Catena Fidei

Genesis 25:27 (WEB)
The boys grew. Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field. Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents.

Fathers and councils · 7

Augustine of Hippo, Expositions on the Psalms Psalm 88
“…may be said to each of them, “Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no guile,” just as holy Scripture says of Israel himself, that he was without guile.” — editor's note: Gen. xxv. 27.
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Augustine of Hippo, Sermons on New Testament Lessons Sermon 39
“Now this Jacob was said in the Scripture to be “a man without guile.”” — editor's note: Gen. xxv. 27.
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Augustine of Hippo, The City of God XVI.37Book XVI
“Lest we should think this guile of Jacob’s was fraudulent guile, instead of seeking in it the mystery of a great thing, the Scripture has predicted in the words just before, “Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a simple man, dwelling at home.”” — editor's note: Gen. xxv. 27.
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Basil the Great, Hexaemeron Homily 7
“The just is an honest man, like Job. Wherefore God setteth the solitary in families.” — editor's note: So the Cod. Colb. and Eustathius, who renders Justus nihil habet fictum sicut Job. The Ben. Ed. suspect that Basil wrote Jacob and Job. Four mss. support Jacob…
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John Chrysostom, Homilies on John Homily 60
“So, for instance, Jacob was a plain man, because he dwelt at home, and was free from the bustle of public life; for not without a cause hath Scripture put this, when It saith, “dwelling in a house.” ( Gen. xxv. 27.)” — the author cites it
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Athanasius of Alexandria, Life of Antony §2
“But when he was grown and arrived at boyhood, and was advancing in years, he could not endure to learn letters, not caring to associate with other boys; but all his desire was, as it is written of Jacob, to live a plain man at home.” — editor's note: Gen. xxv. 27.
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Tertullian, On Fasting Chapter 17
“…wild beasts: so unlimitedly studious are you of catching fieldfares, so do you come from “the field” of your most lax discipline, so faint are you in spirit.” — editor's note: Comp. Gen. xxiii. 2, 3, 4, 31, and xxv. 27–34.
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