City of God - Augustine - XXXII - Book 16 continued

Required reading
City of God by Augustine (available from Amazon or free on the internet, here for example) - Continue Book 16 by reading Chapters 13 to 28.

My summary
Today begins an overview of Abraham's life, his:
(i) ancestors (Nahor, Terrah);
(ii) departure from Haran;
(iii) God's promises to Abraham.

What grabbed me
I don't think I'd quite agree with Augustine's assessment of Abraham's actions toward Hagar: 'As regards this transaction, Abraham is in no way to be branded as guilty concerning this concubine, for he used her for the begetting of progeny, not for the gratification of lust; and not to insult, but rather to obey his wife, who supposed it would be solace of her barrenness if she could make use of the fruitful womb of her handmaid to supply the defect of her own nature, and by that law of which the apostle says, “Likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife, could, as a wife, make use of him for childbearing by another, when she could not do so in her own person.  Here there is no wanton lust, no filthy lewdness.  The handmaid is delivered to the husband by the wife for the sake of progeny, and is received by the husband for the sake of progeny, each seeking, not guilty excess, but natural fruit.  And when the pregnant bond woman despised her barren mistress, and Sarah, with womanly jealousy, rather laid the blame of this on her husband, even then Abraham showed that he was not a slavish lover, but a free begetter of children, and that in using Hagar he had guarded the chastity of Sarah his wife, and had gratified her will and not his own,—had received her without seeking, had gone in to her without being attached, had impregnated without loving her,—for he says, “Behold thy maid is in thy hands:  do to her as it pleaseth thee;” a man able to use women as a man should,—his wife temperately, his handmaid compliantly, neither intemperately!'

I don't think Abraham's relationship with Hagar is one of his finer moments.  Augustine comes across as suggesting it was almost admirable that he obeyed his wife and took her maidservant and then sent Hagar away.

Next week's reading
Conclude Book 16 by reading Chapters 29 to 43.

Now it's your turn
Please post your own notes and thoughts in the comments section below.