Homilies on Genesis — Homily 6
Latin source: Origen, In Genesim homiliae (Rufinus's Latin translation), from the public-domain critical text of W. A. Baehrens, GCS 29 = Origenes Werke VI (Leipzig, 1920). This English translation is released into the public domain.Concerning Abimelech king of the Philistines, how he wished to take Sarah in marriage.
[§1] The history of the book of Genesis has been read to us, where it is related that, after the appearance of the three men, after the overthrow of Sodom, and after Lot was preserved either by the merit of hospitality or for the sake of his kinship with Abraham, "Abraham set out from there," it says, "toward the southwest," and came to the king of the Philistines. It is also related that he made a compact with Sarah his wife, that she should not say she was Abraham's wife, but his sister; and that king Abimelech took her, but God came to Abimelech by night and said to him: "Because you have not touched this woman," he says, "and I did not permit you to touch her," and the rest. But after this Abimelech gave her back to her husband, and at the same time rebuked Abraham, because he had not confessed the truth to him. It is also related that Abraham, as a prophet, prayed for Abimelech, "and the Lord healed Abimelech and his wife and his maidservants." And it was a care to the almighty God that he should heal even the maidservants of Abimelech, "since indeed," it says, "in closing he had closed up their wombs, that they might not bear children." But they began to bear children on account of the prayer of Abraham. If anyone wishes to hear and understand these things according to the letter alone, he ought to have his audience with the Jews rather than with the Christians. But if he wishes to be a Christian and a disciple of Paul, let him hear him saying that "the law is spiritual" and, when he was speaking of Abraham and his wife and sons, declaring these things to be "allegorical." And although it is not easy for any of us to find out what sort of allegories they ought to contain, nevertheless he ought to pray that "the veil may be taken away from his heart, if there be anyone who endeavors to be converted to the Lord" — "for the Lord is a spirit" — so that he himself may take away the veil of the letter and open up the light of the spirit, and we may be able to say that "beholding the glory of the Lord with unveiled face, we are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the spirit of the Lord." I think, therefore, that Sarah, who is interpreted 'princess' or 'one exercising rule', holds the figure of ἀρετή, which is the virtue of the soul. This virtue, then, is joined and cleaves to a wise and faithful man, just as also that wise man who said concerning wisdom: "I sought to bring her to me as my bride." Therefore for this reason it is said by God to Abraham: "in all things whatsoever Sarah shall say to you, hearken to her voice." Which surely is not fittingly said in a bodily marriage, since indeed that sentence was uttered by divine authority which says to the woman concerning the man: "your turning shall be to him, and he shall have dominion over you." If, then, the man is said to be lord of the woman, how could it in turn be said to the man: "in all things whatsoever Sarah shall say to you, hearken to her voice"? If, then, anyone has taken virtue to himself in marriage, let him hearken to her voice in all things in which she gives him counsel. Therefore Abraham no longer wishes his wife to be called virtue. For so long as virtue is called a wife, she is one's own and can be shared with no one. And it is fitting that, until we come to perfection, the virtue of the soul should be within us and be our own; but when we have come to perfection, so that we are fit to teach others also, then we no longer shut virtue up within our bosom as a wife, but join her also, as a sister, to others who wish for her. To these, finally, who are perfect, the divine word will say: "say that wisdom is your sister." According to this, therefore, Abraham also said that Sarah was his sister. He permits, then, as one now perfect, that whoever wishes may have virtue.[§2] Yet Pharaoh too once wished to take Sarah, but he did not wish it "with a clean heart"; and virtue cannot come together with anything except purity of heart. Therefore, then, Scripture reports that "the Lord afflicted Pharaoh with great and grievous afflictions." For virtue could not dwell with an exterminator — for this is what Pharaoh means in our tongue. But let us see what Abimelech said to the Lord. "You know, Lord," he says, "that I have done this with a clean heart." This Abimelech acts far otherwise than Pharaoh. He is not so ignorant and foul, but knows that he must prepare a "clean heart" for virtue. And because with a pure heart he wished to receive virtue, therefore God heals him when Abraham prays for him. And not only him, but He heals his maidservants too. But what is it that Scripture added: "and the Lord," it says, "did not permit him to touch her"? If Sarah holds the figure of virtue and Abimelech wished to receive virtue "with a clean heart," what is the meaning of the saying that "the Lord did not permit him to touch her"? Abimelech is interpreted 'my father is king.' It seems to me, then, that this Abimelech holds the figure of the studious and wise of the world, who, giving their labor to philosophy, although they have not attained the whole and perfect rule of piety, have nevertheless perceived that God is the father and king of all, that is, one who has begotten and governs all things. These men, then, as far as ethics — that is, moral philosophy — is concerned, are proved to have to some extent given their labor even to purity of heart, and with their whole mind and whole zeal to have sought the inspiration of divine virtue. But this "God did not permit" them "to touch." For this grace was being prepared to be handed on to the nations not through Abraham, who, although he was great, was nevertheless a servant, but through Christ. Therefore, then, although Abraham hastened for that to be fulfilled through himself and in himself, which was said to him, that "in you all the nations shall be blessed," nevertheless the promise is set for him in Isaac, that is, in Christ, as the Apostle says: "He did not say: and to seeds, as in many, but as in one: and to your seed, who is Christ." Yet "the Lord heals Abimelech and his wife and his maidservants."
