pray, the sooner and more abundantly they will also obtain what they ask. But we must pray in the name of Christ, and not in the name of Mary, St. Peter, or other saints, as the papists do, of which we have often said in other places.
199. Moses has thus far described the faith and prayer of this servant; for faith must precede all our works and business, even in the most trivial works that we do: we eat or sleep, conduct domestic or civil business, so it must all come from faith, invocation and thanksgiving, since the works of the pious must be good and pleasing to God; which cannot happen unless there is a fervent faith and right invocation, which must do and govern everything. St. Paul also exhorts us to this: "All things whatsoever ye do," he says, "do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father through Him.
200] After this praise of faith, which makes everything pleasant and pleasing to God, now follows the description of hospitality, which is also often praised in other places in the holy Scriptures. And Moses gives an example of it in this whole and long chapter, which, however, coarse and unchristian hearts or hypocrites will consider to be a vain, rude and mean thing, and is also where it is without God, without faith and right invocation; as they then consider it: but with God it is all delicious, great and glorious thing.
Fourth Part.
Of Rebekah and her behavior against Eliezer, and how Eliezer bestows the same,
God thanks and is kindly received by Laban.
V. 16-18. And she was a very fair damsel in appearance, yet a virgin, and no man had known her. She went down to the well, measured the pitcher, and went up. Then the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me drink a little water out of thy pitcher. And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down the pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink.
201. the holy scripture also commends Rebekah for being beautiful in appearance; for a beautiful form is a good creature.
It is not to be despised, and the flesh is allowed to have a little drop of external pleasure, since nature is either so corrupt or so created that we love more those who are beautiful in appearance, and especially if they are also honest, chaste and of a good nature, and give good hope that they can become good housemothers. Such are great high gifts of God.
This also belongs to our teaching, because Moses tells us so diligently how Rebekah was beautiful in appearance, and of a good nature, and adorned with beautiful and glorious virtues, and was born of pious and honest parents: but riches are not thought of at all, for riches are nothing to be reckoned against these gifts.
In our time, it is common to desire and seek only great money and goods. The holy scriptures, however, portray Isaac's bride as beautiful in appearance, a chaste and chaste virgin and of good manners, intelligent, prudent and obedient to her parents. Such a virgin does not need to have great treasures, but God gives through her a great rich treasure: but she who is naughty and of coarse manners, of a coarse mind, unwise and foolish, and also suspicious of discipline, brings with her, however rich she may be, all kinds of vices, mischief, harm and plagues. In sum, whoever desires to have a pious wife, let him call upon God, and He will hear him and give him one who, though not adorned with all the virtues that Rebekah was graced with, will nevertheless be suitable, honest and pious.
204 Here it is also illustrated and described what she had for customs and how she was brought up, so that Moses tells how she went down to the well and carried a pitcher to draw water. From this it seems that she was not a lazy virgin, brought up to idleness and lazy days, but her mother taught her and made her accustomed to housework, however naughty and peevish she was, using her as a maid or servant; therefore she sends her out to fetch water, but she serves her mother in simplicity and obedience,
does not care for anything else, but how she diligently carries out what the mother in the house commands her to do. That is why she had to become a mother of the prophets, patriarchs and Christ.
Our virgins know nothing else, except that they dress and adorn themselves exquisitely; but of the adornment of good manners they know nothing. But here you see that Rebekah is so adorned that she is suitable for the holy man and useful to him, and well worthy that she should become such a glorious and famous mother, and that her womb should bring forth the beautiful and divine fruit from which Christ was born. However, I do not want to detract from the praise of the others; they may have been rich and beautiful, but they cannot be compared to Rebekah.
Now, in addition to the other virtues, she was hospitable. For when she had come up again from the well, which, it seems, was so deep that one had to descend a stairway, the servant says to her, "Let me drink a little water from your jar. And here see what good breeding has been among the same peoples. The servant waits for Rebekah; when she comes again from the well, he meets her, but asks her delicately, modestly and shamefacedly, and says, "Let me taste a little water from your jar." So Lucas, in the stories of the Apostles of St. Paul, in the 20th chapter, says how he broke the bread and took a bite, does not say that he ate. It seems that this servant was very humble and chaste: as in the Virgin also it seems that she was very kind and hospitable; for the text says that she hurriedly let down the pitcher on her hand and gave him to drink. She does not only tell him to taste, but also to drink as much as he likes, and gives it to him herself.
This is a great praise of this people because of the special morality, discipline and kindness that came from the religion of the fathers and the knowledge of God. They address the servant very reverently and call him "Lord". Which word St. Peter makes very great, since he says 1 Epist. 3, 6. says how Sarah honored Abraham.
not as one of her own kind or as her husband, but as her master. So Rebekah also honors this guest and stranger and calls him a lord.
This fine discipline came from the fathers, who accustomed their youth to be hospitable, to wash the feet of guests, and to offer them food and drink as if they were well acquainted with them. So St. Paul says of widows 1 Tim. 5, 10: "If they have brought up children, if they have been hospitable, if they have washed the saints' feet, if they have lent a hand to the afflicted."
Among us there are few examples of such virtues. For we do not dwell here among men, but among sows, who neither understand nor learn anything of faith or good and honest morals. Therefore we need to be patient for the sake of the glory of God, who has placed us in this place. Now Rebekah has learned such kind, courteous and lovely manners from her parents, so she offers the servant to drink, saying, "Drink, my lord." Among other peoples, who are a little more friendly, you will still find such politeness. The Italians say, Mi sere si, my lord, yes; but the Germans, being a little better bred and a little more polite, say, Dear friend, dear boy. In this coarse country, however, you will hear nothing of the sort. Therefore, let us flee such vices and beware of such coarse wild customs, and let us learn from such examples, draw and direct our lives and customs to discipline and kindness.
B. 19. 20. And when she had given him drink, she said: I will draw for thy camels also, till they be all drunken. And she hasted, and poured out the pitcher into the trough, and ran to draw water, and drew water for all his camels.
She does not let it be enough that she has given the guest drink; she also gives drink to the camels and other servants. She is so servant and pious that she does not think it too much to be a servant of the stranger and his camels: therefore she will also afterwards attain such great glory.
that she becomes an old mother. And these have been the customs of the oldest fathers, who have accustomed their children to such mean works of kindness and reverence toward everyone, that they would be ready to serve others, to speak kindly and sweetly to them.
In this place the Holy Spirit praises and extols such virtues, and expresses all circumstances in particular, and also all gestures, so that he may indicate that all the works of the pious, which come from a pure and faithful heart, are very pleasing and pleasing to him. And again Moses adds that they have hastened. For it has always been praised that one should be quick and nimble in serving another; and St. Paul also wants this from Christians, since he says Rom. 12:11: "Do not be slow to do what you ought to do." For slow service is not service, but nimble service is double service. Therefore we should be willing, ready and prepared to show kindness, hospitality and other friendship, because we see that such virtues are inculcated and held out to us by the Holy Spirit in so many words and so diligently.
