First part.
From Jacob's Journey to Haran.
Then Jacob lifted up his feet, and went into the east country, and looked, and, behold, there was a well in the field, and, behold, there were three flocks of sheep lying by it; for from the well they used to water the flocks, and there was a great stone before the well's hole. So they gathered all the flocks there and rolled the stone from the well's hole and watered the sheep, and then put the stone back in front of the hole in its place.
1. so far, Moses has described how the holy patriarch Jacob practiced the high and right spiritual works of faith and the divine word; which piece in all the histories of the saints is worthy of being
They are to notice it diligently, namely, where they hear God's word, believe it and are tempted in faith through various tribulations and sufferings. For even though they are somewhat weak in faith, they are still completely divine and heavenly people, completely pure and holy; and finally they do not live and walk before men, but before God.
This is the true dignity and majesty of the holy fathers. Just as in our lives, when we practice the Word of God in the church, when we use the holy sacraments, we are tempted with many temptations and our faith is tested like gold in the furnace of fire. This is the true holiness, from which we are also called holy and are holy. For the Holy Spirit makes us holy through the Word, where we take hold of it and accept it by faith, and the flesh through suffering and
So that the saints may be made alive and give their bodies for sacrifice, which is alive, holy and pleasing to God etc., as St. Paul says Rom. 12, 1. This is the highest degree of life of the saints.
But lest we should despair in our hearts, when we hear of the holy fathers, that they are not held up to us otherwise than in such high degree and holy life, God again brings them down from heaven to earth, and thus describes them as the very least of men, who are utterly despised, that nothing less or more despicable should be called, except that nevertheless their sins are not commended.
4 They are otherwise described as lowly, like those who always crawl along in the dust and toil of housekeeping and worldly rule, and are lowly enough. For they are engaged in such works, which seem to be of no value at all and to be without all sanctity; while the papists, on the other hand, seek only such a life, and are also highly astonished at it, which is utterly separated from worldly business, and is without any care at all both of household and worldly government. They call such a life, which is so separated from all worldly and corporal affairs and offices, holiness and righteousness, but they err and fall far short. For so shall we seek faith and righteousness, that we may eat the mint, and the dill, and the caraway; this ought to be done, and that ought not to be left, as Christ saith Matt. 23:23; that is, because we dwell and live in the flesh, we must therefore also wait for the body and the flesh; but yet sin is excluded.
(5) It is necessary to govern the world and the home, since we are not yet in paradise, nor are we like the angels, but we are still living in the flesh, in this natural life, which requires food, drink, clothing, house, children, and work in the fields; there is also a need for worldly government, and that we may have protection against the evil men who offend us. Therefore
It is necessary to keep the two offices that must go in this life, namely, nurture and defend: in the home, one nurtures the children and servants; but the secular regiment protects and guards all this.
(6) Thus, I say, the holy fathers are described as lowly and carnal, in the lowly state of this life, since there is nothing more impure or contemptible in the eyes of the papists. As they say, nothing else is reproached here, except that they took wives, begat children, milked the cows and goats etc., which are quite worldly and pagan works. But the Lord has now given us the right mind, for which we should be grateful to Him. For we can see all this more truly and accurately than the papists, who see nothing but the works of the flesh, which are not so fleshly as their works, which are ruled by the devil and done without the Holy Spirit. For though they fast, abstain from marriage, and make a murmur in their churches, yet in their prayers there is no spirit, no heartfelt devotion, and no right worship, that they may avoid: it is all full of avarice, idolatry, vain honor, and contempt of God.
(7) We teach, then, that the first thing to be considered is whether the person is righteous and godly, which is done through the word he believes. According to this, however, the person in the church or congregation carries out his ministry, that is, he teaches, admonishes, prays, learns, and hears the word; he bears the cross for the sake of the word; he is killed according to the flesh. This is a holy living person and pleasing to God, who goes on and does other works as well, if she has heard the word and believed it, prayed to it and carried out her church office.
8. like David, when he has cultivated the service of God, takes on the regiment and administers it, administering justice, waging war, arming his warband for battle, attacking the enemies, strangling them and shedding their blood. These are not really spiritual, but worldly works, which belong to the world regiment. If now one wanted to say: David is not holy because he is a warrior.
If a man is a swordsman and wields a sword, he judges the matter too roughly, as the papists do. For who is this David who sheds blood and wages war? Answer: He is such a person, who is justified in the church by the word and faith; but after that he has an office in the temporal government, therefore he judges, condemns and justifies, administers the government, punishes those who are guilty, wages war, and nevertheless remains a pious believer and a good tree. Such bloodshed is pleasing to God, although the world and the monks, along with all other hypocrites, are very annoyed by it, because they only see the shell or the appearance of outward works. They do not see the Word and the faith, nor the Spirit of God, and how God has driven him to such works, which governs the person not only in the high works, but also in the common works, concerning the house and world government. For this is what David was called to do by God, as the Scripture says of him, to do all my will, which will God also commanded him, that he should humble and smite the Philistines, Damascenes, Amalekites and Ammonites etc.
9 But what is this? say the papists, he should have prayed, sacrificed and served God in the temple in the meantime. It is rightly said, and he also does at the proper time and in the proper order what is proper to do in church and religious matters. In the morning he prayed, spoke of God's word, believed it, sang psalms, and diligently attended to what belonged to the church and religion. After that, he took care of the world and the house, fathered children, took care of his household, ate and drank. Thus David leads a godly and holy life in all three divine states or regiments, as in the church regiment and also in the world and house regiment.
(10) This is how we should live our lives, so that we may be found in such a state that is pleasing to God according to His word. Above all, remember that you believe the word and confess it publicly, and that you are ready to
be to suffer and die for the word's sake. Then, if you are a ruler or a householder, wait for your profession in the place to which you have been appointed. Such a life pleases God well, and he gives much great reward for it and makes everything turn out well by his blessing.
(11) Therefore, one should look at the examples of the fathers and act upon them in a high degree, so that one does not despise the lowly carnal and impure examples of the household and worldly government, as they are considered to be by the papists. For then they do not stink, nor are they low or contemptible, if they are done by such a person, who is believing, pleasing to God, holy and godly, who knows that everything he does is pleasing to God, but in such a way that the right order is not reversed, but that he remains and lives in faith: according to this, the works that such a person does in his profession are also pleasing to God.
(12) In this way Moses describes the patriarch Jacob, how he came to Haran, and there found his cousin's daughter, and loved the virgin, and took her to wife, and begat children, and tended the sheep; which are all foolish and carnal works, that they could not be found more carnal even among the heathen. For no one sees the real essential difference, which is very great, between a Gentile and this patriarch Jacob. For Esau and Ishmael also cultivate the field, tend the sheep, milk the cows, have their servants, feed their cattle; all these works are like the works of the saints, and yet they are not holy. Why is that? Answer: Because there is a great and incomprehensible difference between the two kinds of works. Here with Jacob is faith and the word, but there is no word, only unbelief. Therefore the works of Jacob are as far different from the works of Ishmael or Esau as heaven and earth, though outwardly they are the same.
13 Thus Erasmus extols the virtues of the pagans very highly, as, of Socrates, Cicero, Atticus etc., and makes a comparison and says: You will hardly find such people among the Christians.
who would have done what Pomponius Atticus or other pagans did; indeed, among Christians many are found who are obviously wicked and shameful people, against whom these pagans would have been much better. But one should answer to this thus: According to philosophy and in the matter it is the same, that is, as far as the state or the external life is concerned; but if one looks at the species and the difference, not. For even if Cicero and Socrates had sweated blood, they would still not be able to please God for that reason. And is this not the question of what and how great works Alexander the Great, Julius Caesar and Scipio did, of whom it is known that they performed greater deeds than any Christian ever did; for you will not easily find such strength in war, item, such patience, and how they endured all kinds of misfortune and hardship, in any kings among the Christians; nor even among the kings of the people of Israel, as in David and the Ancients. Why then will you not exalt them, or prefer them to all the kings among the Christians, to David and the others?
Answer: If I were given the choice, I would rather have the work of a peasant or a maid who is a Christian, no matter how unruly and rustic it may be, than all the great victories and triumphs of the great Alexander, Julius Caesar and other pagans. Why is that? Answer: Because here is God, but there is the devil, which is the right essential difference (differentia essentialis). The works have the same matter, but if you look at the species and the difference, help God! how are they so different! For God says: The works of this woman or maid, and the housework that she does, that she sweeps the house and obeys the matron, are pleasing to me. For he sees the lowliness of his maidservant, where there are also no great glorious works, but only that she does maidservant work at home, whether in the kitchen or with the cattle. These two were such maids, Leah and Rachel, who fed their father's sheep and drove them to the water where they drank,
They also milked the cows and goats. These works pleased God well. But Hannibal, Alexander, Scipio and Cicero do not please Him. But why is that? Answer: Because in general, as they are said in the schools, that is, as far as the works themselves are concerned, they are equal to each other, or rather they surpass those works; but if one looks at the species and the real difference, those works surpass them by far.
(15) Not all men can see this, and Erasmus himself did not see it; only believers see how precious and important the works of Christians are. But faith and the Word make the works important, delicious, precious and great, because God Himself and the Holy Spirit are in the one who does the work.
(16) But the people, who find themselves like horses and mouths, are very moved by the outward appearance. And I, when I was still a monk in the monastery, was much holier than I am now, as far as the outward appearance is concerned. I prayed more, I watched, fasted, chastised my flesh, in short, my whole life had a great appearance before other people's eyes, although it did not have such an appearance before my eyes, for I had almost a broken spirit and was always sad. But now I eat and dress in a common way, and there is nothing distinguished or special about my life in the sight of others. At that time, when I was still a monk, I did nothing else, but that I spent the time badly, corrupted my health; yes, that is even more, I have also wounded and burdened my conscience with the righteousness of works, so that it still wants to be healed poorly. For over the kind and nature, which is innate and implanted, that it always wants to boast of works, I have also made a habitus, as it is called in the schools, and a habit out of it, that I always want to look at my works and worthiness. But I know for sure that one lesson and one Our Father are now more valid and more pleasing to God than all the prayers I murmured in the monastery for fifteen years, because
I know now that I will surely be heard; and I need no watchfulness, or special fasting and mortification; for God has given me an angel of Satan with many other burdens and crosses in this world, which trouble me more than all these together.
(17) And so far we have dealt with the fact that the holy patriarch is described in such a lowly and insignificant way that there is no difference between him and the lowest and most contemptible pagan. But therefore the reader shall learn the difference between a Christian and a pagan, and their two works. For if a man be a Christian, see if he hold the word in honor, and hear it, and love it, and be earnest of it; and if he be burdened and afflicted with the cross and tribulation. And if this is the case, he will come to church, he will hear the word gladly, he will take pleasure in it, he will believe it with all his heart, he will pray, he will thank God, he will have a good conscience. When you see this, you shall certainly conclude and take it for granted that he is a holy man, pleasing to God; and you shall praise him as a holy man and marvel at him, and of everything that he will do afterwards, whether in the world or in the home, you shall say that it is pleasing and pleasing to God. And God will reward it not only in this life, but also in the life to come; as it says in the Revelation of John, chapter 14, v. 13: "Their works follow them," not only the works that concern the church and religion, but also those that belong to the worldly and domestic government. But the works of the wicked and the heathen are not pleasing to God, so they do not follow them; but they die without honor, without remembrance, without wonder. But our works have the honor of pleasing God and the angels, and they follow us into that life.
But now let us look at the text. "He lifted up his feet." It is a peculiar way of speaking in the Hebrew language. In the common Latin translation it says: Profectus est: He went. But see.
How unequal the armor was for this journey of that delegation, of which Moses said above (Cap. 24. V. 2. ff.), when Abraham sent his servant to take and bring a wife for Isaac, his son and heir of the promise. For the servant was sent, taking with him gold, silver, and other ornaments, and some camels, and honest company. Why then is not his son Jacob also equipped in this way, since he was also appointed heir according to the promise and blessing he received? He must go on foot without companions, without camels, without all expenses; he has hardly any provisions for the way. Therefore, this way of speaking in the Hebrew language should be well remembered for the sake of comparison. He picked up his feet, he went on foot, and did not hem himself in on the way, but went on in haste, "endlessly," as is said of the Virgin Mary Luc. 1, 39, when she went over the mountain etc.
(19) Thus Moses paints the holy patriarch Jacob and the heir of the blessing quite contemptuously and lowly, who is now, as it were, the only pope in the world. For Eber, who lived the year before, has grown old; Isaac is blind and unfit to rule; his son Jacob alone is the bishop and prince of the house; but they let him go away with the greatest contempt, with danger and great misery, so that he runs away on foot and without companions. There is no lack of servants, camels, gold and silver, but he must be so miserable and poor that he has nothing in his bag, only a meager supply of food for the journey.
But what is the cause? Answer: This is the cause we heard above Cap. 27. v. 43. ff. Rebekah his mother said to him, "Hear my voice, my son: arise, and flee." There you see the cause, namely, that he had to flee, and that his brother Esau was angry and had threatened to strangle him. Therefore Rebekah wisely prepared him secretly and provided him with food, so that he might go away secretly without the knowledge of his brother and all the servants.
would like to pull. He had to steal away secretly. Silence, she will have said, and go away secretly, flee as fast as you always can. He did not want to suffer such a flight and danger that he would have prepared himself for the journey publicly and would have taken many companions with him, so that he would not be stopped and hindered, because one must move slowly with the cattle and camels, and thus would have been caught by his angry brother.
