The City of God, Volume IIAugustine, of Hippo, Saint
ReligionChristian
The City of God, Volume II
Augustine, of Hippo, Saint
Apologetics -- Early works to 1800; Kingdom of God -- Early works to 1800
13. _Why, in the account of Terah's emigration, on his forsaking
the Chaldeans and passing over into Mesopotamia, no mention is
made of his son Nahor._
Next it is related how Terah with his family left the region of the
Chaldeans and came into Mesopotamia, and dwelt in Haran. But nothing
is said about one of his sons called Nahor, as if he had not taken
him along with him. For the narrative runs thus: "And Terah took
Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his son's son, and Sarah
his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife, and led them forth out
of the region of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan; and
he came into Haran, and dwelt there."[253] Nahor and Milcah his
wife are nowhere named here. But afterwards, when Abraham sent his
servant to take a wife for his son Isaac, we find it thus written:
"And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his lord, and
of all the goods of his lord, with him; and arose, and went into
Mesopotamia, into the city of Nahor."[254] This and other testimonies
of this sacred history show that Nahor, Abraham's brother, had
also left the region of the Chaldeans, and fixed his abode in
Mesopotamia, where Abraham dwelt with his father. Why, then, did the
Scripture not mention him, when Terah with his family went forth
out of the Chaldean nation and dwelt in Haran, since it mentions
that he took with him not only Abraham his son, but also Sarah his
daughter-in-law, and Lot his grandson? The only reason we can think
of is, that perhaps he had lapsed from the piety of his father and
brother, and adhered to the superstition of the Chaldeans, and had
afterwards emigrated thence, either through penitence, or because he
was persecuted as a suspected person. For in the book called Judith,
when Holofernes, the enemy of the Israelites, inquired what kind of
nation that might be, and whether war should be made against them,
Achior, the leader of the Ammonites, answered him thus: "Let our lord
now hear a word from the mouth of thy servant, and I will declare
unto thee the truth concerning the people which dwelleth near thee
in this hill country, and there shall no lie come out of the mouth
of thy servant. For this people is descended from the Chaldeans, and
they dwelt heretofore in Mesopotamia, because they would not follow
the gods of their fathers, which were glorious in the land of the
Chaldeans, but went out of the way of their ancestors, and adored the
God of heaven, whom they knew; and they cast them out from the face
of their gods, and they fled into Mesopotamia, and dwelt there many
days. And their God said to them, that they should depart from their
habitation, and go into the land of Canaan; and they dwelt,"[255]
etc., as Achior the Ammonite narrates. Whence it is manifest that the
house of Terah had suffered persecution from the Chaldeans for the
true piety with which they worshipped the one and true God.
14. _Of the years of Terah, who completed his lifetime in Haran._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account