212. above (Cap. 19, 2. ff.) we have also heard of Lot in the same way, how he accommodated the angels. But we should not be displeased to read and hear such things often, for the Holy Spirit is not ashamed of them, nor is he displeased to speak and act of such things in so many words. For there are very beautiful teachings of good manners introduced in this whole narrative, which are also to be drawn to God; for they are gifts of God, which are not only in the spirit, but also by heart and with honor toward men; for God is also a God over the body, therefore he also gives gifts in the flesh, and wants us to use them with joy.
They seem to be worldly and vain, of which a stoic head or even a Pharisee might well ask whether they are permissible: as they are very hostile and morose people, who do not allow the body any pleasure or joy at all; for their religion and spirituality is, as St. Paul describes it, "a very vain and vain religion.
Col. 2, 23, that they do not spare the body, but torture and kill it until it is destroyed. As it is said of St. Bernard that he tortured his body in such a way that it would force evil desire and fornication, so that the brothers finally could not deal with him because of the foul and stinking breath; yet God created body and soul, and wants that both be allowed and given their refreshment, but that it have its measure and goal.
V.21. But the man wondered about them, and kept silent until he knew whether the Lord had given grace to his maturity or not.
The servant marvels at the haste and agility of the virgin, who is so willing and inclined to serve him and his camels so kindly. And it soon occurred to him in his heart that he had comforted himself, that his prayer would certainly be answered. Therefore such astonishment and horror came: Whether this should be the bride, he must have thought, who comes so soon and unawares; yes, it will certainly be her. And all this belongs to the previous consolation of the answer to prayer, that God gives more than we can understand and ask. Thus, I could never have thought and hoped that in such a short time the Gospel would be spread as far as it has been so far by the great grace of God: when I began to teach, I could not have even dreamed of such a thing. Therefore, it is right to be surprised, and this should also strengthen us and assure us of the great goodness and grace of God; "that this servant now no longer doubts the virgin, but is certain that she will be the bride; remember, therefore, how he comes to the parents, and tells them how the virgin is minded and what the cause of his coming is.
V.22. When the camels had all drunk, he took a gold clasp weighing half a shekel, and two bracelets on their hands weighing ten shekels of gold.
215: What is told here seems to be a very carnal and worldly thing before reason.
I myself wonder why Moses spoke so much about such small things, when he spoke so briefly about much higher things. But there is no doubt that the Holy Spirit wanted this to be written for our instruction. For in the holy Scriptures nothing is held against us that is small or vain, but everything that is written is written for our learning, Rom. 15:4. For God wants to be known in all things, whether they are great or small.
216. He has just described how Sodom was burned (Cap. 19:24) and the temptation of Abraham to sacrifice his son (Cap. 22:2) in short words, because these are great things that a man does not easily understand when he is not spiritual: but what is external to the body we understand more easily; therefore God speaks of such things to us in detail. Therefore, we should not be distressed to read or consider these things, which are described in some detail in this chapter. And although the article of man's justification is not taught here, nevertheless the teaching of fine honest manners is dealt with here; as examples of kindness, service and goodness to strangers will now follow. And we have been invited by this chapter to the wedding of Rebekah: therefore let us hear the bridal song as an example to the youth, that they may learn of weddings, and at the same time keep husband and wife honest; which things are all despised among the heathen, as may be seen in the writings of the poets, both Greek and Latin. For they look only at the flesh, and thus revile and dishonor God the Creator. We should hold the text of the holy scriptures under their noses.
217 The Hebrew word nezem occurs often in the holy scriptures, and I think I have found its right and proper meaning by diligent attention. In the Latin text it is inauris, which means a precious stone that is hung on the ears; as the histories of the Moors and Cleopatra report, in which this ornament was common. But this is still the right
It does not have the same meaning as the word, but actually means, as Jerome also considers it, a headband that reaches from one ear to the other. Our virgins use pearls and gold braids instead of the same jewelry, but that was pure gold.
218 Thus it is written in the Proverbs of Solomon, Cap. 11, 22: "A beautiful woman without discipline is like a sow with a golden hairband." This is as much as if you were to say, according to our proverb, that in a foolish and lewd woman the beautiful is as much as if a wreath were put on the head of a sow. Thus it is written in the 2nd book of Moses Cap. 32, 2. ff. that Aaron made a cast calf out of the earrings, and was not only an ornament of women, but also of men, virgins and honest matrons; as the women wear their golden braids under the veils.
219 Hence came also the forehead leaf of the high priest, which was half a ring; for he had a hat of white silk and at the forehead half a ring of gold. From there also came the crown of the kings, who used berets, namely the Orientals white, as still today the Turk leads; the Romans however from purple a red beautiful beret, around with a golden decoration. In later times they used crowns of pure gold; as the pope wears a triple crown, the Turkish emperor, as I hear, a sixfold one: but with this they have fallen away from the simplicity of the ancients.
The servant of Rebekah gives such a golden jewel, a golden hair band or braid around the hair and two bracelets. The German word, so we have, comes with the Hebrew; because we call it Geschmeide, Armgeschmeide, in Hebrew it is called zemidim. Noble matrons adorned one arm with gold or precious stones, but this servant adorned both arms. But as I have said before, this can be seen as a worldly thing and as an abundance, which a Franciscan monk would undoubtedly condemn. For they are conscience-stricken that they should touch gold or silver with their hands, whether or not they are in the world.
They have a great and insatiable devil of avarice sitting in their hearts, coveting and worshipping the goods of the whole world.
For this reason, all these things are held up to us against such hypocrites, so that we may learn the right middle road. For God does not want to condemn such a thing, but wants the wedding to be held honestly, to stimulate the youth with it, so that they gain desire and love for honest marriage against all kinds of defilement and unseemly mixing. Therefore, he praises and wants to describe such moderate and honest splendor, which seems to be an abundance before the eyes of the monks, so that God may testify that he is pleased with the adornment, the banquet and the happiness of the wedding for the sake of the cause for which the marriage state was primarily ordered, namely, to beget children, to raise them, to order the house government, the police and the church.
Let this be held under the noses of the sour hypocrites, who think from spirituality that one should not wear gold or silver, nor abstain from special food, clothing or such things. God does not like such holiness at all; indeed, he has made us lords, that I should rule over all things, over sheep and oxen, and over all the earth, as the 8th Psalm v. 7, 8 says, and as is also written in the first chapter above, v. 29 ff. He not only grants us such authority that we may have and possess such things, but that we may also use them. He wants us to take care of our bodies, to preserve them and not to kill them; that is why he has given us food, drink, the sun and the moon; and in this way he also permits the arrangement, splendor and adornment at the wedding.
Those who are excluded from such a common order and manner of other people may be so and use their gift of chastity, but for this reason the others do not sin when they become married and make merry at the wedding according to common usage; indeed, God praises this and makes so many words about the married couple for this reason, and the Holy Spirit beautifully adorns the bride here, as if He had nothing else to do and teach.