021 The Jews, without cause, bring their lies and vain babblings into this place, pretending that it is not to be believed that Isaac should have delivered his son Jacob with less honor and glory than Abraham delivered his servant above, Cap. 24, v. 10, his servant: therefore they say that Eliphaz, the elder son of Esau, followed Jacob with a band of armed men, and when he seized him, robbed him of all his goods and possessions.
22 Lyra puts up with this. But they are all Jewish fables and lies. For Jacob was not so deprived by his parents that he would have had companions with him, like Abraham's servant, who was safe and without any danger, and did not have to flee. But Jacob fled away secretly, since all his brothers-in-law knew nothing about it; moreover, without the foreknowledge of his brother, from whom he took no leave, who was an enemy to him and pursued him. Therefore the text says: "He lifted up his feet" and fled away etc.
(23) And it was indeed a very wise counsel of his mother, who was more concerned and anxious that his son should live and be unharmed, than that she should have prepared and dispatched him with great pomp and companions, lest she should thereby put him in danger without need. And Jacob obeyed his mother well, did not resist her, and did not tarry long, but always went away and hurried on his journey.
24. this, as we have said above, is to be enforced hard against the reckless and unrighteous heads, which say, If I have the promise, then have I also that which is promised.
that which is promised to me, if I do nothing at all. These thoughts are to be rejected and condemned with this example of Jacob, who obeys his mother and flees, even though he has the promise. He does not say: I have the promise, therefore I will be safe and remain unharmed, if I do not follow the advice of my mother.
025 For the promises are not made that we should snore, slumber, and sleep, or that we should do anything contrary to the promise; but that we should work, be faithful, watchful, and bring forth fruit. So I am not baptized, nor do I partake of the Lord's Supper, nor am I absolved to snore and sloth at home; but if you have the promise, baptism, and absolution, remember that you are called to watch, and to do diligently and with great care that which pertains to the faith and your profession. "How shall we live in sin," says St. Paul Rom. 6:2, "to which we are dead?" We are not absolved and absolved from our sins that we should live in them and serve them henceforth; but that we should resist them and persevere in the promise that I should mortify and kill my flesh, and suffer with patience when God lays out the cross for me, that we may be made perfect and bear more abundant fruit. "In this," says Christ John 15:8, "my heavenly Father is honored if you become my disciples," that is, if you also suffer as I have suffered, if you are conformed to me. For he that is not a crucianus (that I may speak thus) is not a Christianus, that is, he that does not bear his cross is not a Christian; for he is not conformed to his Master Christo.
This is the first thing, that this very great patriarch, who at that time was the only bishop and a burning light in the whole world, who has the blessing, the promise and the word, lives and walks as if he had nothing at all. Why is that? Answer: Because there is not even a spiritual man there, but a householder, and a father.
who is quite miserable, who does common housework, of which God has not said or determined anything special in his promises; just as he has not said in what way or measure he will help him and govern him, nor what the outcome will be: just as he has not given us a promise that this very year will be peace and the grain will be well.
27 Therefore I should not say, I do not know what I want to do, therefore I will do nothing. Rather, God says, "You do what is proper for you to do in your office, and let me do the rest. He did not say, "All things will be done;" but you should do what is proper for you to do in your office; you should not know how it will be done or what will happen. Thou art justified; therefore now go and exercise thy faith with the works of the house and of the world. And for this knowledge of God's will, and for the calling to which each one is called, one should thank God that a spiritual man, that is, one who has the Word and faith, knows that he pleases God even in the low degree, in the worldly and domestic regiment, whether he is a servant or a maidservant, a ruler or a subject: Even if he is only a member of the world and of the household, he should thank God and know that he has a gracious God who is favorable and well-disposed toward him.
28. Then this also serves to comfort us, when the examples of the very holy patriarchs are held up to us, not only in the high and heroic virtues, but also in the bad and lowly works, even in the impolite and contemptible works of housekeeping; so that we may not despair or think, when we are burdened with these domestic works, that we are then despised and reviled by God; but we should know that all things are sanctified by the word and faith.
29) Although the world does not see this holiness, but when it hears that such bad common works are said to have been done even by the most holy of men, it thinks that it is a vain labor of loss, and that the good time is thereby made evil.
if one runs such legends. For it is not worthy to see the honor and glory of God; as it is written: Away with the wicked, that he see not the glory of God. Only the faithful see and understand the works of God; therefore, in our eyes, yes, in the eyes of God, these are glorious works.
(30) And thou shalt not think or wonder why the Holy Spirit has pleasure in describing such evil and contemptible works; but hear what St. Paul saith, Rom. 15:4: "Now those things which were written aforetime are written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope." If we firmly believed, as I do, although I believe weakly, that the Holy Spirit Himself, and God, the Creator of all things, is the right master of this book, and of such evil contemptible things as seem to the flesh to be bad and lowly: then we would have the greatest consolation from it, as St. Paul says; yes, our heart would be filled with hope. Indeed, our hearts would be able to boast and hope that God would condescend to remember these patriarchs, and that He has not forgotten them, and would not only want their chivalrous virtues to be praised, but also the wicked, lowly works, which were to be adorned with this description, as with gold and precious stones, and held up to the whole world, so that they would be spread out, read, and recognized. For this reason, all things serve the believers for the best; indeed, even what was previously small, insignificant and despised must serve them for glory, because they see that God delights in such small things, that He does not only want to sing and praise the great and excellent virtues of the saints, but also the smallest works. For they are God's works; therefore God delights in His works, whether they be great or small: and the same to our great comfort, as the saying is in the 147th Psalm v. 11: "The Lord delights in them that fear Him" etc.; item, as David says in the 56th Psalm v. 9: "Count my fleeing, put my tears in thy sack. Without doubt, you count them."
How now? Doesn't God have anything to-
What else can he do but count the tears and the flight of David? Does he not otherwise have enough to do to rule the world? item, to listen to the choirs of angels who praise and extol him without ceasing? What more wonderful thing can be said? And yet it is the truth, and God also makes sure that He counts the tears and the flight of David; as in the 9th Psalm v. 13: "For He remembers and inquires after their blood; He does not forget the cry of the poor"; item, in the 116th Psalm v. 15: "The death of His saints is kept precious in the sight of the Lord." Moses said to Pharaoh in Exodus 10:26: "Our cattle shall go with us, and not a hoof shall remain behind." Not only shall the men, women, children and cattle go out of Egypt, but all that we have, even the least of our claws, we will not leave behind.
32 For this reason, I say, not only are the great chivalrous virtues precious and worthy in the sight of the Lord, along with the great glorious works that he works through us, as well as the blood, death, and great difficult struggles of the saints, but even the smallest claws are worthy in his sight. Yes, listen to Christ, he does it even better, Matth. 10, 30: "But now all the hairs of your head are numbered," as if he wanted to say that you should not lose one hair. Dear, what is less and more contemptible in the whole body of man than a hair or a nail? And these are also counted, and the Father in heaven takes care of them.
(33) In this way, the examples of the lowly and wicked works of the saints should be treated, so that we may be taught and comforted by them. For we do not deny that they are small and contemptible, if we only look at the instrument by which they are done: but one must look to God, who Himself is the right doer. For though you see the impurity or the precious stones in the saints and their works, they are pleasing to God, who works both the small and the beautiful works through them, for they are God's works and God works with them. Therefore, this is a great, immeasurable comfort to them,
who believe. And all this is described so that we may see how sincerely God loves us and how well He is pleased with us, how much anxious care He has for us. He looks so closely at me that he is worried that I will lose a hair. While he counts the hairs and cares for them, he cares much more for my body, soul, blood and all suffering that may come my way.
(34) But these things are too high, therefore we do not believe, and the lower and more impure the works are, the less we believe. The impurity of the works and the fact that they are so bad and small prevent us from believing; otherwise we would exalt and magnify the grace and mercy of God in these very bad and small works, and our faith would be greatly strengthened. For God has such great care and sorrow for us that He cannot forget even a little hardship, not even a tear or a little sorrow. And this is what the Holy Spirit means when He walks so lowly in describing His saints, that even the smallest works of the saints are pleasing to God. It is a delicious thing about a Christian man: there is nothing so small about him that pleases God. Shedding blood, dying, sweating, fighting and struggling against the devil is in truth a great thing and pleases God very much. But you must conclude: If you are a believer, then the natural, carnal and bodily works are also pleasing to God; you eat or drink, you wake or sleep; which are all bodily and natural works. Such a great thing and cause is faith.
35. Therefore, first of all, see to it that you become a Christian, and that the person becomes pleasing and acceptable to God through the Word, baptism and sacraments. If the person believes and adheres to the word, does not persecute it, but thanks God for it, then you should do nothing else, for Solomon says in his Ecclesiastes, chapter 9, v. 7, 8, 9, 10: "Go, then, and eat your bread with gladness, and drink your wine with good courage; for your work is pleasing to God. Let thy garments always be white, and let not thy head lack ointment.
Use life with your wife whom you love, as long as you have the vain life that God has given you under the sun, as long as your vain life lasts, because that is your part in life and in your work that you do under the sun. Everything that comes to you, do it fresh" etc. What more do you want? And what could be said more sweetly, more kindly and more clearly?
(36) It is true that God is pleased even with the wicked, that they are diligent and skillful in their work; but unbelief and vain honor stand in their way, so that they cannot direct their works to God's honor: the lack and sin is in the person, which does not please God. Therefore, even the wicked deserve reward in this life with their good works, but their works are not counted, our Lord God does not put them in linen sackcloth, as the 56th Psalm v. 9 says about the tears of the godly. But the tears, the flight, the anguish, both small and great works of the saints, are counted, and shall be praised and glorified forever.
37 Therefore this is a very sweet consolation which St. Paul indicates when he says in Romans 15:4 that nothing is written in vain in the holy Scriptures. For it is certain that the very low and very small works are held up to us for this reason, so that it may be shown that God is pleased with His saints; for there always remains the forgiveness of sin and that God accepts them with grace; and as long as they are in such grace, they always live under the cloud and shadow of His wings, and God protects and shields them.
38 And this we also ought to appropriate. For if we are Christians and truly godly people, we know that we are like the great saints, if not in the highest degree of great virtues, yet we are like them in the lowly and unpleasant works of this life, and know, as far as God's care and protection is concerned, that we are loved by Him no less than they were loved. And to the same tender and ardent love of God we have a certain pledge, namely, His dear
Son, for whose sake the Father loves us and has placed us together with Christ in the heavenly realm, as St. Paul says Eph. 2:4, 6. Moreover, we should know that this also concerns us, as it is written in the 37th Psalm, v. 23, 24: "By the Lord such a man's walk is encouraged, and he delights in his way. If he falls, he is not cast away; for the Lord upholds him by the hand" etc. But let us believe and accept this promise. For as parents keep their little children very diligently and carefully, that they fall not, neither be bruised or hurt; and when they see that they have a spot or dirt on their face, they are quick to come and wipe it off, and make them clean, which an enemy and stranger doth not do; if there be any feather in their hair, they comb and adorn the little children, and keep them clean and beautiful: such great care, and such love and right fatherhood, doth God bear unto all them that believe on him.
39 Let this be said in a summary of the teaching in this chapter. What now follows belongs absolutely to the house rule: we will also pass over that, and explain what belongs to the grammar. "He went," says the text, "into the land of the children of the morning," in German: in. the land of the morning-landers, or: "that lies toward the morning." This is a common way of speaking in the Hebrew language. For thus it is also said, a child of death, that is, one to be killed; item, a child of the quiver, that is, an arrow; a child of hope, that is, a hopeful man. Be children of strength, is said as much as, be strong and undaunted. A child of Belial is called a wicked rogue.
40 Therefore the very holy patriarch Jacob went into the land that is toward the east: by which common name of the whole land the Scripture secretly indicates that though this journey may be considered easy and small, yet it was a high and heavy work, which came by word and faith. For he had to go about in an unknown country, whose name is also not expressed. For he does not call it Haran, but
the land towards the east, which the Arabs and Syrians did not know or inhabit at that time, there was nothing, except Babel. Therefore Moses simply says that he went to the land toward the east, that is, to an unknown desert. As above (Cap. 11, v. 31) Abraham went out of Chaldea, not knowing himself where he was going or where he should set his foot: he ventured upon our Lord God.
(41) For this reason the journey may have seemed easy and small, but in truth it is a work of great fervent faith. For he does not know the desolate place of the people or the place where he will come; he does not know the people, the place or the way where he will go; he does not know where he will have a lodging place every night. So it has been a dangerous and arduous journey beyond measure, and meanwhile he has been struggling in faith with death and the devil all the way, not knowing where he was going or how he would fare on the journey before he got to the place where he was to go.
42 But about this time he sees a well in the field, to which he has gone. Now this is also a bad and small thing; only that it arises here, that the comfort is shown to him, because he comes to the place, in which he is now somewhat safer than before, and hears about this also say from his cousin Laban.
