Sarai being barren giveth her handmaid Agar to her husband Abram, 4. who conceiving despiseth her mistress, 6. is therefore afflicted, and flieth away, 9. but warned by an Angel to return and humble herself, 15. which she doth and beareth Ismael.Sarai being barren geueth her handmaid Agar to her husband Abram, 4. who conceauing despiseth her mistresse, 6. is therfore afflicted, & flyeth away, 9. but warned by an Angel to returne and humble herself, 15. which she doth and beareth Ismael.
Sarai therefore, the wife of Abram, had brought forth no children: but having an handmaid an Egyptian named Agar,SARAI therfore, the wife of Abram, had brought forth no children: but hauing an handmaid an Ægyptian named Agar,Igitur Sarai, uxor Abram, non genuerat liberos : sed habens ancillam ægyptiam nomine Agar,
2she said to her husband: Behold, our Lord hath closed me, that I might not bear: Go in unto my handmaid, if perchance, it may be · Vulgate: si forte of her at the least I may have children. And when he agreed to her in this request,she said to her husband: Behold, our Lord hath closed me, that I might not beare: Goe in vnto my handmaid, if happely of her at the least I may haue children. And when he agreed to her in this request,dixit marito suo : Ecce, conclusit me Dominus, ne parerem. Ingredere ad ancillam meam, si forte saltem ex illa suscipiam filios. Cumque ille acquiesceret deprecanti,
3she took Agar the Egyptian her handmaid ten years after that they first dwelled in the land of Chanaan: and gave her unto her husband to wife.she toke Agar the Ægyptian her handmaid tenne yeares after that they first dwelled in the land of Chanaan: and gaue her vnto her husband to wife.tulit Agar ægyptiam ancillam suam post annos decem quam habitare cœperant in terra Chanaan : et dedit eam viro suo uxorem.
4Who did lay with; had relations · Vulgate: ingressus est ad: went in unto with her, but she perceiving that she was with child, despised her mistress.Who did companie with her, but she perceauing that she was with childe, despised her mistresse.Qui ingressus est ad eam. At illa concepisse se videns, despexit dominam suam.
5And Sarai said to Abram: Thou dost unjustly against me: I gave my handmaid into thy bosom, who perceiving herself to be with child, despiseth me. Our Lord judge between me and thee.And Sarai said to Abram: Thou doest vniustly against me: I gaue my handmaid into thy bosome, who perceauing herself to be with child, despiseth me. Our Lord iudge betwen me and thee.Dixitque Sarai ad Abram : Inique agis contra me : ego dedi ancillam meam in sinum tuum, quæ videns quod conceperit, despectui me habet : judicet Dominus inter me et te.
6To whom Abram making answer: Behold, saith he, thy handmaid is in thine own hand, use her as it pleaseth thee. When Sarai therefore did afflict her, she ran away.To whom Abram making answere: Behold, saith he, thy handmaid is in thine owne hand, vse her as it pleaseth thee. When Sarai therfore did afflict her, she ranne away.Cui respondens Abram : Ecce, ait, ancilla tua in manu tua est, utere ea ut libet. Affligente igitur eam Sarai, fugam iniit.
7And an angel of our Lord having found her, beside a fountain of water in the wilderness, which is in the way to Sur in the desert,And an angel of our Lord hauing found her, beside a fountaine of water in the wildernesse, which is in the way to Sur in the desert,Cumque invenisset eam angelus Domini juxta fontem aquæ in solitudine, qui est in via Sur in deserto,
8he said to her: Agar, the handmaid of Sarai, whence comest thou? and whither goest thou? who answered: From the face of Sarai my mistress do I flee.he said to her: Agar, the handmaid of Sarai, whence comest thou? and whither goest thou? who answered: From the face of Sarai my mistresse doe I flye.dixit ad illam : Agar ancilla Sarai, unde venis ? et quo vadis ? Quæ respondit : A facie Sarai dominæ meæ ego fugio.
9And the angel of our Lord said to her: Return to thy mistress, and humble thyself under her hand.And the angel of our Lord said to her: Returne to thy mistresse, and humble thy self vnder her hand.Dixitque ei angelus Domini : Revertere ad dominam tuam, et humiliare sub manu illius.
10And again: Multiplying, saith he, will I multiply thy seed, and it shall not be numbered for the multitude thereof.And againe: Multiplying, saith he, wil I multiplie thy seede, and it shal not be numbred for the multitude therof.Et rursum : Multiplicans, inquit, multiplicabo semen tuum, et non numerabitur præ multitudine.