With this, however, we do not want to applaud the godless Epicureans and antinomians, who, when they hear this. They seek nothing else out of it, but excessive feasting and stifling, so that they exceed all measure and aim, as well as all Christian discipline and godliness; as can now be seen in our people, that they are horribly wanton in clothing, excessive adornment and living well. Everyone thinks he may do what he pleases, regardless of his rank or common respectability. The burghers in cities want to precede the nobility with great splendor and expense. The nobility wants to do the same as princes and kings. This is called going too far according to the law.
We condemn the stoic and sour minds and monks who think that these worldly things, as they call them, are condemned by God, and in the meantime praise their works highly as heavenly and spiritual works, and abstain from such pleasures, in the very worst opinion, as if they were doing God a special service, and thereby wanting to earn forgiveness of sins for themselves and other people. Those who can do so may well adorn themselves and put on a golden garment, so that they may punish and trample underfoot such sour superstitions of the saints; for God has given us the gifts of the flesh to be used, but with thanksgiving.
226 On the other hand, we also punish and condemn the wantonness and debauchery of those who adorn and clothe themselves beyond measure and always want to live in lavishness without any fear of God. For these people, as Rebekah and her parents, likewise Abraham and Isaac, lived in great humility and godliness, and need such adornment, firstly, in honor of their married state; secondly, for the sake of future child rearing, for the sake of the church and also of the worldly government, and do this in the fear of God, in faith and with thanksgiving. This is not done by the hypocrites, who think they are doing God a special service by abstaining from it. And the gluttons, who always live in a state of indulgence, also do not keep a proper measure with it, who think that it is right and good to do so.
that one is only free to always feast and abuse God's creatures. So neither of them understands the Scripture correctly. Feasting, fasting, suffering and being happy all have their time.
227. with the weeping and mourning one should mourn, Rom. 12, 15. and God says Isa. 66, 2. that He wants to dwell with the miserable and the brokenhearted and fear His word. But again, he does not want to forbid, yes, he praises and is pleased where a heart is sincere and believing in the Lord. One should indeed lead a spiritual life, but so that the bodily life may also have its refreshment, especially in the case of those who have to deal with great work or are severely afflicted, so that they are plagued with restlessness that they cannot sleep: they may well drink a little more so that they may get some sleep. For this reason, says the holy scripture Psalm 104:15, wine was created, that it should gladden the heart of a man who is sad and distressed. For such a man shall eat and drink, that body and soul may be joined together again.
So we must always stay on the right middle road and not deviate either to the right or to the left, so that we do not become epicureans and wild people who even lead a wild and sour life, nor be hypocrites and monks who can always see sour. The wedding should not be deprived of its proper splendor and honest merriment, but feasting and living day and night in revelry, excessive dress or shameful gambling should not suffer at all, for all these things are strictly forbidden and condemned in the Holy Scriptures.
229. But God is hostile to sadness, but he loves a cheerful and sincere heart. For otherwise it is enough for unhappiness and sadness, so that the devil may tempt and afflict people; therefore one should do the body honor and wait for it, but not let it become lustful, Rom. 13:14, and indulge in all kinds of sins and shame. And a pious, God-fearing husband, who has to do a lot of hard work in the worldly and ecclesiastical government or in housekeeping, should have rest for his heart and soul.
But where he is an idler and pursues only eating and drinking, he hardly sins.
V. 25 And said unto him, There is also plenty of straw and fodder with us, and room enough to lodge.
The Holy Spirit is pleased with this example, that these people are so hospitable, therefore he praises it so highly and with so many words. The virgin promises the servant that is not in her power: she has invited him into her father's house, although she is only her mother's maid. From this it appears what a custom and good practice it was in the families of the holy fathers; as it is said above about Abraham and Lot that they were always ready, sitting in front of the gates and waiting for the guests. Therefore, Rebekah does not doubt that her parents will receive and welcome the servant with great joy and gladness. This is a great praise of charity, love and hospitality, to which virtues the saints raised their children, that they should be charitable and hospitable, especially to the patriarchs, prophets, and those who carried and spread the word and heavenly teachings around. We should also make an effort to follow such virtues.
(vv. 26-28) And the man bowed himself, and worshipped the Lord, saying, Blessed be the Lord God of my master Abraham, which hath not left his mercy and his truth in my master: for the Lord hath led me by the way to my master's brother's house. And the damsel ran and told all these things in her mother's house.
The servant has now been granted his request and is happy that the bride has been shown to him and has found herself; now also think of the grace and goodness of God, that he should be grateful to Him for this. For this reason, we are told the right measure of joy and joyfulness, namely, that it should be such that it does not trouble the conscience or burden it with sins, but rather that in it one can feel the fear of God.
May God keep faith, prayer and thanksgiving.
The servant bows down and thanks God that he has accomplished his journey blissfully; and over such small and worldly things he nevertheless praises God. Nothing can be so small or insignificant that it cannot become a sacrifice or service to God. And in all words and works one should always look to God, so that people may understand the gifts given to them by God and be grateful to Him for them. It is indeed a small thing to see a virgin, to give her golden spangles; but they are all gifts of God: if they are not great, they are small. For it is the same God who gives both. Therefore, God is due His service in return, namely, thanksgiving and gratitude in small things as well as in great things, so that the pious may never let go from their hearts the fear of God and the thought that God is the One who created all things and still sustains them.
233 Thus a man will be perfect and fit for all good works, 2 Tim. 3:17, because he is so instructed that he believes that God graciously gives all goods, small and great, and therefore says with this servant: "Praise be to God the Lord, the God of heaven and earth. Such people's lives are holy and pleasing to God in all their actions and deeds, whether they eat or drink, sleep or wake.
In this place Moses shows, as he does in other places, the mystery of the Trinity in the divine essence, since he says: "The Lord, the gods"; as it is also written in Deut. 6:4: "Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Elohim", that is, "gods". In all things God is only One God, and so He is to be honored by us where only the Word is followed. But if any other way is made without the Word to invoke and serve GOtt, He is not one Elohim (gods). Such testimonies should be noted, for they show that the holy fathers understood the mystery of the Trinity, which is preached to us clearly and publicly.
The servant repeats and summarizes in his heart the benefits that God has shown his master, according to the promise made to him by Abraham, namely, that the Lord would send his angel, and he feels that this promise has now been fulfilled. As if he wanted to say: God has shown my Lord many benefits and faithfully keeps his promise to him: he is true; so he has led me here by the hand of the angel. I was traveling, but I did not know the way, I could not guide myself; but God the Lord led me, as a shepherd goes before his flock and leads them, John 10:4. His angel went before me, Ex 23:23, according to His promise and truth, and led me to my Lord's brother's house.
The virgin heard this thanksgiving and at the same time the name of Abraham, her blood relative; but the servant did not speak of marriage or marriage, but only handed over the gift. Now the virgin hurries home and tells her mother all this, namely that Abraham, her oldest cousin, sent his servant to the hut. And again it is put in the text that she hurried or ran, as above (v. 8. 20.) also, to indicate how the virgin was so nimble and spry.