I know nothing more to say here, so I will add nothing. For I have no desire for allegories or secret interpretations; for the text itself, according to the letter, gives us a better report than allegory can do. It is enough for us to know that these evil and insignificant works of the saints are pleasing to God; therefore, we do not doubt, where we are in our calling, what we will do or suffer, that such things are pleasing to God, so also that he has had them written in this book and has wanted all these works of the saints to be praised in this way. He certainly did not want such works to be forgotten. The text is written according to the letter
themselves clearly enough. According to the allegory, they want to understand the Trinity through the three flocks of sheep at the One Well, and through the large and heavy stone they understand Moses. But this does not concern me, I will leave the same to others.
Second part.
Of Jacob's arrival in Haran, how he is kindly received by Laban and accepted into his service, and what reward Jacob demands.
V. 4-8. And Jacob said to them: Dear brothers, where are you from? They answered: We find of Haran. And he said unto them: Do ye also know Laban the son of Nahor? They answered: We know him well. And he said, Is he also well? They answered: He is well: and, behold, his daughter Rachel cometh with the sheep. And he said, It is yet high day, and it is not yet time to bring in the cattle: water the sheep, and go and feed them. They answered: We cannot until all the flocks are gathered together, and we roll the stone from the well's hole, and so water the sheep.
44 Haran is a city in Mesopotamia, where afterwards Crassus suffered a great defeat and was overcome by the Parthians. But Laban was Nahor's son's child, and not his son: and he was now dead. Bethuel, the son of Nahor, was Laban's and Rebekah's father. But Nahor is called for this reason, because he is the father and the head of the same family. But Jacob asks, hath he peace? This is spoken after the manner of the Hebrew language, as when we say, Is he also sound and strong?
(45) About the stone in front of the well's hole, the grammarians raise a question: whether it was a law that one alone should not have rolled down the stone and watered his herd before they all came together? or else: whether the stone was so large and
was heavy, that it was necessary that two or three of them had to help each other to roll the stone? I do not think that there was a special commandment in which it would have been forbidden, but that the stone was so big and heavy that one or two could not have rolled it.
46 In Mesopotamia the wells were diligently kept and covered with great stones, because there was not much water in the land. The shepherds who tended the flocks were not all strong men, but boys and young girls like Rebekah, who were ordered to tend and keep the flocks. They came together at the well and waited for stronger men to come and roll the stone away; Jacob came and rolled the stone away by himself. I consider this to be the reason why so many of them had to come together and help each other. But what others think, I leave free to them.
V. 9-t2. While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father's sheep, for she was tending them. When Jacob saw Rachel his mother's brother Laban's daughter and his mother's brother Laban's sheep, he came and rolled the stone from the well's hole and watered his mother's brother Laban's sheep; and he kissed Rachel and wept with a loud voice and told her that he was her father's brother and Rebekah's son. Then she ran and told her father.
47 In the commentaries of Hebrews it has been indicated, and it can be seen that the text also brings the same thing, namely, that the Holy Spirit fell on the patriarch Jacob, and he was thus strengthened by it, so that he was able to roll down the stone alone through such an impulse and stimulation of the Holy Spirit. After that, because he found there in his misery Rachel, his blood friend, he took courage and got great hope that he would finally obtain what he had in mind and which his father had commanded him, to take a wife there.
take. Therefore, as soon as he sees Rachel, he is inflamed with love, and the natural inclination toward his blood friend comes out, so that two impulses, faith and love, make his body and heart a little stronger. For he wanted to show himself manly with strength and that he would be quick, so that he would capture the heart of the virgin and incite her to love him.
(48) These are also only natural things; but the Holy Spirit has written them for this reason, so that no one may think that they are shameful or unseemly things. For it is a Christian and godly thing that you love a virgin, whom you may take to wife with honor. For this is a natural inclination that the two sexes have toward each other; and although this inclination is not without sin, God does not want it to be despised, as if it were dishonest in itself. For it is a work of God, which He created in the nature of man, which not only should not be despised or blasphemed, but it should also be cherished. For God wants to be honored in all works, both small and great. He does not want to be despised, even in the very least work; as Christ says Matth. 25, 40.: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." So we are not to reject or trample underfoot even the very least of God's commandments and ordinances. If you want to drink water, it is good, so drink it and thank God for it: but if you do not want to drink it, you should not despise it.
49. So then, I say, these carnal, childish and feminine things are all contemptible and impure, and yet they are told by the Holy Spirit, not to incite people to fornication, not to kindle shameful and unseemly love in the hearts of young men; but to preserve the hope and dignity of the married state, and that the Holy Spirit may show and testify that the married state is not displeasing to God, nor the love of the bridegroom and the bride, since God created this state.
and has instituted. Therefore, do not revile or blaspheme it as if it were a dishonest and unseemly state, as the monks have said that the married state is a dangerous and impure state.
50 Therefore, I think that Jacob, in the hour when he looked at his blood friend, was so enraptured and so strong in spirit that he was able to roll the stone alone, otherwise it would have taken four or five strong boys. And he wanted to do this friendship and service to the virgin, so that she could water her herd in time. But she does not yet know that he is related to her.
51 When he had rolled away the stone, he came and kissed the virgin as a stranger and a stranger, before he greeted her. Which is also considered dishonest and is not in use nowadays, nor does it stand: but he heard beforehand from the other shepherds who said, "Behold, his daughter Rachel is coming" etc. Therefore he knew that she was his blood relative. And the same people had the custom that when they came together and greeted each other, they also kissed each other; as the same is still common today in Belgium and also in other countries. Our people only shake hands with each other and take the virgins and honest matrons in their arms in a finely chaste manner. So many countries, so many customs. Therefore, this is a sign of love for his intended girlfriend and his future wife, which love he wants to prove with this kiss, as if he had given her his hand or some other gift.
52 And from this came the strength to roll away the stone, namely, from the natural inclination he had for his blood girlfriend. Then also from the love he had for his bride, who, as he saw, was sent and given to him by God. Thirdly, he also became especially happy about it, because he saw how he had now reached the harbor after such a difficult and dangerous journey. But all this the Holy Spirit increased and confirmed in him. Finally, Jacob is called a brother of Rachel's father after
Hebrew way; for the Hebrews call the sister's son a brother, as Moses himself will explain when he will say: that Laban heard of Jacob, his sister's son etc.
When Laban heard about Jacob, his sister's son, he ran to meet him and kissed him and welcomed him into his house. Then he told Laban all these things.
(53) Here you see that these things are described entirely as one would write of shepherds talking with one another. And yet the Holy Spirit makes so many words of it that the reader, who is a worldly man, is disgusted and fed up with it. Other histories of great important things, such as the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, item, when Abraham sacrificed Isaac, he has summarized with few words in barely five or six verses; but when he comes to these foul, carnal, and foolish things, he makes an exceedingly great number of words about them, namely, that we should know that the Lord is pleased with those who fear him. For if we believe and are sure of the grace of God, which He has shown us in vain, we must not doubt that everything we do should not be very pleasing to God, and that He has also counted the hairs of our head, and that it is pleasing to Him to kiss, and to cut the heart, and that Jacob should roll away the stone; all of which are told in this place as very high and delicious works in the sight of God and the holy angels. God could not forget them, but wanted them to be described to us for teaching and comfort.
(54) Even though we are very severely afflicted in this life, and are subject to many miseries and misfortunes, and finally to death itself, we should know that it is all a precious thing; as it says in Psalm 116, v. 15: "The death of his saints is precious in the sight of the Lord. The same we should understand of other works, we eat or drink, sleep or watch; as St. Paul Col. 3, 17. says: "All things whatsoever ye do in word or in deed, do them.
all in the name of Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father through him. And in such little works we are to exercise ourselves, that we may advance generally, and be accustomed to higher things. But faith, which works great and chivalrous things, condescends also to domestic and small works; it feeds the flock of sheep, it waters them, it milks the goats. For God created both the foolish and the wise, the small and the great, and what is good and what is bad. Therefore the works of the servant or the maid please him as well as the master, the woman as well as the man. Only be faithful and hold God in honor above all things in matters of church and religion; so make it so that you abide by His word. "If ye abide in me," saith Christ, John 15:7, 8, 10, "and my words abide in you, ye shall bring forth much fruit, and your fruit shall remain. "etc.
55. For this reason, one should look to faith and to the person who is in favor with God. For God has poured out such great goodness upon us that He counts and respects even the smallest of our works. No matter what works they may be, they are all praiseworthy and pleasing to God, because the person pleases Him.
(56) And is it not true here what reason judges of it, which says: It behooves a heathen scribe to describe such things as are not worthy to be written in the books of holy scripture; indeed, Greek or Latin scribes should not even write such minor works of their great and valiant heroes, whose history they have described. For they do not understand what is a truly godly life, what is pleasing or not pleasing to God; as the saying goes: Away with the wicked, that he may not see the honor and glory of God.
(57) Therefore, we should read this with due reverence, and thank God that we know that we please God, even when we sleep, eat, drink, free; when man, wife, and child dwell with one another; when we govern the household; when we draw, and when we have a house; and when we have a house; when we have a house; when we have a house; when we have a house; when we have a house; when we have a house; when we have a house; when we have a house.
milking etc. In such works we should practice; for they are as great and wonderful as the high works, because they are done by a great person who believes and is an heir of the kingdom of heaven. If it pleases God, there will also come a day or hour when we will also do great works of chivalry.
(58) And this good will and good pleasure of God is also reflected in the affection that parents have for their children. For we see in the house rule that father and mother are more pleased when the son or daughter brings a little flower or some other small thing, than when the servant or maid carries a large sack or beam: the small works are pleasing to the children and pleasant to the parents, who would otherwise despise the servants and maids.
(59) Therefore, it is much different to describe the legends of the hypocrites and monks than of the right saints. Those hypocrites ridicule and mock the works and the whole life of those right saints as an impure life, and meanwhile they dream that they can propitiate God with their self-chosen and monstrous works. But such their works are condemned by God, because they are not done by such a person who is pleasing and acceptable to God. Therefore, let us now consider the other, which is no less foolish and carnal, as the hypocrites judge it. And now follows a new piece, namely, how Jacob became a bridegroom.
V.14. Then Laban said to him, "Well, you are my bone and my flesh. And he (Jacob) abode with him one moon.
(60) The matter is at first well begun, as the hypocrites are wont to be at first. For Laban is described throughout history as being miserly and selfish. And the name Laban rhymes well with it, for it means as much as white (albus). For the hypocrites have a great appearance of godliness, discipline and good manners, so that it is as if no one were more holy, more honest and more spiritual,
because they are. But he should have been called Nabal more cheaply, that one would have reversed the word. So he presents himself outwardly very godly toward his cousin and as if he loved him very much. But in the meantime he thinks: "Behold, now I have got a very good and useful servant, who will have to do and suffer everything according to my will and favor, because he is fugitive and miserable, who could not find anywhere where he could have stayed safely. He is poor, hungry and naked: in such a prison and bonds strong enough, he shall be imprisoned in my house. For if he were without me, he would die of hunger.
But at first he gives him good words, caresses him, as hypocrites are wont to do. You are, he says, my leg and my flesh, runs to meet him, hugs and kisses him, as if he loved him sincerely and from the heart. But he will soon reveal and show his hidden and unfaithful heart. Just as it is customary to say: Post tres saepe dies vilescit piscis et hospes, that is: As one no longer respects fish when he has enjoyed them for three days, so one no longer respects a guest much when he has had him for three days. One soon gets tired and weary of guests.
62 Therefore Laban is described and portrayed as such a hypocrite, who had a great appearance as far as outward works and words were concerned, but inwardly was full of idolatry, pride, avarice and contempt for his neighbor and only looked after his own benefit. The pious holy man Jacob had to deal with such a hypocrite. But see how the great honor and glory of this so great patriarch has had so little beginning; from which patriarch so many kings, so many prophets, Christ himself and the apostles have come; with whom is all the majesty of eternal life; who is a king and priest, and who has obtained all the blessings from his father: he is so utterly poor and despised that he has not so much room as he would like to step out with one foot. Yes, that is creating a man from nothing.
V.14. 15. And when he had been with him a moon, Laban said unto Jacob, Though thou be my brother, shouldest thou therefore serve me for nought?
(63) Jacob stayed with Laban for a month, but he did not feed him for nothing during that time. There is no doubt that he was not idle, but did what a godly and faithful man should do. And it was not only poverty and lack that drove him to do this, but he did it because the Holy Spirit was in him, through whom holy people are stimulated and driven to do all kinds of honest and godly works: which people God also blesses so that they can be useful to many people. Like Joseph, who had nothing from his master but bread and clothing, yet he made him rich and could not expect any reward from him; yes, such people are those of whom St. Paul says Col. 3:23: "All things whatsoever ye do, do them heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men" etc. Such servants are almost rare, who thus serve faithfully, not that they may please men, but God. But Jacob was such a servant during the month, and all the while he served Laban; he was not idle, but willingly and with great diligence took upon himself the domestic work and performed it, he fed and watered the cattle: and all other such household work he also did, as faithfully and diligently as he ever could. And this pleased Laban the miser very much, seeing that he was so industrious and merry to do such little servant work. Soon he made a contract with him for wages, praising Jacob's diligence and skill and his great faithfulness.