11And again after that: Behold, saith he, thou art with child, and thou shalt bring forth a son: and thou shalt call his name Ismael, because the Lord hath heard thine affliction.And againe after that: Behold, saith he, thou art with child, and thou shalt bring forth a sonne: and thou shalt cal his name Ismael, because the Lord hath heard thin affliction.Ac deinceps : Ecce, ait, concepisti, et paries filium : vocabisque nomen ejus Ismaël, eo quod audierit Dominus afflictionem tuam.
12He shall be a wild man: his hand shall be opposite, facing · Vulgate: e regione all men, and all men's hands against him: and over against all his brethren shall he pitch his Vulgate: tabernacula.He shal be a wild man: his hand shal be against al men, and al mens hands against him: and ouer against al his bretheren shal he pitch his tents.Hic erit ferus homo : manus ejus contra omnes, et manus omnium contra eum : et e regione universorum fratrum suorum figet tabernacula.
13And she called the name of our Lord that spake unto her: Thou the God which hast seen me. For she said: verily here have I seen the back parts of him that hath seen me.And she called the name of our Lord that spake vnto her: Thou the God which hast sene me. For she said: verily here haue I sene the backe partes of him that hath sene me.Vocavit autem nomen Domini qui loquebatur ad eam : Tu Deus qui vidisti me. Dixit enim : Profecto hic vidi posteriora videntis me.
14Therefore she called that well, the well of him that liveth and seeth me. The same is between Cadesse, and Barad.Therfore she called that wel, the wel of him that liueth and seeth me. The same is betwen Cadesse, and Barad.Propterea appellavit puteum illum Puteum viventis et videntis me. Ipse est inter Cades et Barad.
15And Agar brought forth a son to Abram: who called his name Ismael.And Agar brought forth a sonne to Abram: who called his name Ismael.Peperitque Agar Abræ filium : qui vocavit nomen ejus Ismaël.
16Eighty and six years old was Abram when Agar brought him forth Ismael.Eightie and six yeares old was Abram when Agar brought him forth Ismael.Octoginta et sex annorum erat Abram quando peperit ei Agar Ismaëlem.
Annotations
16:3To wife. The Manichees did calumniate holy Abraham, and other Patriarchs for having many wives, condemning them of incontinency and adultery for the same. Luther in the contrary extreme held it not unlawful but indifferent, now in the law of grace, for a man to have more wives than one at once. And some English Protestants hold, that for adultery the innocent party may marry another, the first living. But the Catholic doctrine distinguishing times and causes, showeth how plurality of wives was lawful sometimes, and at other times, especially since Christ, altogether unlawful and undispensable. The sum of which verity is this. By the first institution of Marriage in the state of innocency, and law of nature, and by the law of Christ, it is unlawful for any man to have more wives, and for any woman to have more husbands, than one. In the one part of which Law notwithstanding God sometimes dispensed. For there be two kinds of precepts pertaining to the law of nature. One sort are as first principles of the law of nature, in which God never dispenseth, much less any man. As that one woman may not have more husbands than one, because the same would rather hinder procreation, and so were directly against the fruit of marriage. The other sort are as conclusions drawn from the first principles, in which God sometimes dispenseth, but never any man. As in this present example: seeing it is against natural procreation that one woman should have many husbands, it is convenient also, there being ordinarily as many men as women in the world, that every man likewise should be restrained to one wife, for so procreation may rather be increased, than if some men have many wives, and others by that occasion have none at all, except in some special case. As after the flood when there was scarcity of people, God dispensed with such men as indeed were like to make greater procreation by plurality of wives. Which appeareth sufficiently by that Sarai persuaded her own husband, to marry another wife, and he a true servant of God agreed thereto, not as a new thing but as a lawful practice of those times. And Moyses here, and in other places still speaketh of it, as of a custom known to the people for lawful. If a man (saith he) have two wives, one beloved, and the other hated, and they have children by him, and the son of the hated be first born, he cannot prefer the son of the beloved. whereby it is clear that two wives were then lawful, and the children of both legitimate, and that the first born must be preferred, without respect of first or last marriage. Yet this dispensation either ceased before Christ's time, the cause ceasing, when the world was replenished, or at least our Saviour took it away, restoring Matrimony to the first institution of two in one flesh. Whoso pleaseth to see the Doctors that understand and expound the Scriptures to this effect, may read St. Augustine li. 22. c. 30. & 47. cont. Faust. Manich. li. 16. c. 25. & 38. civit. & li. 1. de adulter. coniugiis. St. Chrysostom ho. 56. in Gen. St. Ambrose li. de Abraham. c. 4. Also St. Chrysostom, St. Jerome, and St. Bede in 19. Matthei.