237 But she goes to her mother's house, not that the houses were two or more than one, but that the dwellings of the men and women were distinct: the matron dwelt specially with the daughters and maids, as they did woman's work; the men also had their separate place, which was situated for their man's work. As it is the custom of some married couples today that they have their separate sleeping chambers. Therefore she hastens and runs to her mother's house, with whom she lived in the same chamber; but Milcah and Laban lived in the same house.
The Jews dispute whether Bethuel died at that time, and they tell all kinds of lies and leave the Scriptures aside, but the following text brings them along,
that Laban and Bethuel were brothers, Laban the firstborn and Bethuel the other.
V 29-33 And Rebekah had a brother, whose name was Laban: and Laban ran unto the man without by the well. And when he saw the clasps and bracelets on his sister's hands, and heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus said the man unto me, he came unto the man, and, behold, he stood by the camels by the well. And he said, Come in, thou blessed of the Lord; why standest thou without? So he led the man into the house, and unharnessed the camels, and gave them straw and fodder, and water to wash his feet, and the men that were with him, and set food before him.
Now we have here another example and praise of hospitality, not in a few words, but as abundantly described as the previous example. Laban knows nothing of the man except what he hears from his sister, and yet as soon as he hears that there is a guest or stranger outside, he hastens to invite him into his house. This they learned from the high patriarchs Shem, Nahor, Tharah, namely, that one should receive and accommodate guests with a willing and cheerful heart, especially pious God-fearing brothers. Thus we have heard above (Cap. 19, v. 2. 3.) from Lot that he compelled the angels to stay with him. Abraham runs to meet the three men, and St. Peter 1 Epist. 4, 9 teaches that we should be hospitable without murmuring, and with an inclined and cheerful heart.
240 Although it is not easy to accept someone in our very wicked and corrupt times, unless he brings testimony from pious people, and Germany now has a particularly large number of wicked boys and murderers, who have already horribly destroyed many towns and villages. For in the dominions now and then judgment and law and good discipline lie low and are not respected at all.
We have received many insults and reproaches from the people who have received them.
However, if some come to us with good honest testimonies, we should invite them kindly and willingly, wait for them and care for them, and require them to come to us; for we are instructed from the example of the patriarchs and the teachings of Christ that we do not receive and shelter men, but angels, yes, Christ, the Son of God, and the eternal Father Himself, according to the saying of Christ Matth. 10, 40: "Whoever receives you, receives Me. And so your house will become a true temple of God, yes, a paradise and kingdom of heaven; for where God dwells, there is also His temple.
By such promises and examples the fathers were moved to gladly receive and shelter holy and godly guests, and were certain that they would receive God Himself. And in this way they made their houses a heaven and dwelling place of God, and taught this also to their children and accustomed them to hospitality. But in those days the discipline and customs were better and the regiments more serious and strict than now in our time, when we have to worry that we might be endangered by those who are unknown to us and that they might poison our food and pasture. For we have come to the last time, which unfortunately brings with it all kinds of evil, sins and vices.
However, if someone who accommodates an evil guest out of a good heart were to meet with some kind of accident on his part, he should nevertheless retain the comfort that he has done it in honor of God and out of a charitable heart to serve the same guest and to do good for God's sake. But the fathers of the house should be careful that they do not unknowingly bring danger and harm upon themselves.
Laban addresses this guest very kindly and honestly, calls him blessed by the Lord, and therefore receives him as a holy man or a prophet. And this is a beautiful example of the saying of Christ Matth. 10, 40: "Whoever receives you, receives me". And add to this, "I have cleared the house, and for the camels I have given them a place.
Room made." In Hebrew there is a very emphatic word: "I have cleared out of every corner", there is no corner in my house that shall not be open to you. And it seems as if the Holy Spirit had a special pleasure in telling this, so that he used such clear words, and wanted to show that Laban was heartily willing and happy to accommodate this man and to be hospitable to him.
Yes, he also serves him with servant and stable boy work, unbridles the camels, washes his feet, which was a common practice among the people and is still a praiseworthy habit, which St. Paul also praises, 1 Tim. 5, 10. Our bishops and papists do this on Green Thursday, but they only play a child's game and pretend to be humble; afterwards, however, they wash their hands in the blood of the saints who confess the true, pure and sound doctrine.
Fifth part.
How Eliezer woos Rebekah, receives the word of consent, distributes gifts; how he returns home again and gives him
Isaac comes to meet you.
V. 33. But he said, I will not eat until I have first advertised my cause. They answered: Tell me.
In this entire chapter, we are presented with an example of a faithful servant and a pious, God-fearing messenger: he was full of faith, holiness and all kinds of virtues, and lacks none of the things that should be in a faithful servant. He has now been given an excellent inn, as well as a host who is willing and kind, with whom everything is very well prepared for him and well ordered. But all this has not prevented him from first doing his business and carrying out all the orders.
247 Therefore this Eliezer is an example to all those who are in the office and profession of a servant; such examples we have none in our time, but everyone complains.
The Holy Spirit does not commend such servants to the Holy Spirit, but makes them an abomination in the eyes of God and a servant of the devil, whom they also serve and obey. Such servants are not praised by the Holy Spirit, but are an abomination in the eyes of God and the serfs of the devil, whom they also serve and obey. St. Paul teaches and admonishes the servants thus: "You servants, be obedient in all things to your physical masters, not with service in mind, as pleasing men, but with simplicity of heart and fear of God." But you will hardly find one among thousands who will do this; however, this must be taught and inculcated into the people, and the willfulness and disobedience of the servants must be punished and condemned.
For this reason this servant is praised, because he is godly, pious and holy, who before all things wants to carry out the command of his lord, however small it may have been, namely, to woo a wife for his son. For he respects his master's command greatly, and knows that he serves God in every work that belongs to his office; therefore, I say, he was full of faith and the Holy Spirit. So Joseph also served his master faithfully, and he was also gloriously rewarded for such faithfulness, namely, that he was thereby raised to royal glory; and I have no doubt that this servant will finally have come to all great honors, good and happiness.
249. for he has kept himself very fine according to the teaching of Paul, since the same Col. 3, 22. says that the servants are to be obedient to their masters, not with service before their eyes, when the master sees it, but he is equally faithful and diligent, whether his master is present or not. And as much as there has been in him, he has disgraced and put to shame the common sayings, since it has been said: The master's attention is the horse's food and prosperity; item: This is the best dung that falls from the master's feet onto the field; item: Attention is the best. All these sayings punish and lament the deceit and laziness of the servants. Just as in the comedies of the poets there are now and then many mean complaints about the wickedness of the
Servants. For from our own experience we must confess that this is true, as is said in the Greek proverb: The master himself must be the servant, where he wants to be right in the house. All such sayings are completely nullified by Eliezer's faithfulness and diligence; for he himself is Abraham's eye and the dung falls from his feet.