(64) And this is truly an excellent virtue, which is very rare and scarce, especially among blood friends, since you will find very few of them who think how they may faithfully serve their native friends. For they make themselves believe that they have a special right to do so, that they only devour, seize and squander what is theirs.
bornen friends is. The brothers-in-law or blood friends are almost rare, who are like Jacob and Joseph, or like Naaman was with the king in Syria, to whom you may command and trust the care and management of your house.
65 Therefore Laban saw that he had gotten a servant according to his pleasure, who was industrious and diligent, who was able to take care of the cattle, who put the servants in good order, and who made a very fine breeding in the house, and everything that was in the house was greatly increased and improved. The words that follow testify to this, when Jacob says: "You had little before I came here" etc. And at the same time the blessing of God also came for the sake of the faithful servant, who in truth was the salvation and like a pillar on which the household held on. Therefore Laban says, "I do not want you to serve me for nothing. For he sees that he is not lazy cattle, as we have servants and maids today, but that he does more than he was commanded to do, all for the benefit of his cousin. Therefore, the reward for such faithful service follows.
V.15-20. Tell me, what shall be the reward? Laban had two daughters; the eldest was named Leah, and the youngest was named Rachel. But Leah had a wicked face, and Rachel was fair and beautiful. And Jacob loved Rachel, and said: I will serve thee seven years for Rachel thy youngest daughter. And Laban said, It is better that I give her unto thee, than to another: tarry with me. So Jacob served Rachel seven years, and it seemed to him as if they were single days, so loved he her.
This is only a childish and carnal thing. For what is it that the very holy man, who has such great promise from God, to whom God Himself appeared in a very beautiful face, still becomes young at such an age and almost becomes a child again? He sees two virgins, and that the one is more beautiful than the other; of them he loves the one who is the most beautiful of all
He has no love for the other. Does this seem fitting for Jacob, who was a man of eighty? For it is certain that at that time he had reached his eightieth year, or at least his seventy-eighth. Now, at such an age, he begins to joke childishly and to love the virgin. Dear, why does the Holy Spirit write such a thing and hold it up for us to read, as if we could be corrected from such a shameful deed? For this is more, after this it will be said in the text that Jacob loved his son Joseph, because he was born to him in his old age; the same time was not more than fourteen years after this happened, and yet it is called the age of Jacob.
67 Therefore it is not fitting that such a holy man should be so foolish and lecherous that he would look at the beauty of a virgin and prefer a beautiful virgin to one who is ugly and not beautiful. For it cannot be said that he did it because he would have liked to have children with her, since women who are not beautiful are generally the most fertile, as can be seen in Leah, and she could not have given birth to Jacob and loved her as much as he loved Rachel. Therefore he cannot be excused by pretending that he did it for the sake of childbearing, but this is a shameful and ridiculous thing, namely, to love a virgin because she is beautiful, and not primarily for the sake of childbearing.
(68) This should be done, that we should love the female sex in itself, only for the sake of childbearing, for which this sex was created by God, and not misuse it only for lust and fornication. For the fact that women were created to bear children is indicated by the form of their whole body, which has its own instrument and members, since it can conceive, nourish and bear fruit. But there are few of them who can do this.
And Jacob also lacked in the end. For he loved Rachel because she was beautiful, but he did not love Leah because she was not beautiful, which is less fitting for old men than for young men, that they should look at beauty.
69 But this is to be taught and practiced in the church, so that we may not shy away from the marriage state, as the papists have defiled and condemned it with their foolish work. For this is why the Holy Spirit writes this, so that He may indicate that God does not want to reject and condemn those who look at the beauty of their wives, and that such a choice may be made without sin. Therefore, no one should think that he is sinning if he prefers a beautiful wife to one who is ugly. So we can also be taught and improved from this.
(70) After this Jacob hoped that he would beget children with the virgin, who was beautiful and strong in body. For where marriage is instituted, care should be taken to ensure that the strong are chosen and joined together with the strong, and the skillful with the skillful. As such a distinction is made with the unreasonable animals, as with oxen, horses, sheep, roosters, and all other animals. But it is not so among men because of the corrupt nature that comes from original sin. For this is why some are born strong, some weak, and sometimes some leprous. Some blind, some foolish, which is the fault of the parents. For the sake of original sin, it must be tolerated that strong and weak persons are joined together in marriage, because the damage of original sin must be controlled and increased with the help that God has shown us in marriage, whatever the people may be or whatever people are joined together in it.
So also all animals have their certain time for procreation; only man has such an erroneous and uncertain movement or stimulation because of the poison of original sin. Such stimulation could not be counseled in any other way, except that they are thus together.
be joined together. And whoever can have a beautiful and strong wife, let him have her; but whoever cannot have the choice, let him take the one that can become him, be she equally beautiful or not beautiful.
(72) According to this, marriage after original sin is very grievous and burdensome to the flesh, so that the spouses cannot or may not be divorced. For though the desire and love remain when husband and wife have one for another, yet the bond of which Moses says that the wife shall be to the husband as a helpmate in his life, not to be separated from him, is almost hard and heavy. For whatever accident may befall her body, or her goods, or her children, yet the covenant remains firm, and cannot or may not be severed; and if all choice be removed, no change shall be made to them, and in short, one shall not forsake or leave the other while they live.
73. In addition to this, there is also the devil, who is hostile to all God's order, who troubles and afflicts the spouses in many ways. And for the sake of so much and so great toil and trouble that are inherent in the marriage state, it is not evil for one to choose a beautiful and strong wife, so that he may tolerate and bear this bond of the marriage state, along with all the troubles, so much longer and more easily. For it is not to be advised that one should choose and take such a wife, who would not please him at first, and would be disgusting and annoying; for the devil is wont to disunite and tear apart even those who are almost beautiful and very fond of one another.
74. And the Holy Spirit teaches in this place that God has not forbidden or condemned such a choice. For he commends the same, or rather allows this holy patriarch to have, as young people do, the beautiful one rather than the one that is not beautiful. He lets it happen. For the married state is such a state, which needs the forgiveness of sins and the grace of God, so that he translates it, not only as far as such carnal lust is concerned, provided it is done properly in the married state, but also as far as the
The same is true for the sin of the husband and wife, when they are angry with the servants and children, and when husband and wife are angry with each other, as is customary in the household. For as the government of the world and the church must always be under the forgiveness of sin, so the life of the married couple is also under God's grace and forgiveness of sin.
God does not want to condemn marital affairs unless a man chooses a beautiful wife and loves her. This is not difficult in the beginning, when the love is still somewhat heated, so that the bridegroom and the bride are inflamed against each other; but it generally grows cold. Yes, it sometimes turns into bitter hatred and enmity for more than a month because of the devil's incitement, and when he bewitches the hearts of the spouses, as he is wont to do in many wonderful ways.
This is not an excuse for this sin, which the hypocrites make very great against the holy patriarch Jacob, but it is a glory and praise of divine grace, namely that God does not condemn Jacob for rejecting Leah, who is not so beautiful, and choosing the other, who was more beautiful. The papists interpret it as lust, but they do not see what cause drove him to marriage. Because Jacob had the promise, he was worried that he would like to have children and descendants; therefore he took care how he might get such a wife, who would be pleasing and pleasant to him. For this, I say, he has more concern than where he would like to get a certain dwelling and a house, which is contrary to the way and teaching of the philosophers and worldly wise men. For thus says Hesiod: First of all you shall provide yourself with a house and a wife, and also an ox, so that you can plow the field etc. This patriarch of ours, Jacob, has no regard for any of these things, neither house, nor ox, nor any other necessity; but first of all he chooses for himself a wife that is pleasing to him.
After that the papists also do not see that under the childish love of the old
Patriarchs is a perfect chastity hidden. For since the Holy Spirit does not reject love in itself, when the bridegroom and bride have one for another, he wants to indicate at the same time how chaste Jacob was. For is this not excellent chastity, where a man lives chastely until his eightieth or eighty-fourth year? For in the eighty-fourth year Jacob became a husband; so long did he live chastely outside of marriage after the first bloom of his youth, until the years of old age came; for fourteen years after that he will be called old.
If the papists can see that he chose a beautiful virgin whom he loved, why can they not also see that he lived chastely until his eighty-fourth year? And at that time nature was still a little stronger and more perfect, so that a man was capable of begetting children at the age of fifteen or sixteen. Now it is truly a great miracle to bear and overcome from that same year and right in the blooming youth the wickedness of the flesh and the law in the limbs, which is called the lust pestilence, and a very hard fight against the flesh, which few of them have endured.
79 For this reason, the papists err and fall far short of thinking that the fathers lived a carnal life, as they consider them to have done. For they are of the opinion that no one lives chastely except those who are in the celibate state, as monks or nuns. And they are very angry at the fact that the patriarchs were married, and they do not understand anything about this excellent chastity. But it would have been no wonder if Jacob, in so long a time as he lived chastely, had even killed his flesh and extinguished the innate power to beget children. For the years of his blossoming youth and, since he was an adult, of his male age have already passed, and he now already has four and eighty years on his neck, has struggled with his flesh for eight and sixty years, and yet a natural inclination to the female sex, to a virgin, has remained in him.
He preferred the most beautiful one to the one that was not so beautiful, since he was already an old and gray man.
80 Therefore these examples of chastity surpass all our chastity, and especially the very shameful impure celibacy and the celibate life in the monasteries, which are now nothing but whorehouses. Or even if they have ever kept chastity, it cannot be compared with the chastity of the fathers, in whom the flesh was thus killed with great faith and spirit, so that the natural inclination and love for the female sex was not extinguished. Just as Jacob loved his bride very dearly, so that the seven years hardly seemed to him to be three or seven days long. After that, which is even more, since he became a bridegroom, he waited another seven years until the bride was given to him. If at this time one were to wait so many years for the wedding, and were to serve in the meantime, were to be poor and a beggar, he would certainly let both bride and father-in-law go.
But this the rude sows, the papists, do not consider, nor do they see the great excellent example of chastity, in which he also had great patience, that he bore the heavy service for whole seven years, and endured the long delay, which otherwise would be unbearable to another, whoever he might be, in truth: and still with such service he is completely poor and meager, has nothing of his own, not even a lace or thread. And he does all this out of love, which he had for the virgin, so that he was so completely taken in that the seven years seemed to him as if they were single days, that is, as if they were only seven days.
Augustine also marvels at this patience and this waiting, and asks: "What could have been the cause that he could have such patience and wait so long, since this is against and above the nature of man? For all descriptions of love, and of those who are afflicted with great love, testify that it is true, as He says: Impatient amo:
I become almost impatient over love: and especially where love is long delayed, it grieves men very much and makes them impatient. In the boo songs, people complain that day and night are too long; as he also says in the poet: Si mihi non haec lux toto jam longior anno est etc.: This day lasts longer to me than otherwise a whole year. But Augustine answers thus: That this time and years seemed so short to him, had come from the fact that the work had not been difficult or annoying for him. For love is all-powerful. Just as he who hates cannot bear anything. Love does for free what otherwise one would do for the sake of no money or request. So it often happens that whores or adulterers suffer more than a married woman or husband would suffer. And so much is the shameful, senseless love of whores able to do; therefore pure conjugal love does and suffers much more.
But this answer is not enough. For one must also add what is indicated here, namely, how this bridal love was governed by the spirit of faith in Jacob: but where this regent is, there all is good and easy. For where God is with us and deals with us in all that we do, this is our noblest and highest comfort. "I am able to do all things," says St. Paul Phil. 4:13, "through Him who makes me mighty, Christ." Though these things be carnal and childish, yet all things are commended in this very holy man, for our example and consolation. For he had the promise that he would have children and descendants. That is what he was looking for, and that is why he had to take a wife.
Now we will also look at and explain the grammatical parts. The text says that Leah had a stupid face; in Hebrew it says rakkoth; and I think we have interpreted it quite well. For that the others say, that she should have had longish eyes, is a fable. It seems to me that she was an honest, pious maiden, of good manners, also strong in body; but not beautiful, especially in
the eyes, which are very much a part of a man's body. As Pliny calls the eyes the king among the members that man has in his body; and they are truly the best part of the body. Therefore, it is a strange gift in man to have beautiful and lovely eyes.
The eyes that are commonly called hawk's eyes are especially praised, as it is said of girls that they see like a hawk, because such eyes are very sharp and lively, and shine like lightning. They are pure and bright, and both vice and virtue, which are hidden in the heart, can be seen in the eyes. Therefore, the beautiful bright eyes are like a miracle in the human race, for they signify an excellent mind and a peculiar good nature. Then it is said of the Messiah in the 49th chapter of this book, v. 12: "His eyes are redder than wine"; they are like the black red wine. Such eyes adorn the face very much and give it, as it were, life and peculiar cheerfulness.
86 But small and stupid eyes, which are not sharp and lively, darken and disfigure the whole face. Leah had such eyes, so that she did not see sharply; therefore she did not have favor because of the tender or stupid eyes. For the Hebrew word rakkoth means tender or petty; as it says of Abraham in the 18th chapter, v. 7: "He took a good calf" etc. I will leave out the mystery of which the others speak in this place, and follow the understanding that history brings with it; for this cause is in itself simple and clear, why Jacob did not love Leah so much, namely, because she did not have sharp and beautiful eyes.