[§3] But it does not seem to me pointless that mention is made not only of Abimelech's wife but also of his female servants, especially in this, that it says: "God healed them and they were bearing children. For he had closed them up, that they should not bear." As far as we are able to perceive in such difficult passages, we suppose that Abimelech's wife can be called natural philosophy, but his maidservants the diverse and varied inventions of dialectic according to the character of the several schools. Meanwhile Abraham desires to impart the gift of divine power even to the nations, but the time has not yet come for the grace of God to pass over from the former people to the nations. For the Apostle too, though under another guise and another figure, nevertheless says: "that a woman is bound to the law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband is dead, she is freed from the law, so that she is no longer an adulteress if she be with another man." Therefore the law of the letter must first die, so that at last the soul, now free, may wed the spirit and obtain the marriage of the new testament. But this present time, in which we now are, is the time of the calling of the nations and of the death of the law, in which free souls, now released from the law of the husband, may wed a new husband, Christ. But if you wish to be taught how the law is dead, consider and see: where now are the sacrifices, where now the altar, where the temple, where the purifications, where the solemn feast of the Passover? Is not the law dead in all these things? Or, if these friends and defenders of the letter are able, let them keep the letter of the law. According to this order of allegory, then, Pharaoh, who is an unclean man and a destroyer, could by no means receive Sarah, that is, virtue. Further, Abimelech, that is, one who lived purely and philosophically, could indeed receive her, because he sought "with a pure heart," but "the time had not yet come." Virtue therefore remains with Abraham, remains in circumcision, until the time comes when, in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom "dwells all the fullness of the deity bodily," whole and perfect virtue may pass over to the Church of the nations. Then, therefore, both the house of Abimelech and his maidservants, whom the Lord healed, will bear children for the Church. For this is the time in which "the barren woman" bears, and in which "the children of the desolate are many, more than of her who has a husband." For the Lord opened the womb of the barren woman and she was made fruitful, so that she bears a nation "at once." But the saints also cry out and say: "Lord, out of fear of you we have conceived in the womb and have given birth; we have wrought the spirit of your salvation upon the earth." Whence Paul likewise says: "my little children, of whom I am again in travail, until Christ be formed in you." Such children, then, does every Church of God travail with and beget. For "he who sows in the flesh shall also reap corruption from the flesh." But these are children of the spirit, of whom the Apostle also says: "that a woman shall be saved through the bearing of children, if they continue in faith and chastity." Let the Church of God, therefore, so understand its births, so receive its generations, so uphold the deeds of the fathers with a fitting and honorable interpretation, so not disfigure the words of the Holy Spirit with foolish and Jewish fables, but assign them full of honor, full of virtue and usefulness. Otherwise, what edification will there be for us who read that Abraham, so great a patriarch, not only lied to King Abimelech, but also betrayed the chastity of his wife? What does the wife of so great a patriarch edify us, if she be thought to have been exposed to defilements through her husband's connivance? Let the Jews suppose these things, and any who are with them friends of the letter, not of the spirit; but let us, "comparing spiritual things with spiritual," be made spiritual both in act and in understanding in Christ Jesus our Lord, "to whom is glory and dominion unto the ages of ages. Amen."