250'. Such examples of piety are praised with words and writings of the Holy Spirit, which are indeed small and domestic works. For the servant does nothing else, except that he goes along with camels, carrying gold, which are all human works, but very good and holy; for they come from the supreme fear of God and faith in God, and from obedience and faithfulness to his Lord.
251. And such examples should be held up to the servants and the servants, yes, they should be held up against the abominable works of the monks. For such domestic, servile and worldly works, so that one deals with the domestic and worldly regiment, are praised and extolled in the holy scriptures to the highest degree; for they serve for the breeding of children and the preservation of the domestic and worldly regiment, yes, they also serve for the preservation of godliness and right religion.
V. 34. He said: I am Abraham's servant.
252 This is a fine and godly court of the servant; for he boasts of his lord, and exalts himself very highly that he is the servant of such a great man. As if he wanted to say: I am a messenger of a king, prince or other great potentate. It seems to us to be a small thing that he boasts that he is Abraham's servant, but he considers this very great. For by this he makes his way and access to the Syrians, yes, he wrests favor and good will from them. Have you, he says, ever heard Abraham's name? I am his messenger, he has sent me.
253 But in this courting there is still the highest kindness and humility; for he says nothing of himself except that he is a servant, and yet he is the chief of Abraham's house, to whom the administration of the household regiment was commanded. And this is rightly called honoring his master,
as St. Paul exhorts the servants to do, when he says Col. 3, 23: "All things whatsoever ye do, do from the heart, as unto the Lord, and not unto men. This servant read and fulfilled the epistles of Paul before Paul was born, and judged very rightly that he served Abraham not as a man, but as a prophet and patriarch of God.
Therefore he does not say in vain: "I am Abraham's servant," of which I boast, although I am not worthy of the honor: but I serve him gladly and from the heart, for I know that he is a son and man of God. Who would not gladly serve such a man? For he certainly thinks that God esteems his Lord so great and holds him so dear that for his sake he sends his servant an angel as a companion.
Therefore, this is a fine example of good morals, which confirms and teaches the teaching of St. Paul that servants should serve gladly, because they are certain, when they serve their masters faithfully, whether they are present or not, that they are serving the divine Majesty. And if we were not so blind and senseless, we would thank God for this knowledge that we are certain that we serve God and not men, and that God so abundantly showers us with good works and His services. For of all the work that a servant does in the house, even if he only sweeps the house, he should be certain that he is doing God a service.
(256) But this is our foolishness, that we think, If I would serve God the Lord in heaven, I would boast; these are first of all bad, low and mean works. There our flesh betrays itself, which does not believe that it is true that a servant who is obedient to his master serves God; likewise also a son, a daughter, a maid or a pupil, where they are obedient to father and mother and the schoolmaster. For if we believed it, all our works would be done with glory, joy and gratitude. But since we do not have the Holy Spirit, neither do we believe that a lord, a lady, a pastor, a schoolmaster, and the like are God's order, so
all obedience is cold and gone out of us, for otherwise we would gladly be obedient.
If God told you to go and greet some good friend or prince with a new and special commandment, you would do so with the greatest joy, without any delay. But why do you not do the same when your master or parents command you? For the same is said and commanded to you by God through your Lord and your parents; as St. Paul testifies when he says Col. 3:24: "You serve the Lord Christ."
But who recognizes or believes this? Help God, how vehemently the authorities, lords, parents and schoolmasters are complaining today! People are acting as if they were completely possessed and insane, yes, they are full of horrible murder. For the children kill their own parents, not with the sword, but with sadness of heart and sorrow: they bring their parents down from strength and sap, who grieve and sorrow to death because they mean their children warmly, but the children do not want to obey, since obedience of the children should please and refresh them. So also the household makes their masters grieve and mourn to death because of their disobedience and wickedness, so that all the ranks of those who should be submissive and obedient to others grieve the Holy Spirit, which is the very worst, Eph. 4, 30. as the epistle to the Hebrews Cap. 13, 17. says: "Obey your teachers, and follow them; that they may do it with joy, and not with sighing: for that is not good for you."
Therefore, such examples should be diligently noted, so that we may learn what a great thing it is to faithfully serve the lords who rule over us. For however despised and small such service or obedience may be regarded, nevertheless those who are in domestic or worldly rule over us have such rule by God's order. Now if you do your duty of obedience, you have a gracious God, a peaceful heart, and a Lord who blesses you: but if not, God will be angry, and because of your disobedience you can
have no peaceful conscience: you have lost God the Lord from your heart, along with your good conscience and all blessings.
V.35-44: And the Lord blessed my lord abundantly, and became great, and gave him sheep, and oxen, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses. And Sarah my lord's wife bare a son unto my lord in his old age: and unto him gave he all that he had. And my lord took an oath of me, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife for my son of the daughters of the Cananites, in whose land I dwell; but go to my father's house, and to my family; there take a wife for my son. And I said unto my lord, How if the wife will not follow me? Then said he unto me, The Lord, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and give grace unto thy journey, that thou mayest take a wife unto my son of my friendship, and of my father's house. Then thou shalt be far from my oath, when thou comest to my friendship: if they give thee not, thou shalt be quit of my oath. So I came to the well this day, and said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, if thou hast given grace unto my journey, wherefore I have journeyed, behold, I stand here by the well of water. And if a virgin come forth to draw, and I say unto her, Give me a little water to drink out of thy pitcher; and she shall say, Drink thou, and I will draw for thy camels also: that she may be the woman which the Lord my lord hath given to his son.
This is a long repetition of what has been said before, and a proof of the faithfulness and diligence of this servant, who now praises his master and thus wants to say: "Not only do I serve this master of mine, but also the angels. But he is a great man; for he is very richly blessed by God and very famous, not only for his wisdom, faith and piety in the church and world government, even among kings, as has been reported above (Cap. 20.) in his history: but also in his household because of the bodily blessings, gold, silver, servants and maids etc. Such
The servant in particular is so great that he has so much and so great a good, and everything so abundantly through God's blessing. For he sees all this in faith. The gifts he has for himself he holds in low esteem, for the greatest thing is that everything he has is God's gift, and everything he has in his administration comes through God's blessing and help. But I am appointed to keep all this and to govern his Hans. Therefore, you have here not an ordinary guest, but a messenger of God.
261. Whoever understands this would not want unreasonably to be the servant of such a master, above all other honor and glory of this life. But no one considers it, nor ascribes it to God, that he should give as this servant does; but especially the miser, and those who deal in unseemly ways, do not recognize God's gift.
Therefore the servant adds more and says: "I will not only relate these great and excellent gifts of God, but also the great miracles which are signs that God is with my master Abraham. Sarah, his wife, was barren and half unable to bear children; she gave birth to my Lord's son Isaac. Which miracle work he will have made then without doubt with more words large, and somewhat more extensively tells, which is described here recently.
And this is the praise and glory of the godly and Christian service which this servant has rendered to his lord. Those who are in such a low estate should know that they have the same glory and hope in their profession that the lords or other high estates have. For whatever honor and majesty there is in the high estates, all this the servants have in common with them, and the servants are made worthy of the honor, that they may glorify their masters.