Now Rachel was beautiful, and the meaning of the Hebrew word thoar actually refers to the form, shape and proportion. The eyes of Rachel had their proper shape, likewise the forehead and the cheeks, and the whole body had its proper shape and the limbs had their dexterity also fine. This is the true beauty and adornment, when in the
In the face, the proportion of the eyes, the forehead, the cheeks and the other parts is skilful and appropriate.
So far, Moses has described this bridegroom and lover Jacob childishly enough, who for the sake of love for such a beautiful and pretty virgin has borne such a long and hard service. From this one can well assume how great the love was. And it is to be noted that the holy scripture does not condemn this love for the bridegroom, but praises it. Now follows a beautiful example of the patience Jacob had in this service and in his love for the virgin.
Third part.
How Jacob demands his wife as the reward for his labor, and how he is shamefully deceived by Laban.
V. 21 And Jacob said unto Laban, Give me now my wife: for the time is here that I should be joined.
(89) Jacob calls Rachel his wife, though she is a virgin. For the Scriptures make no distinction between a woman and a bride who is trusted to a man, as is seen in Moses and Matthew, where virgins who are trusted are called wives. For this reason Jacob considers Rachel to be his wife and loves her dearly, as a man should love his wife, and as young men and bridegrooms love their brides.
90. But the love of the bridegroom is most fierce when the time comes for him to be joined. But the pure, chaste and hot love, which this our patriarch had for his wife Rachel, is prevented in him in a very unjust way, and he is misled and badly deceived about it, as follows in the text.
V.22. Then Laban invited all the people of the place and made a wedding feast.
91. The rogue would be worthy to be cursed into the abyss of hell. Moses says
Not that he had invited them to the wedding, which is done in a proper and honest manner; but that he had gathered them together, not to honor the bridegroom and the bride, but to deceive and cheat the good, pious and holy man, so that if he tricked him into his rope, he would have to keep the one he had recognized during the night, even though he had deceived and cheated him. Therefore, he soon gathered several witnesses in a hurry. And it seems as if the scripture wants to make it clear that Laban had no good reputation among pious and honest neighbors, who undoubtedly understood his evil deeds, violence and injustice, which he had done to the pious and faithful servant Jacob during the seven years. That is why he gathered loose reckless people, who would not punish this deceit. Thus it is indicated that he was a bad rogue and drowned in avarice.
92 Jacob was joyful, and because he loved Rachel so fiercely, he had no evil suspicion that he would be wronged, but had good hope, was joyful, and thus waited for his most beloved bride, that he might be gladdened with the joy for which he had long hoped and waited.
V.23-25. And it came to pass in the evening, that he took Leah his daughter, and brought her in unto him; and he lay with her. And Laban gave Zilpah to his daughter Leah to be his handmaid. And in the morning, behold, it was Leah. And he said unto Laban, Why hast thou done this unto me? have I not served thee for Rachel? why hast thou deceived me?
Now this is the example of patience to Jacob; therefore whoever can, let him learn patience. I cannot; for this patience is unbearable and inimitable. The pious holy man is so fiercely in love with the virgin that he does and suffers everything he can and may for the whole seven years; yes, that he may make the miser and the old rogue Laban rich on the condition,
that he should give him his daughter Rachel. But for such faithful service he thanked him by secretly taking his wife, namely the virgin whom he loved and for whom he had longed and waited so many years. And he does this at the very hour when he is to have the bridal joy for which he had greatly longed; and he not only takes her from him, which in itself is very annoying, but also forces another on him against his will, whom he does not love, and thus lays such a burden on his neck that he must bear it forever.
This is truly an abominable and very unjust deception. Jacob knows nothing else, except that he has his most beloved bride in his arms, and behold, he has the one who was given to him instead of his beloved bride. If someone steals another's money, gold, silver or cattle, or takes them by force, that is a small loss; but if someone takes from you a virgin, a beautiful beloved wife, with whom you hope with all your heart to beget children, from whom you hope to have seed of the offspring promised to you, that is truly such violence and dishonor, which is greater than any other violence can be. For all Jacob's hope and all his waiting suddenly fell away, and he could not think otherwise than that he should always be deprived of the love of Rachel his bride, and that she should not become his wife.
Thus he is deceived in his good hope, since he waited a long time for the kind love he wanted to have for his bride; this hope lasted a whole seven years, and they both had great joy over it. But that she suffered this violence did not pass without tears and great pain. For the misfortune is all too terrible and great, and the patience is also unbelievably great. I would not have suffered it, but would have accused him of it, and dealt with him in court, so that he would have been justly forced to give me my bride, and would have rejected the other and sent her back to Hanse to her father. For it was not Leah to him,
but Rachel was trusted; and this was no doubt publicly announced and known to everyone throughout the city.
(96) But I think that the people Laban invited were worthless and frivolous people, "loose faggots," who had to praise Laban for this evil deed and excuse him for it. But that Jacob and his dear bride should have been divorced in such a way was almost a heavy and unpleasant thing. I truly could not bear it, even if I were older in years than Methuselah was. For such divorce is against nature and all human reason. How great a noise has been made in all history by those who have taken other people's virgins and wives by force! How often have many kingdoms, which were under great power, come into conflict with each other in terrible warfare, and have been turned back and destroyed because of such violence!
The Greeks almost stirred up the whole world for the sake of Helen, who was also taken away by force. The Sabines started a war against the Romans because their daughters had been taken from them. And afterwards, in 34 Cap. V. 25, 26 of this book, how the Shechemites were beaten and slain by the sons of Jacob, because Dinah was stolen. For the heartfelt love of a bridegroom is too tender and cannot suffer much, especially when he is now to hold a wedding and lie with the bride, since the joy of the wedding is just beginning. Therefore, he cannot tolerate or suffer anything less than that the bride he loves so dearly should be taken away from him, that he does not have gold or silver, even his eyes and his own life so dear.
After that Jacob had sought this bride and chosen her by the command and will of his father for the sake of the heirs and descendants he was promised, which he hoped to receive from the bride, who was beautiful and young; but this hope and joy, for which he had waited so long, fell away in an instant. Therefore, whoever can, may make this great and outrageous wickedness great.
and curse them into the abyss of hell, for it is greater than can be sufficiently explained in words. Yes, it can be seen that in the text it is also indicated that such wickedness is secretly punished in it. For it is not said of Laban that he brought Leah to Jacob as his wife, as it is said of Rachel that Laban gave him his daughter Rachel to wife. Moses does not want to call Leah a wife, but says only thus: "He took his daughter Leah and brought her in to him."
(99) The miser Laban was driven to such a great sin by his shameful and disgraceful miserliness, and he did not care so much that he wanted to force his eldest daughter on Jacob against his will as that he would keep him in his service for another seven years. For he has felt and experienced that his thing has gone very happily for him and his property has been increased. Therefore it is very unreasonable and horrible that such a pious man should be held back by such a great sin, so that only the avarice of this old scoundrel may be enough. But he must suffer the scorn, which is too hard.
100 The text does not tell us what Rachel's attitude was, but it is likely that she was no less displeased. For she will undoubtedly have known that she was the bride, and the whole neighborhood will have known that Jacob had served Rachel for seven years: therefore Rachel will have been just as angry about this injustice as the bridegroom himself; indeed, she was much less able to bear and overcome it. For the female sex and nature in women is somewhat weaker than in men; she was certain that she was the bride and now was to be joined to the bridegroom: but immediately in the same hour, when she thought that she now wanted to enjoy love and her desired bridegroom, she was unjustly betrayed, not without great pain and many bitter tears, which she will have shed over it: she will have wept and cried miserably.
101 Therefore, this is a sorrowful and
sad wedding. For the bridegroom is miserably betrayed; but Rachel, the bride, is cast out, who no doubt could not conceal her grief and anger, if she had been justified in it, but showed and testified to it with weeping and crying. Moreover, she will have spoken to her father and publicly accused him. Why, she will have said, are you taking my dear bridegroom away from me, whom you trusted yourself? But the cruel father was not moved by this at all; perhaps he also threatened her severely, so that she had to keep silent.
Leah knew well that she was not the bride, but the bride's sister, and may have been somewhat reluctant to her father, but she finally gave in out of human affection, so that she was carried away and forced to do such an injustice. Yes, she will have enjoyed this violence, so that she would become a mother of the heirs and descendants that were promised to Jacob; for she had heard that Jacob was waiting for the heirs. After this, in chapter 30, v. 15, it can be seen that Rachel revealed that she was displeased with her sister Leah for this very reason and hated her for it.
(103) Therefore, I say, this was an unhappy marriage for Jacob and Rachel, because of the deceit of which they had little thought on either side. And here we have an example of great chastity in the holy patriarch Jacob, and also of a heavy cross and very great patience. For I do not know whether any saint, let alone a pagan, could have carried this cross with such great patience. It is too high and too terrible.
104 And it is asked, What use these people may have had in their weddings, because Jacob sleeps with Leah alone in the bedchamber and in one bed, and yet does not perceive that Leah was joined to him instead of Rachel; for he has dwelt in the same house all seven years, when he will doubtless have seen the bride several times, and at times also talked with her; and he would have known this in the bed.
If not by the voice, he could have recognized and distinguished it. According to our custom, we are much more careful in such matters; for we do not lead the bride in the dark, but with drums and torches both into the church and also to the bridal bed, and also take people as witnesses, so that no deception can happen there. But that there was no such use among the people can be assumed from this history; otherwise Jacob would not have been so shamefully deceived.
According to this, it was common in those days for men and women to have separate dwellings, and for each to have his own room in the house; they did not live among themselves as we do. The boys lived with their fathers, and the virgins with their mothers, especially alone; but in the bedchamber, where Jacob had his bride with him, he was able to talk to her freely and without shyness, and he could well have known by touching her that it was not Rachel.
106. One can conclude from it that at that time very large shame must have been with the people; or that ever the patriarch Jakob was very shameful and chaste; or however that Lea will have been thus instructed by the father that she should be silent or ever speak quietly: But Jacob must have been very modest, that he did not speak to her and did not touch her particularly, but only held himself to her with such love, as befits a husband, with great joy, that he now finally wants to cultivate love with his dearest bride.
The scripture praises this great shame and excellent chastity, that he entered the bridal bed without all suspicion, without lust, without lewd desire, but with simple and conjugal desire. For that Lyra says that he should have abstained from her for three nights, I leave that aside. Rather, one should consider the great simplicity that he did not sense at all in any sign that it was a strange virgin with whom he lay. For one must not look at the fathers in the same way as the papists of
But in Jacob there was a very simple chastity and a very pure chaste love for his dear bride, and he had no cause for suspicion that another should have been attached to him instead of his bride. For both parents and the bride herself are all very well known, and one has always sensed in all of them great outward loyalty and true piety; and yet they are deceived.
(108) But I think and excuse Jacob as I said above about Lot, when he slept with his daughters. For it may well happen that a man is sometimes so engulfed by some strong imagination, on which he is quite anxious and upset in his heart, that he neither hears nor sees, and feels or senses nothing at all, even though he sees with open eyes and hears with open ears. For a violent and deep thought, on which a man is quite intent, withdraws the heart from all the senses, so that the man outwardly sees or feels nothing at all.
So it also happens completely when man is taken over by violent emotions and movements, either in anger, or in sadness, or also in love. For such affects and movements cause a person to become quite distraught and, as it were, to lose his senses. Hence it is that often in war, when one is to meet the enemy, you may see in the warriors how they are terrified, how they are even frightened and dismayed by great fear. So Lot was drunk with sadness rather than with wine, and was even swallowed up in the sadness he felt because Sodom was so horribly burned with hellish fire, and because of that he did not feel or sense anything; but what he did, he did all ignorantly and with a foreign heart, so that he was not with himself, as we are accustomed to call it.
This is a strange thing, but it is not uncommon, and it happens naturally to melancholy people when they are in a bad mood.
If they are completely intent on one thing or another and think seriously about it, you could often deprive such a melancholic person of all his possessions if he were already so intent that he did not take care of them.
In the same way, Jacob's heart was taken up and devoured with love and joy, and he thanked God that he had the bride from whom he hoped to get heirs: he was drunk, not with wine, but with the love he had for Rachel, for whom he had waited so long and for whom he had longed. Such drunkenness of love is truly a great terror, by which he has been horrified and, as it were, delighted that he could not notice or understand the deception. For he has no suspicion at all that something bad could have happened to him, but he is completely absorbed in his thoughts and is so drowned in love that he is sure that his bride cannot be taken away from him. Therefore, he could not think of anything less than that the old mischievous man should take away his bride and give him Leah in her place.
(112) In the same way I said above about Isaac, when he blessed Jacob for Esau. Although he knew Jacob's voice, and his heart told him beforehand that a lift and deceit must be hidden under it, yet, because he was so anxious about the blessing he was about to give his son, he paid no attention to the things he felt and heard.
Such examples often occur in this life, when the hearts of men fall back from the external senses to the thoughts, so that they were previously afflicted and distressed, and think that it is not possible that they could be deceived or otherwise suffer any harm, because they believe their hearts more than their eyes and ears. Therefore, we must think that Jacob was also so drunk with love, and so distraught, yes, as it were enraptured, that he thought of nothing less than that he could be deceived. This great heat of love made him blind.