But here one would say: What is the purpose of such a long repetition? Answer: First of all, it serves to adorn and praise the betrothals, which should not be done secretly in the corner. It seems to be a worldly thing, that the servant of his master's and his son's property so much
But it is told so that we may know that it is not only not a sin or condemned by God to praise one who courts a virgin, but that it is also honest and praiseworthy before God. For this long story does not belong to Abraham or his servant alone, but it is a praise, so that the bridegroom is praised, whom one should praise and extol in words to the virgin, namely, that he is honorable, pious, beautiful and rich, the child of pious and honorable people: as also in the virgin such praise is sought, that she is virtuous, well brought up and born of pious parents. This is all part of promoting marriage and marriage by it, and all pleases God well. Therefore, in addition to the other command to woo the bride, the servant also praised Isaac because of his virtue and wealth, which his father had given him.
This also serves to confirm our opinion, namely, that the clandestine marriage of convenience, by which a loose boy often steals his son or daughter away from honest parents, should not be permitted. Therefore, we fight with all our might against such devilish deceit, since the Holy Spirit so diligently expresses the consent of parents, bride and groom.
266 And this glory and praise of Isaac is for this reason prepared, and all the circumstances are read together, that thereby the virgin's mind may be searched, so that it should not be thought that she must take to marriage one to whom she has neither desire nor love. Therefore the servant says that he is an honest and pious youth; item, that he has pious God-fearing parents and in his whole family is the right religion and pure healthy doctrine.
In his decree, the pope says that error and an unfulfilled condition can divorce a marriage that has not only already been made and vowed by one to the other, but has also already been decided and confirmed; and he lists fifteen obstacles that can hinder a marriage. But these two, he says, set aside the marriage that has already been established and confirmed. So Jacob and Leah could be divorced according to his law.
1730 L. VI, W-92. interpretation of L. Genesis 24, 35-44. W. I, AM-ÄNt. 1731
because Jacob had not chosen Leah, but had been deceived by an error and deceit of person.
268 Should not fraud here also annul the secret betrothal, since some knave and swindler steals my daughter from me secretly without my will and knowledge? In order that such fraud and error may be prevented, the consent of the parents of both parties should come to the marriage, and the persons, as bridegroom and bride, should know each other, so that the marriage may be strong and confirmed, and it is not necessary to separate the marriage for the sake of an unfulfilled condition or error. Therefore, secret engagements should be punished and condemned as such a thing, from which all kinds of mischief, harm and misfortune come in heaps: which God has shown us a beautiful order to prevent, namely, that marriage foundations should be established and made according to the advice and with the consent of the parents of the bridegroom and the bride. But I have also said above that the parents should not abuse their right and exercise tyranny over the children.
Since all this repetition belongs to the description of the wedding and betrothal ceremony, it should be applied to the common doctrine mentioned above, namely, the dignity of the married state and that this state is pleasing to God. For the whole world is blinded by original sin, so that it cannot see the divine works, nor recognize the glory of God in such works. Now and then in the writings of the Latin and Greek writers, the married state is scolded and blasphemed, and what is evil in it is drawn out and made dirty, but what is good in it is obscured.
There are two kinds of evil in the marriage state, which sin and the devil have attached to this state. One is sin and natural infirmities, the other is death. These two evils have disfigured and corrupted the whole of nature to such an extent that reason can see no more in the female sex than weakness and unwillingness. In addition, there are also punishments and illnesses.
And there are also many other countless miseries and misfortunes, all of which annoy men, and make great people more ill-disposed toward this state, as if these two things were the fault of women alone, when we men have many more shameful infirmities than greed, avarice, and such gross vices, so that we cause trouble in the worldly government and also in the church, and make them sad. Yes, add to this the punishment and all kinds of diseases.
For this reason, if one were to compare these things with one another and record them in a register or book, one would find much greater faults and defects in men than in women. But this is our lamentation and folly, that we cannot recognize or see anything that is good, but see only that which the devil has attached to the senses and powers of body and soul. Hence so much abuse has come, so that the female sex has been more reviled than the male. Therefore, we should take care that as much as the devil has obscured this divine order and made it worthless, so much the more we should praise, extol, adorn and commend God's work and order and the divine glory in it.
For everyone will have to admit that the female gender is a creature of God. Now the Scripture says (Gen. 1, 31): "God looked at all that he had made, and behold, it was very good. The devil suppresses this good with invective, and is wont to sweep out and reject the evil. On the other hand, we should read the right use and the good together; for the same surpasses the infirmities and the evil so much more, how much greater is God's goodness than the devil's wickedness. Now if we could know the goodness of nature as it is created, we would then be blessed, as we will fully understand this in eternal life.
273. there are, as I have said before, in this poor female sex certain infirmities and defects, as, death, that is, all kinds of punishments, diseases, and troubles, which all belong to death, in the mother as well as in the children: she is
The children are disobedient and wild, the neighbors are wicked and unpleasant; but now we speak of the infirmities that are within the marriage state and do not divorce the marriage, as adultery does. But such infirmities should all be covered up with the good and benefits we have taught against them. For though the female sex is very weak, and both in mind and body is afflicted with many infirmities, yet the one good covers all such infirmities, namely, childbearing and childbearing. This dialectical argument and proof is very strong, passes through and overcomes, and there is nothing else that can so powerfully conclude and so certainly convince as this, be it beauty, good manners, wealth, or whatever other gifts may be in women.
274 And with this gift Adam also covered all infirmities and damages, when he gave his wife the name that she should be called Eve, Genesis 3:20, which is said to be life; which overcomes all other things, whether they be evil or good, and has its beginning from the woman. For nothing lives unless it is borne and born in the womb, and suckled with the mother's breasts and milk; hence all kingdoms and dominions, all prophets and fathers, have come: that therefore God has placed on the woman and bound to her His creation of all men, and also the use and manner of creation, that is, that she should conceive, bear children, nurture and rear them, and serve the man and rule the house. Thus this ineffable good shines forth among all the evil infirmities and damages that may be found in the female sex. This is a very short praise, which comprehends everything in itself, and which Adam also comprehended in one word by calling his wife Eve.
Therefore the woman is a mother of all men, who carries men in her womb, gives birth to them in this world, nourishes them with her milk, waits for them with bathing and all other services. For what would kings, princes, prophets and all the saints be, if Eve had not been? For God makes
the people not from stones, but from man and woman.
This argument should be held under the noses of the papists, God's enemies, and all who despise the female sex; and at the same time, the examples of the fathers and the saints who lived in matrimony should be cited. This is how the married state is adorned, which the whole world otherwise disdains and reviles, as can be seen in the poets Juvenal and Martial.
But what is it that they complain so vehemently about harm alone and do not also consider life in death and punishment, namely, that men are born, nurtured and preserved for this and eternal life? Such immeasurable, incomprehensible and quite divine good they should not do with their eyes, so they would judge better of the female sex.
278 In Gellius there are strange words from the speech of Metellus, who had admonished the citizens of Rome to take wives. Knowing that everyone is disgusted by the unpleasantness and toil of sin and death, he sets forth his exhortation thus, saying: "Dear citizens, if we could live without wives, we could be free from all this toil and trouble. But since nature has made it so that we cannot live comfortably with women, nor can we live at all without them, it is better to take that over ourselves, by which we can always be advised and helped in life, than to strive for shorter pleasure and joy.
In those days wise people were annoyed by these words. For they thought that he should have kept silent and covered up the unwillingness. And it is true that you might say that he, in advising them to enter into matrimony, was in fact advising them against it; but it is just the same misgiving that Adam had. He does not deny the unpleasantness, toil, and trouble of this state, but sets the good against it, saying thus: "If you take no wives, you shall be saved from much toil and unpleasantness; but if you have dominion over the whole race, you shall have no more toil and unpleasantness.
If you want to rule and govern, wage war and expand your regiment, there must be people who are alive. Therefore, the first thing you must think about is life, for those who are not alive will not rule, nor will they wage war on and conquer other nations and countries.
For this reason life is the highest good of the female sex, which alone rejects and refutes the invectives of Juvenal and the Auderns, who have reviled this state and the female sex. If a city is to be filled with children and citizens, it is necessary that the people become married. And all this rhymes finely with the one name our first father gave to his wife, calling her Eve, that is, a mother of the living, who gives birth to children who can then administer the temporal government, rule the church and the house, learn to know God, and be saved in eternal life.
The patriarchs also felt and experienced the discomfort and hardship of the married state. Abraham, Lot and the others were strangers, traveled around and suffered many miseries and great misfortunes, but they endured them with patience and absorbed them, remembering this great comfort, that Eve is a mother of the living, who bears children and brings them forth.
That is why we have to struggle with such trouble, unpleasantness and burden of the married state, because we always have the present misfortune most before our eyes and in our mind. For we are not yet in the blessed life for which we are waiting, but in such a life in which we must struggle and struggle with many misfortunes; all of which we must learn to consider with the knowledge of creation and order, which is good and divine, and the youth must become accustomed to think of the female sex and of the marriage state what is right and Christian to think of it.
Yes, you say, yet the whole world and many wise people despise this state and shun it. Answer: In this way they show their folly, because they only pay attention to infirmities.
But they do not open their eyes to see the motherhood that nullifies all evil and trouble. In addition to this, God Himself praises and honors the marriage state in the fourth commandment, when He says in Exodus 20:12: "You shall honor your father and your mother. But all that he has established and honored in his commandments is not to be reproached and blasphemed.
He who is able to abstain and live chastely may well abstain, but he should nevertheless speak honestly and much about marriage and motherhood, for these are God's blessing and order, by which God sustains the entire human race in this life. And this is what I wanted to repeat about the praise of matrimony. For Rebekah gives cause for the Holy Spirit to speak so much about the marriage state and betrothal, even to us as a lesson and example.
Before I had spoken these words in my heart, behold, Rebekah came out with a pitcher on her shoulder, and went down to the well and drew water. Then said I unto her, Give me to drink. And she hasted and took the pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will water thy camels also. So I drank, and she watered the camels also. And I asked her, saying, What daughter art thou? She answered: I am the daughter of Bethuel, the son of Nahor, whom Milcah bare unto him. Then I put a clasp on her forehead, and bracelets on her hands, and bowed myself, and worshipped the Lord, and praised the Lord God of my master Abraham, which led me in the right way, to take my master's brother's daughter unto his son.
Here the servant declares to himself that he did not speak the words of his prayer in clear terms, but thought of them silently; and again he himself testifies that God heard him, since he called upon him before he had finished his prayer. The whole speech, however, which repeats all the circumstances, how he came to the virgin and desired to drink from her and other things, has already been discussed.
V. 49. Now if you are the ones who want to prove friendship and faithfulness to my Lord, tell me; if not, tell me, so that I turn to the right or to the left.
Now this is the request, in which the servant says after the report has been made: Be you such people as you are worthy, that you show friendship and faithfulness to my Lord; for this is how the words read in Hebrew. The Latin word, misericordia, in this place means benevolence or friendship, and veritas means, where one does that which others have provided for one and hoped for. Here again the Holy Spirit uses beautiful, excellent words. The servant calls this friendship, or benevolence and faithfulness, when these people give their daughter in marriage to his master's son.
287. And all this is so that the evil and shameful thoughts that the world has about marriage, and which Satan and the enemies of the marriage state have given to the flesh, may be torn out of the hearts of men: And the holy scripture praises this here as a very great gift and blessing, to give this virgin to Isaac as a wife, so that thereby the burden and displeasure of the marriage state might be taken out of sight, and Eve, the maternal body, birth and motherhood might be held up to the hearts of men. And up to this point the servant has wooed the bride; now the answer follows.
Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said: This is from the Lord; therefore we cannot speak evil against thee, neither can we speak good against thee: there is Rebekah before thee; take her, and go, that she may be thy master's son's wife, as the Lord hath spoken. When Abraham's servant heard these words, he bowed down to the ground before the Lord.
288. so easily, blissfully and nimbly this whole thing goes on and goes well, because God and the angels are there, who help it and continue it; and if God's word takes place with Laban and Bethuel, therefore they answer thus: That you are Abraham's servant and that Abraham himself is a servant of God, we can conclude from your words.
and accept them. For they understand and receive the words no differently than if God Himself had spoken them.
And it would be well for us if we could also be sure that when we hear a brother or servant speak God's word, we then hear God Himself: if we believe this, we would be truly blessed, and this would help us greatly to increase and strengthen our faith, and awaken hope and all virtues in us. And we should indeed do this, accepting the verbal word of man as a voice of God from heaven. The word of this servant is also an oral word, as in the ministry of preaching; and yet these holy men testify that such work is from God. Therefore, this is a very beautiful and excellent answer, which also teaches and assures us, namely, that as often as we hear a pastor or church servant, or a servant of God, we then hear God's word.
290 Let this be diligently remembered for the sake of the common temptation. For in the whole world there is no disciple who is more subject, and has more masters and teachers to suffer over him, than the wisdom of God; as Christ says Matth. 11, 19: "Wisdom must be justified by her children. Everything that God speaks or does finds innumerable judges in the world who master and reprove it; so that one should rather say with these men here: "This comes from the Lord"; therefore he himself should change and improve what needs to be changed, what he thinks should be done or taken away from it, but such things are not due to me. But in this the papists, Turks, Jews, sacramental worms, and all the red spirits sin. God grant that we may be those who keep the right and pure understanding of His word.
291 And so this marriage was established and confirmed by the Lord, who brought Rebekah to Isaac, just as he brought Eve to Adam. And the Holy Spirit has described these things so that we may know that where a man and a woman are joined in matrimony, they will be joined together.
The servant adds a thanksgiving for the fact that his master's bride is given by God to his master's son. For this reason, the servant adds a thanksgiving for the fact that his master's son is given a bride by God. Thus, everything is full of godliness, so that he will go around. For one should give thanks to God in small things as well as in great things.