114 So these are my thoughts that
I remembered about the deception of this old rogue Laban, how Jacob had been deceived with it. At the same time, however, one should also note the excellent example of shame and discipline in Jacob, which is otherwise rare. And one should magnify the chastity of the patriarchs and exalt it above all chastity and celibacy of the monks. For here the most ardent movements of love and fornication are overcome, or at least something is stopped in all of them, in Jacob and Rachel, who, although she was the right bride, is nevertheless excluded from the bridal bed, for which she hoped and which was also due to her, and must act as if she were not the bride; she must console herself, and with hot tears somewhat alleviate the miserable love and desire, which she had for her bridegroom, as much as she can and may.
(115) In this place it is seen how great the paternal authority was with these people. For Leah was only forced by her father Laban with a word and a hint that she must take Rachel's place, and that she must become the bride even against the given faith and loyalty. For Jacob had not spoken a word to Leah concerning marriage before that time. No love, no wedding ring, no alliance had gone before between them; but the father takes the daughter and lays her in Jacob's bridal bed without prior consent, without any contract or consultation. The father does not ask the daughter whether it is also her will; he does not hear her answer.
(116) Where this has been the use of the people, it has indeed been a very wicked use. For it is certain that no betrothal was kept with Leah and Jacob, and that no witnesses were called, but everything was arranged in haste and unawares by the tyranny and power of the father, who took the daughter and led her to Jacob. Therefore this is a very bad example, in which we see that Leah had to become a bride out of pure tyranny and cruel boldness of her father. It can be assumed that she would have easily consented to become a bride because of her father's tyranny and cruel boldness.
The father's tyranny, however, is to be cursed and condemned by all means. And even though Jacob, the holy man, suffers this violence, it is still an accursed example that should not be followed.
(117) And Lyra and the rest asked in that place, Whether there had been a true marriage that night also between Leah and Jacob? I answer that there was no true marriage. Was it adultery? Answer: Not at all. But what was it? Answer: It was a monster, a monstrosity. For if you look at the deed itself, Jacob is not Leah's husband, but he weakens and puts to sleep the one who did not trust him in marriage, and yet he is not to blame for this, but the fault is that of the unfaithful man Laban, who deceives the bridegroom and the bride, and separates the marriage by inflicting and attaching another on Jacob than he had trusted him with. Therefore, Jacob cannot be called an adulterer, nor can he be considered one.
118 And if it be asked, Whether Jacob also hath sinned in that he hath known a stranger, it shall be answered, Though the deed itself be a manifest fornication, and not a marriage, yet he hath not sinned; for he hath been deceived by another's unfaithfulness, which he could not even think of. For who would fear that a father should deprive his daughter, born of him, of such joy as she had so long hoped for? The daughter did not think otherwise, because she would become a bride during the night, and should now be added to her most beloved bridegroom; and Jacob also went into the sleeping chamber with true conjugal love, did not doubt that he would love Rachel as his dear wife. For that is what the unfaithful boy Laban promised him, and for the whole seven years he did not let himself be heard otherwise. But in a moment he separates the marriage, which he had hypocritically promised for so long. These are called gross knavery.
119 Therefore, we should refer to these
The answer to this question is that there was no marriage between Jacob and Leah, because there was a lack of will on both sides and neither of them consented. She had not been given in marriage to Jacob, so Jacob was not Leah's bridegroom either; but there was an error and an insurmountable ignorance, and in a matter that is worldly, of which the lawyers say that it should excuse a man altogether.
120 For they make a distinction between gross, careless ignorance and insurmountable, unavoidable ignorance. If one knows nothing about the deed, the person, the circumstances, and all other things, one does not sin with such ignorance; but as far as the world order is concerned, it is innocence. But in theology such ignorance is no good, although some have been drawn to it; but it applies only outside theology, in worldly government, where it has its place: but it is not to be drawn before God's judgment, otherwise all men would be saved. As an example: it is an insurmountable or unavoidable error and ignorance that the Jews have crucified the Son of God, as St. Paul testifies in 1 Cor. 2:8, because reason does not understand it. For this reason, insurmountable ignorance is to be placed outside the realm of theology and allowed to stand. In the worldly regime, however, it is a complete excuse.
(121) As this mingling of Jacob and Leah is not a marriage, and the deed itself is fornication; but it is excused by the insurmountable ignorance: and Leah is also excused, that she should not be thought a harlot, namely, by the authority of the Father, who said: I command thee, and compel thee; in short, I will have it of thee as thy father; thou, Leah, art the bride according to my power and will. Therefore she goes in her simplicity and pure childlike obedience: and even though it is not credible that she should have refused harshly to be brought to Jacob, yet she is excused by the fatherly authority and childlike obedience.
(122) It is a very grievous and unjust thing that the father should have forced her by such tyranny, and that she should not have set herself against him. Therefore all blame is to be laid on the miser Laban, who should more appropriately be called Nabal, who has gone about trying to force both daughters on the pious man Jacob. But there is no sin or guilt in Jacob, but only ignorance in him. For he is unknowingly and against his will deprived of the love of his kind, dear bride, whom he hopes to love the same night.
(123) As the Roman historians also excuse their Lucretia; although there was no insurmountable ignorance, but violence happened to Lucretia. For it is true that adultery has been committed there, because two persons have come together who are both spouses, and both have also sinned against marital duty: but Tarquinius alone is an adulterer, but Lucretia has not broken the marriage; for she has been forced by force of the sword, that she has had to commit the shame with her body; she has had to suffer from the adulterer that he has done her violence, which violence the poor weak woman has not been able to resist.
124 An example is also told about the holy virgin Lucia. When the judge threatened her harshly that he would lead her to the altar of idols and by force into the common house, and some young men were already gathered to defile her, she answered: If you force my hand to offer incense to the idol or to burn incense, I am not an idolater, but you are; and if I am led by force into the common house, I will not become a harlot because of it, but I will receive a twofold crown of chastity.
(125) In the same way, let us excuse the patriarch Jacob, who, out of simple and conjugal love, went to the bridal chamber, thinking he would find his Rachel there; but without his will and never having thought of it, he mixed himself with Leah, who was not betrothed or trusted to him.
(126) But since he complained severely about it and accused Laban of it, it will still be a true marriage if God dispenses with it and overlooks it, and confirms this mixture by giving him children from it, namely, Simeon, Levi, Reuben and others. Then it must be called well done, so that everything the saints do may serve them for the best, otherwise it is neither a marriage nor an adultery, but as said, a monster, a monstrosity.
(127) And we should not follow the example: children should not be forced to love or marry those whom they shy away from or do not like; otherwise there is more than enough danger and trouble in marriage, when even those who love each other very much are joined together, as the daily examples show.
(128) Nor is this patience held against us, that we should follow it; for it is too high and too chivalrous, namely, where one is to suffer and bear with patience that his bride is taken from him at the very hour and moment when the wedding is to be held and the wedding feast is to take place. Therefore, one may praise and admire this patience more than follow it.
Now Moses describes further, when Jacob noticed the deception and how he was afraid. For no doubt he was greatly distressed when he saw in the morning, as the sun was rising, that a stranger had been added to him; and he was not only terrified at seeing that he had been deceived and that his most beloved bride had been taken from him, but the terror in his conscience also came because of the fornication or incest. For he was a devout man who was more concerned about sin than about the violence that had happened to him. And he could not immediately understand how this change could have happened. But he laid the blame on Laban and showed his innocence: "Why have you done this to me?" he said, "Have I not served you for Rachel? why then have you deceived me?"
V. 26 Laban answered, "It is not the custom in our country to give out the youngest before the oldest.
130 The rogue, the faithless Nabal, mocks him even more, because he had grieved him so much and so unreasonably and had prevented him from his wedding joy. "It is not custom in our country," he says. But why did you not say this before, when Jacob said to you, "I will serve you seven years for Rachel"? Has this speech now arisen? as he says in the comedy. Why did you not mention this use of your people before? The old rogue has only now come up with the custom, and it is not enough that he has deceived his pious son-in-law; he must also deceive him with words and mock him; yes, he also imposes on him by deceit and trickery the service of the other seven years, only so that his possessions in the house may be increased and improved by other people's work, even through lies and deceit. For this reason, he would have been worthy of being cursed by God, since he wants to become rich through other people's sweat and hard work. But the common saying also applied to him and became true in him, since one says: The worse rogue, the better luck.
In this place one should also notice the way of speaking in the Hebrew language, because in Latin it is written: Non facit; in German: Man thut nicht so. In the Hebrew language, an active or plural is often used for an impersonal tense. "They do not do so," that is, "it is not done so, one does not do so." And Luc. 6, 38. is also written thus: Mensuram bonam dabunt in sinum vestrum: "A full and superfluous measure shall be given into your bosom."
Fourth Part.
How Laban demands that Jacob keep Leah and serve Rachel, and how Jacob agrees.
V. 27. If the week was finished with this one, I will give you this one also, for the service which you shall serve with me another seven years.
132 By the word "with this one" he means Leah. There it is. Laban has seen that his possessions in the house have been increased by Jacob's service, so now he is thinking how he can deceive him and keep him in service for the other seven years. For he has made his calculation thus: When I shall give him my daughter Rachel, then he will immediately depart and leave my house, which has increased greatly through his presence and faithfulness; therefore I shall have to keep him a little longer, whether rightly or wrongly. Not that I should not do him good, for I would give him more daughters if I had them, but that I might keep him longer and grow rich through his faithful service.
133 What a mischievous man this is! Jacob had now done enough for his father's command that he had called him to take a wife from this family, and he had now served seven years, as he had made a contract with his father-in-law about it; therefore he thought that he now wanted to go home again with his wife. Then the devil caused this trouble for him, so that he not only caused him trouble with the wedding and prevented it, but also put another seven years on his neck.
So Jacob had to serve fourteen years, for he had not served Leah, which was truly difficult and burdensome for him. He now has two wives and yet nothing of his own; he serves with empty hands, which is very burdensome and annoying. For the miser Laban, who should be called Nabal, seizes everything for himself, and only deals with the fact that he may become rich through this pious man's diligence and good deeds; but now he should also have done him good and paid him the dowry, but he mocks him even more, gives him two maids against his will, and the one daughter, whom he did not love. See what cursed avarice does. Therefore he is a robber, a thief and a murderer, who becomes rich by the sweat and blood of the pious man and his daughters, as will follow. He has taken it all for himself. The
The cursed mammon servant is described and depicted in such a way that it would be no wonder if the whole world cursed him into the abyss of hell: he is a greater robber than all thieves and robbers might otherwise be; and this avarice cannot be emphasized and made great enough by any rhetoric.
V. 28 Jacob did so, and endured the week. Then Laban gave him Rachel his daughter to wife.
(135) Jacob accepts the condition proposed to him by his father-in-law, who was a miser and a prankster, and thus the whole matter is settled. But it is asked: Why did Jacob agree to all this? For although Laban cites the custom in the country, and perhaps in the same country it was also customary to give out the eldest daughters first, it is still a loose argument, and it is a wonder that Jacob should not have known about this custom, and that he should not have seen an example of any marriage that either conforms to such a custom or would have been contrary to it. For within seven years one can easily learn the customs of a country. But when he hears this custom, he immediately agrees to it. He could have justifiably rejected Leah and said to Laban: "Let custom be what it will, you trusted me with Rachel, and I served you seven years for her according to our agreement; I will keep her and no other.
But what shall the pious holy man do? He lets it go; he suffers this violence with patience, so that he may still get Rachel, who was the only and right bride; and he sees well that he cannot get her, because only under this unreasonable condition, namely, that he keeps Leah, whom he did not love. For he thought, What shall I do? Leah was moved by her father's power, just as I was tricked by him; now that I have left her, she will always be left. For I have be-
and deprived of her best dowry, namely her virginity, or she will be considered suspicious by everyone, as if she had lost her chastity, even if I had already abstained from her and had not recognized her. So Jacob is moved by mercy, love and patience not to leave Leah. And it is a fine example of a special mercy and virtue, by which he keeps her with him, of whom he knows that she was given to him instead of his bride.
137. But it is asked about the rights: whether it is also proper, and whether such mercy is not condemned in the law of Moses, which says: One shall not take two sisters in marriage? The person is excused by mercy and love, but the deed is still in doubt; indeed, the law wants him to leave the one. Therefore, this example should not be taken as an example to follow. Jacob kept Leah and considered her his lawful wife, even though he would have liked to leave her; but the law and the use of his father's land stood in his way, and after that he slept with her. But because he consents to it, he begins to be guilty, and with his consent Jacob now confirms the sin. But what shall we say to this?
138 Answer: There are some examples of great brave heroes who are high and chivalrous; but some are of common manners. The laws and good customs must be kept simple, and these must not be transgressed in any way, lest there be disorder. The great chivalrous examples, however, are those that do not conform to the laws or to justice. For it often happens that some brave man, a great hero, to whom God has given special courage and strength, breaks through and transgresses the rule, but his example is not to be followed. What the common customs, laws and rights bring, one should follow and follow such examples. But as far as the high chivalrous deeds of the great brave heroes are concerned, they are not to be followed: no example applies there, unless allent
half equal. If you are like Jacob when such a case arises, when such an occasion and need arises, then it will behoove you to do what Jacob did; but if you are not like Jacob in every way, then you must keep to the common laws and customs.