V. 53, 54: And he brought forth jewels of silver and gold, and raiment, and gave them to Rebekah; and to her brother and to her mother he gave spices. Then he ate and drank with the men who were with him, and stayed there overnight.
The fact that the bride and her friends were honored with gifts and that a merry feast was prepared is described here, so that we do not think that such things are unseemly or forbidden by God, but rather they are honest and pleasing to God, but in such a way that they are done in moderation. The golden jewels were not golden cups, but jewelry and women's clothing, such as hair bands, skirts, bustles, veils, and hoods. But the gifts he gives to her brother and mother are the noblest and most delicious fruits, such as pomegranates, spices, myrrh, balsam and the like; as they are enumerated in Joseph's blessing, Deut. 33, 13. ff: "There are noble fruits from heaven, from the dew, and from the deep that lies beneath; there are noble fruits from the sun, and noble fruits of the moons, and noble fruits from the earth, and what is within" etc. He has no money, but brings such jewelry as serves the bride; in addition, to the mother and friends he brings gifts that Abraham had deemed suitable for them. Such things are necessary for good manners and this common life, and Christians should not despise such things; for they are not forbidden even in the holy Scriptures, but are commended therein.
V. 54-61: And he arose in the morning, and said, Let me go unto my lord. But her brother and mother said: Let the damsel stay with us a day or ten, and then you shall go. Then he said to them: Do not stop me, for the Lord has mercy on me.
given to me for my journey. Let me go to my master. Then said they, Let us call the damsel, and ask what she saith. And they called unto Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she answered, Yea, I will go with him. So they sent Rebekah her sister away with her nurse and Abraham's servant and his men. And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister; increase thou in many thousands of thousands, and let thy seed possess the gates of his enemies. So Rebekah arose with her maidens, and sat upon the camels, and went after the man. And the servant took Rebekah, and went.
This is a strange example of the servant, that he hastens to bring the bride to his master, by which we are admonished that we should never delay or be tardy in God's works, but should put out of the way all hindrance and everything else that can hinder us from the work we have begun. And the pagans have also admonished to this in their writings, namely, that where one has discussed a matter, one should hasten with it, so that it may soon be set in motion; as Sallust says: Cum consulueris mature, opus facto est (After well-trodden counsel proceed quickly to action); item, as Cato says: Fronte capillata post haec occasio calva, that is: Where one has opportunity at first and neglects it, it is afterwards too long delayed and neglected. And Bonaventure has a fine splendid saying about it: Qui deserit occasionem, deseretur ab occasione: Who leaves the opportunity, the same will be left by it again. Much less, then, is indolence permissible in God's ways, because it brings serious harm. As the bride complains in the Song of Songs, Cap. 5, 2-6, that while she had promised to go out, the bridegroom would only wait a little while, but he had turned and passed by, because she had not immediately, after hearing his voice, opened the door without deliberation and delay.
He who does not look at the very hour or moment when the Holy Spirit calls him will never take hold of him.
For once he departs, he will not return. Just as daily experience teaches that those who are slow in dealing with things never get rich, so such people will never be taught or become great in the church. For this saying, whether a pagan poet may have composed it, applies everywhere: Qui non est hodie, cras minus aptus erit: He who is not skillful today will be much less skillful tomorrow.
And I have learned this from my own experience, as often as I wanted to pray, read, or receive the reverend sacrament: the longer I delayed with it, the more I felt and found that I was unfit for it and least of all capable. For delay is a secret plague, but does cruel harm. The Holy Spirit does not give His gifts to those who are slow and lazy, but to those who are willing, ready and quick; as Ps. 119:60 says: "I make haste, and do not delay to keep Your commandments." So the Holy Spirit also praised Rebekah for hastening, as the text says: "And hastening she let down the pitcher upon her hand"; item: "The damsel ran, and told all these things in her mother's hand."
Therefore let the example of this servant move us to learn to beware of this affliction and to be enemies of it. It often takes more than a month or a whole year to do a thing right and well. The men of war also understand this, and the devil pays close attention to all kinds of opportunities; that is why he often wins.
The last part is about the consent of the virgin. For before the servant departs, they call to her and ask her, "Will you go with this man?" This is why marriage should take place, so that we may have God present, who created this state for innumerable benefits; and He Himself joins the spouses together, and is not only the one who joins them together and pronounces marriage, but also blesses them. But he wills that the consent of both parents and virgin be present, that they may come together properly and rightly divinely.
And Isaac came from the well of the living and seeing (for he dwelt in the land toward the south), and went out to pray in the field about even, and lifted up his eyes, and saw camels coming. And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and saw Isaac: and she fell down from off the camel, and said unto the servant, Who is this man that cometh to meet us in the field? And the servant said, This is my lord. Then she took her cloak, and covered herself. And the servant told Isaac all the things which he had set forth. And Isaac brought her into the tabernacle of Sarah his mother, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and loved her. So Isaac was comforted concerning his mother.
298 Mesopotamia, whence the servant brought the bride, is toward the north; but Isaac dwelt in the land toward the south. And it is as if Abraham had given Isaac a special house and servants of his own, over which he was to preside and rule, in the place where the well of the living and the seeing was. Abraham stayed in Hebron; therefore Isaac went out either to his father in Hebron or to some other place.
The Latin text says that he went "to remember," which the Hebrews interpret as praying; but I like the other better. For the Hebrew word, siach, has two meanings: first, it means shrub, as above in chapter 2; second, the Scriptures use it to mean speech, when one speaks to himself or to another; as in the title of the 102nd Psalm, "As he pours out his speech or lamentation," etc. It is called a special and secret conversationwo two walk together and talk to each other. Isaac did not think about his bride at that time, but went out for a walk with a good friend, with whom he talked on the way either about the divine promises, or about marriage, or about housekeeping. He kept himself as a householder should, talking about God and God's blessings, and also about how to govern the household, and about farming.
Lastly, Moses says that Isaac received the bride brought by the servant with joy and loved her. Because his mother died, he mourned and grieved for three whole years, but when the bride was brought, his mourning was relieved.
And this opinion pleases God well, so that I may love our spouse, even though it is difficult for the corrupt nature to do so. For she looks only at the misfortune of sins and punishments, and at the toil and discomfort and trouble that occur in this state, both from within and from without. But this is rather to be considered, that the female sex has the gifts, that they become mothers; to this one should look. Many, however, do not seek this, that they may beget children, but seek only carnal pleasure.
Therefore, when they are tired and weary of it, they begin to be hostile to this union by which man and woman come together, to despise and abhor it. But there is a difference between these two things, loving the woman and being lusted after by her. Loving the woman does not come from the corrupted nature, but from the nature that has been corrupted and made right again.
302 After that it is praised here also to Rebekka that she was chaste and shamefaced, therefore that she covered herself with a veil when she saw Isaac. These are customs that come from the fact that she was raised by her parents in a finely chaste and modest way, and shied away from looking at men, even her own bridegroom.