One does not have to break through with outrage, and does not have to make an example, which one wanted to follow immediately, for the sake of some case, which might have happened with a brave hero and chivalrous man. A grammarian says: "Words in which the last letter is an a are feminine, but those that end in an um are neuter. But if you want to draw examples or words such as auriga or ciborium, these will not rhyme with the rule, even though they have the same ending. For they are special words that do not belong to them and are not subject to the rules, but the rules are subject to them. A poet asks for no rule. The same must be remembered in medicine and in law. If a doctor always wants to proceed strictly according to the rule, he kills many people. One must indeed follow the rules, but not so foolhardily and sacrilegiously. For some such case may arise that does not want to be subject to the rule. Then one must look at the geometrical proportion, that is, one must look at the person and not at the deed.
The monks have followed arithmetic proportion in their rules, that is, they have done to one as to the other: as much as one works, eats, drinks and sleeps, so much should the other also work, eat and sleep. But this arithmetical equality belongs to the market, where one buys and sells, and not to the regiment. Thus, many monks who could not bear the same burden of the order as the rules bring, have been killed. One can be satisfied by sleeping seven hours; another can be satisfied by three hours; another can hardly be satisfied by ten hours.
This is why Augustine spoke wisely when he said this beautiful, glorious saying
sets: Non aequaliter omnes, quia non aequaliter valetis omnes, that is: Dear brothers, you do not all have to bear the same burden, because you are not all equally strong. And this saying was also praised by the bishop of Worms. For it rhymes finely with the geometrical proportion, which does not equate one thing with another, as it is wont to do in the marketplace; but compares the persons with one another, and according to these it arranges and sends the matter. The arithmetical proportion in the marketplace judges everything without regard to persons, that is, whether it be a woman, or a man, or a child, it sells a loaf of bread for one, two, or three pennies. But with the meal the proportion or comparison of the persons is kept. In a monastery, for example, one can find someone who is satisfied with a roll; one can also find another who cannot be satisfied with it.
This then I say by way of example. But in theology and in the Scriptures one must be much more careful that one does not argue or conclude: Jacob breaks through and does against the common customs and the law of Moses, therefore it behooves me to do the same. No, dear brother, it is said: Nego consequentiam: This will not follow for a long time. And this is the cause: because Jacob is not such a person as is bound by the customs; but he is a peculiar valiant hero, who is not led and governed according to the customs or manner of the law, but is governed according to a peculiar chivalrous manner of a valiant hero: therefore he is not to be followed, but he is to be looked upon in such a way that he is wondered at.
Thou shalt not follow Achilles in slaying Hector, or if thou begin the same, Hector shall slay thee. Thou shalt not presume to carry the heavens or the pillars of Hercules, because thou hast scarcely strength enough to carry a stick. These are the fools in the worldly regiment, who want to follow the brave heroes, whom they see walking above and outside the rule and performing strange deeds. The great man, they say, has thus done, has
so thought, that's why I also want to follow it.
(144) But thou hast another mirror in which thou shalt look, that is, the common customs, and likewise the common law and justice, which thou shalt not transgress. And do not break out before God calls you and calls you to be a brave hero or Jacob; otherwise such people will become vain monkeys, leading both themselves and others into harm. As that murderer was pusillanimous by nature, and since he became a monkey and wanted to follow other great heroes' brave deeds, he thereby revealed his foolishness and corrupted himself. For such foolish people do nothing but harm the common good and mislead and even pervert the world.
145 For this reason, these examples should be acted upon in such a way that the common morals remain unharmed, which alone should be followed. And we should look at the examples or deeds of the great heroes and marvel at them, but we should not follow them. St. Paul swung the adder into the fire, which had gone to his hand and stuck to it, as it says in the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 28, v. 5. Do thou after him.
A fable is told about a doctor who held a baby over baptism and became a godfather, and there he heard the words of baptism spoken with prayer and sayings from the Scriptures, in which it is shown that we are redeemed from the kingdom of the devil and transferred to the kingdom of the Son of God. Then he marveled at the great promise and benefits that are given and presented to us in baptism, and said, "If I knew that I had also been baptized in this way, and that the same words had been spoken over me, I would never be afraid of the devil. And when others reminded him and persuaded him that he was also baptized with these words, he had such great faith that he decided with himself that he would never be afraid of the devil. Finally, however, a ghost appeared to him, and the devil was
appeared to him in the form of a goat; but he was not at all frightened by it, so that he also took the one horn and broke it, and brought it to his companions, from whom he had left. When one of his companions saw it, even though he did not have the same faith, he was moved by the great miracle and began to boast that he had been baptized and would not be afraid of any ghost, no matter how horrible it might be. Therefore he goes to the same place and the ghost of the goat with the horns comes again. But since he wanted to attack the goat by the horns, the devil takes him by the neck and strangles him. Why did the one escape the danger and the other not? Answer: This happened because he was very presumptuous and had no true faith; he thought he could overcome the devil with his strength and power. He did not have the right faith.
(147) Therefore let each one examine himself as to what gifts he has. For just as we are unequal to one another in body, mind and good, so we are not equal to one another in spiritual gifts. In his profession, each one should remain in accordance with the moral law and the common law until God calls or compels him to do something special. Jacob did not do this out of his own counsel or will, but he was moved and forced to do it by God's will, so that he had to do it without his will, which he had never thought of. Therefore, God confirmed this deed afterwards by blessing him with children and by making Leah a mother of the patriarchs.
So now the fathers are to be excused, but their example is not to be followed, lest a disorder and separation of laws and common customs result from it; but we are to remain fine with the common laws and not transgress them, unless we are drawn away from them by a special profession, or if we feel such a strong courage, as the great brave heroes felt a special impulse.
149 But now where any enthusiast is
wanted to conclude from the example of Jacob: Jacob has taken two sisters in marriage, therefore I may also do the same: to this I answer thus: Nego consequentiam: The
will not follow for a long time yet. For a distinction must be made between persons, some of whom are common persons, and others who are great and valiant heroes, who have special movements that drive them to do special deeds. For God is the Father of the house and the supreme ruler over all of us: if He should instruct anyone to do anything that is contrary to the common rule, the rule is not to be broken or abrogated; but one is always to remain with the common laws, and let it be commanded by God that the Lord draw out whom He will. For it is he alone who can rightly say: Sic volo, sic jubeo, sit pro ratione voluntas: Thus I will have it, thus I command it, this and no other. It is he alone who can change the laws. If he takes one from the rule, he is taken off, otherwise not.
So the fool, the coiner, read the histories of the kings and judges; in the pulpit he inculcated the peasants with the stories of Joshua, Samson, and David, and held up the same examples to them. You are God's people, he cried, therefore you should follow the example of the great saints, such as Samson and Joshua; you should put to death the princes, and change the worldly regime and bring it into a different state. But the conclusion is false and not valid. For such men, who are such valiant heroes, are exempted from the rule, and we, who are subject to the rule, cannot and should not follow them.
V.29. 30. And Laban gave his maid Bilhah to his daughter Rachel to be his handmaid. So he lay with Rachel, and loved Rachel better than Leah, and served with him the next seven years.
151 Now that the brave and strange deeds and wonderful things have been described, the Holy Spirit turns to the weak and to describe the things that concern common morals. For even though a great hero of the rule
is excepted, one must nevertheless always follow the rule. As in grammar, although the word poeta is not feminine, as one should assume from its ending, because the last letter is an a, it is nevertheless declinatured, as it is said in grammar, according to the rule of words ending in an a. Thus a great hero must also keep himself so that he does not break the common customs, yes, that he rather preserves them, defends them and helps to keep them alive. Although he is exempt in a special way for his own person, he should nevertheless follow the first declination, as it is spoken of in grammar, and the rule. The poets say of Hercules that he broke the oars in the ship of the Argonauts, and yet everything went on happily according to his advice: thus the great brave heroes break through the laws, but they do not break this common regiment.
152 Now this good, pious man Jacob is described as a fool, because the love he bears for Rachel causes him to commit himself to serving Laban for the other seven years. A great brave hero would not have done this, but would have said, "I have served you for Rachel, and I will have her to be given to me as my bride," and would have threatened to strike him, or would have taken away by force the virgin who was betrothed to him. Which he could have done with all justification. But the great man let himself down and went into extreme servitude, serving Laban for a whole fourteen years for the sake of one Rachel. For he had not made a contract with him for half of Leah. Before, he had ascended to heaven and was allowed to do before God what otherwise would not have been proper for anyone else; now he humbles himself again by going into servitude.
We are to read these examples with pleasure, in which the Holy Spirit has praised and extolled the Scriptures to us, so that we may be commanded to follow them, and has also shown us in the great heroes the carnal and weak works. For it
It is a greater consolation to see such carnal things in the saints than to see the high and excellent deeds in them, which we cannot follow.
154. Therefore the Holy Spirit does not want it to be despised, but he praises these domestic and common works of this life so much that he also sometimes tells of some imperfect works, and where defects and faults are involved, that he thereby shows that he is patient and can tolerate the ways of the weak: That he will not reject the little children because they have the pox, are unkind and unfunny, if they only persevere in faith and love and remain steadfast, as Paul tells them, "He is patient with our many weaknesses. As it is also written in the epistle to the Hebrews in chapter 4, v. 15: "We do not have a high priest who cannot have compassion on our weakness" etc. This serves to comfort the church, in which there are not always chivalrous men and great heroes, or there are not many of them. But these can also be declined in genere feminino, as one says in grammar, whether they are generis masculini.
Thus God causes Jacob to be cast out and to undergo such servitude, which is shameful and does not look good to a free man; and this is done out of carnal love, which he has for the bride, on which the old man is quite upset, and so lightly places himself that even though he now already has his Rachel away with all rights, he nevertheless, in order to please the virgin, places himself in servitude for the other seven years. Just now (v. 20) he said that the seven years had seemed to him as if they had been single days of great love: now that he has been granted that he has received her as a wife, whom he loved so fiercely, he still enters into the heavy bondage of another seven years. Is this not a childish, carnal and even foolish thing, that he voluntarily puts himself into such bondage for the sake of the virgin, who was entrusted to him and given to him according to all law, and still postpones and leaves his own housekeeping? For that is reasonable and necessary,
When you have taken a wife, think how you will have and arrange your own roof and house. Then Jacob, in order to please the virgin, leaves the worry, does not take care of it, and in the meantime serves the shameful monster, the nasty, stingy and ungrateful man Laban.
Such people are now the great heroes, and so they are described to us as an example, so that we know that they were also people like us, namely, sometimes strong and steady, sometimes low and weak. In high and chivalrous works they are unconquerable lions, having no equal; in domestic works they are fools and weak men. God, however, looks at both, and is just as pleased with those who do low works as with those who do high and great works.
Fifth part.
Of Leah and her fruitfulness; item, of Rachel and her barrenness.
V. 31 But when the Lord saw that Leah was worthless, he made her fruitful, and Rachel barren.
This is a very carnal thing: the Lord must look into the game. Does God have nothing else to do but to look at this lowliness in the household? If he has so much time left over, he will probably find something to do to rebel against the devil, who is a god of this world, or against the great monarchs and princes of this world. Behold, what is he doing to the girl Leah? Answer: Let each one know that God cares for him in his profession. For God cares for that which is small, mediocre and great: he is a creator and governor over all. But who would believe that God should care for Leah? Truly, all people should take it for granted that God has respect for them and cares for them, however small, despised and lowly they may be. For this is why Moses so diligently depicts and presents to us the state of Jacob's household.
Jacob received his wife, for whom he had such a great desire, and Leah, whom he did not love and did not ask for. Rachel understands this well, and has the keys and the rule over the whole household, and is always with Jacob. She is the dear Mätzichen. But the whole house and the neighborhood look to the woman who rules, and everything follows her, and they know that Leah is despised and that Jacob does not respect her either. For the reason he loves her is that he has mercy on her; he does not love her out of conjugal love, as a bridegroom loves his bride; it is only charity. Therefore poor Leah sits with her maid in her hut, is miserable and sad, spends her time spinning and weeping. For the other servants, especially Rachel, have despised her, because she was despised by her husband, who preferred Rachel and loved her very much. She is not beautiful, she is not pleasant, she is even hated and detested, in Hebrew snuah; the poor girl sits there and no one respects her. Rachel is hopeful, looked at her unwillingly once. I am the woman of the house, she thought, Leah is a maid. These are quite carnal things about the holy fathers and mothers, as such things also tend to happen in our homes.
But we must not think that Leah could have tolerated and endured such contempt without great pain, without many tears, weeping and crying. For the female sex is a weak instrument that wants to be loved fiercely by the man, or at least does not want to be despised, especially by the man or the servants in the house. That is why it hurt Leah so much that she was so rejected and despised in the house, and that Rachel alone ruled with the servants and defied her, as it were. For there is no one who respects her and asks anything about her, not even Jacob himself. But only the Lord, who must see into the game, must break Jacob's affection and crucify him, and also break Rachel's courage, because he lifts up and prefers Leah, who was otherwise hated and even despised.
160 Thus it is to be learned that God sees and governs all things, but yet sees unitedly and especially that which is despised and rejected; even as Christ himself was despised on the cross. For what the world and also all holy people, as Jacob, Rachel, throw away, he took up and is holy to him. This is a wonderful and great consolation for the poor, afflicted and miserable hearts, which are to awaken themselves to faith and hope, because they hear that God is thus depicted and described, as Judith says in chapter 9, v. 13: "The prayer of the miserable and humble has always been pleasing to You." The groaning, even the death of those who are rejected and despised, is worthy in the sight of God. Whoever can believe this is without a doubt dear and pleasing to God. For it is certain that he does not want the contempt of his creatures, nor can he suffer it, be they small or great creatures. He does not want the great and mighty to boast or be proud because they can protect and defend themselves, but neither does he want those who are rejected and despised to despair because they have such a God in him who cares for them and receives them. Therefore, praise God, who "looks upon the lowly in heaven and on earth," as the 113th Psalm v. 6 says.
God Himself is also a very great hero and is not subject to any rule; yet He directs Himself and condescends in such a way that He nowhere sees so sharply as when He looks at that which is low and small. For thus Leah was greatly despised, and displeased and abhorred by all: if she had commanded any thing of the servants, they would have said: What have you to command me? ask Jacob and Rachel nothing after you. And perhaps Rachel, too, with her hopefulness, may have encouraged such disobedience among the servants; so that Leah was despised both by the master and by the wife, and also by the household. This made her very sad and grieved in her heart.
For it grieves a pious and godly woman greatly when she sees that she is to be despised by her husband.
Where she is insulted by others, she can bear and overcome it all the more easily if only the man takes kindly care of her; for that is the life of the woman when the man loves her dearly. Which I nevertheless want to be understood by pious honest women. When a man is angry, strange, whimsical and wrathful, the same thing hurts a godly woman more than death itself. She wants to be pleased by her husband and is more afraid of contempt than of darkness and the greatest and most extreme misfortune.
Now poor Leah had to bear and suffer these pains and sorrows, and was grieved and distressed that she should be despised by her Lord. But listen to what Moses says: "The Lord saw" etc., otherwise no one sees it. God sees and blesses the despised Leah, who was weeping, hated and grieved; but she who was hopeful He humbles. Another light is now shining on her who sits in darkness; for Jacob is crucified with his love, and Rachel in her great honor and glory. The Lord closes Rachel's womb and leaves her barren, which was not a small cross for Rachel, even death itself, as she will complain about it afterwards. But he honors her who was rejected and despised by making her fruitful and a mother; for this means to close or open the womb, that is, to give children and fruits of the womb, as the earth is opened when it blossoms.
The Hebrew word snuah means the contempt of those who are despised and rejected. And you should diligently note that God is called an overseer of snuim, that is, of those who are despised and rejected, only that they may not despair. This is what the Holy Spirit writes for the comfort of the afflicted, namely, that God blesses and exalts Leah so that she becomes pregnant and bears children.
V.32. And Leah conceived, and bare a son; and she called his name Reuben, saying, The Lord hath looked upon my affliction; now shall my husband love me.
The poor miserable woman, who had stupid eyes and whom they also called by reason of
The woman, who has spoiled her sorrow with weeping, nevertheless believes that she is respected by God. The Lord, she says, has seen that I am hated. She cites no merit, but only that God has regarded the snuah, that is, the despised one. For this is the proper title and definition and description of our Lord God, namely, that He is such a God who looks upon the despised and wretched. He also looks upon the worthy and great men of the world, but they have no need of His grace and mercy, they despise His reputation; therefore He must look upon them, as the 138th Psalm v. 6. says: "The Lord knows the proud from afar." The verse in the hymn of praise to the Virgin Mary, where she says Luc. 1, 48: "He looked upon the lowliness of his handmaid," seems to have been taken from this text here; for it is the same words that are found in this place.
The Hebrew word ani cannot be interpreted enough. Moses is called vir ani in the 12th chapter of the 4th book, v. 3: vir ani, a afflicted man, that is, the most miserable man on earth; as St. Paul says in 1 Cor. 15, 19: "If we hope in Christ alone in this life, we are the most miserable of all people. In Latin it is called miseria, in German misery. So the Virgin Mary sings: "He has looked upon my great misery, for she was deprived of her parents, was a poor orphan and abandoned, had to serve other people; then God comes and looks upon such a poor miserable maid.
167 And Leah also says in this place, "Jacob did not look upon me, for what he did by grace alone, that he had mercy on me; Rachel despised me altogether; therefore I am poor, wretched and rejected, in Hebrew snuah; but the Lord looked upon me and gave me a son. Therefore she thanks and praises God, and says: "Now my husband will love me", now the hatred and contempt will be changed into love and honor; for I have become a mother through God's blessing, which did not happen to my sister. And therefore I am
I am much happier than they are, not because I deserve it, but because the Lord has looked upon me.
It has always been considered a great blessing of God that women are fertile and bear children, even among the pagans, and women have therefore been held in honor. In Rome, men were forbidden to wear gold, but women were allowed to do so.
So Leah is a great mistress, because she is fertile and bears children before her sister, whom everyone wished for and hoped she would bear first. But when Rachel heard this, she was undoubtedly moved to envy and hate her sister, and all the household also wondered at this strange change, but God, who looks on the lowly and the despised, did it.
(170) Although all this is a mere carnal thing, and belongs to the house government, and it may be seen that there is nothing spiritual about it, yet in truth it is all a spiritual thing; as can be seen from the words of Leah, which contain a peculiarly great comfort. For God is not such a God who only cares for the angels and governs them; but he also cares for and governs the house government, and all things that belong to the house government, who can so change the hearts and judgments of men that those who had been completely despised and rejected a short time before become the most loving and pleasant.
(171) Therefore Leah honored her son with that name, calling him Reuben, as a public testimony against those who had despised and hated her. As if to say: Now you see for yourselves that I am not rejected by God; God has not despised me as you have despised me. Repent, see; rough: you have seen the Son. Behold, they will say, there ye have my son, behold him; for God hath looked upon me, which I have been snuah, that is, despised, before you: therefore I will call his name Reuben, that ye may cease to hate and despise me; he is a son of the face. God sees, I see, you also see, that I am not cast out and despised.
I am esteemed as you esteemed me before. Thus the Lord comforted poor, wretched Leah, who was utterly hated, and she confessed it and thanked God for it, and now defied all her despisers. This will undoubtedly have greatly annoyed Rachel, who was very much loved by Jacob and always considered to be the right housemother, and yet remains barren; indeed, three more sons are given to Leah, as follows in the text.
V.33. And Leah conceived again, and bare a son, and said, The Lord hath heard that I am worthless, and hath given me this also. And called his name Simeon.
The Lord has seen before, now he hears. For I think that Rachel will still be dealt with according to her pride, regardless of the fact that she has now given birth to a son and that God Himself has looked upon her. What is this? Rachel and the servants will have said; who knows whether she will also bear more sons? It may well happen that this son will soon die, and that Rachel, as the right housemother, will also bear children.
Thus, Leah had not yet completely overcome the contempt and was not yet completely overtaken by it, but they still violently and against all wit and reason despise the blessing and the reputation of God. Therefore Leah repeats her prayer to God and says: "Dear Lord God, I have now given birth to a son, but they do not ask anything about this birth; I am again not pleasant enough for the sake of the only son: give me another one, so that I may finally also be considered the housemother. Jacob did not despise her at all, but loved her; but the hatred of the household and of Rachel is not yet overcome. The firstborn son, she says, should have brought me favor and reputation, but I am still despised.
Therefore God heard her prayer and gave her the other son, Simeon. Now Rachel's courage fails her and she begins to become humble and to die, as will be seen hereafter, when she says: "Create children for me; where can I have children?
not, then I die." For she is still barren and Leah is already pregnant with her third son.
V.34. Again she conceived and bore a son, saying, "Now my husband will return to me, for I have borne him three sons. Therefore she named him Levi.
(175) So Leah says, Now that my husband has loved me, he will leave Rachel's tabernacle; for he has lived with her as with his beloved wife, and has not come to me, except to have mercy on me. But now he will also go to me and leave the barren Rachel. I know that he loves me better now than before, but he has not joined me in bed or at table; Rachel has had the grace and honor until now, but now he will join me and live with me. That is why she calls the son Levi, that is, union or companionship. As if to say, I will bring this about, that he shall now join me in bed and at table. But this grieved Rachel very much, and she thought: Now I shall be snuah, that is, despised; and my husband shall be wroth with me, saying, Thou hast been my dear bride, but the Lord blesseth thee not, but Leah; and he would have me to love Leah. The situation in Jacob's house was indeed very strange; indeed, it was even reversed.
V.35. The fourth time she conceived, and bare a son, and said, Now will I give thanks unto the Lord. Therefore she called his name Judah. And she ceased to bear children.
It is as if she wanted to say: I was satisfied with one, with two and especially with three sons, but above that I will also have the fourth son: now I praise and thank the Lord, yes, now I will also be praised, preferred and become the dear housemother. I have been raised from my lowliness and misery, and my sister has been deprived of her honor and glory. Because of this, Rachel will now desire to die from anger and impatience, and will become a mother.
say to her husband, "Create children for me; if not, I will die" etc.
177 So far we have heard how Jacob, after the marriage he had with Leah and Rachel, fathered four sons by Leah, who was despised and rejected. By which example God shows that He is gracious and favorable to the miserable, and to those who are afflicted and despised, so that all who are troubled and burdened have nothing to complain about, especially if they believe in God and do not let impatience and anger overcome them. For it is much better to be afflicted and afflicted where God laughs and is gracious in it, than to have great happiness and for God to be angry and ungracious in it.
For what is the world, with its favor, joy, and all its pleasures, against the gracious and kindly appearance that God looks upon the wretched and lowly? But the flesh does not allow us to understand or believe such things; indeed, it often grumbles because of the misfortune that is present, and takes upon itself to forcibly drive away the frightened, afflicted hearts from faith and comfort, and to bring them to grumble against God and to be angry with Him. For so many and so diverse adversities cause us to become very despondent and sorrowful in our weakness.
And, would God that we could learn and become accustomed to the struggle against the flesh that St. Paul teaches. For even though we cannot grasp and do everything that the spirit wants, we would nevertheless understand and feel that God does not want to leave us and not allow us to be overcome by the flesh. I would truly like to rejoice, boast and triumph with St. Paul in death, cross and suffering; but "the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak," Matth. 26, 41.
180 Therefore we should be satisfied and comforted by the fact that God is patient with us and the Holy Spirit helps our weakness, so that the Spirit may prevail against the unruly flesh and not turn to one side or the other, that is, not be sure, but also not become despondent and impatient. This is our glory, namely,
God's gracious forgiveness, who otherwise could impute to us the wickedness of our flesh; but for the sake of the spirit, which is contrary to the flesh, he does not impute it to us, but graciously forgives and pardons it. And so the Holy Spirit lifted up Leah and comforted her, looked upon her affliction, and heard her prayer; and after that he strengthened her, and she said, Now will I give thanks unto the Lord. etc. These are all the words and sayings of the Spirit, who resists and contends against the flesh; though he does not yet conquer and triumph, yet he does not depart, neither does he consent to the weakness and wickedness of the flesh.
Lyra distinguishes the temptations, so Lea had, Christian enough in fourfold way, according to the four persons, from whom the same happened to her; he had taken it immediately from the Jews, or however from himself after his understanding invented. She was despised by Rachel, rejected by her husband, considered a stranger by her neighbors and servants, and finally rejected by God. This division or difference pleases me well, and rhymes finely with the experience of those who are grieved and challenged. For where there is a reason for sadness, the challenged person immediately deduces one thing from another. For because Leah is despised by Rachel, she inevitably concludes that her husband must not be very well disposed toward her, and therefore Rachel, not she, is the proper matron. Thirdly, she has also reviled the neighbors and the servants, from whom she has heard that she was given to Jacob against his will by trickery and deceit, and for this reason she is despised by Rachel, who was properly betrothed to Jacob and trusted in marriage. The devil must have inculcated and strengthened her with all this, and thus made the challenge very great, and made her believe that God Himself would not be pleased with her either.
182. But against these four reasons for sadness and despair, God gives Leah four other reasons of comfort, namely, four sons. First, against the contempt
He sees the misery of Rachel. Second, while she was still despised by her husband, he hears her prayer. Third, so that she will not be considered a stranger, and as one who has been rejected and excluded, God gives her husband to be devoted to her and to stand by her. Fourth, she triumphs and wins against all temptation, is no longer so despised and scorned, but praises God and thanks Him.
183. we should also follow the example and learn that after the temptation, god will not
Redemption and consolation are usually given in abundance, overcoming all sadness and terror. But it is difficult for the flesh and becomes very sour for it to wait for the comfort that God wants to give. Therefore, such examples of faith are held up to us, so that we may see how Leah cried out, believed, endured, and suffered all violence and affliction from her sister in faith and hope, and how God finally, because she hoped in Him, looked upon her and abundantly comforted her.