Two Peoples

In eo quod Dominus respondit Rebeccae: Duae gentes in utero tuo sunt, et duo populi de ventre tuo separabuntur, et populus populum superabit, et major serviet minori, spirituali intelligentia carnales in populo Dei significantur per majorem filium, et spirituales per minorem: quia sicut dicit Apostolus, Non prius quod spirituale, sed quod animale; postea, spirituale. Solet et sic intelligi hoc quod dictum est, ut in Esau figuratus sit major populus Dei, hoc est Israeliticus secundum carnem: per Jacob autem figuratus sit ipse Jacob secundum spiritualem progeniem. Sanctus Augustinus Hipponensi, Quaestionum In Heptateuchum, Liber Primus Source: Migne PL 34.567

When the Lord gave answer to Rebecca: 'Two nations are in your womb, and two people will come out from it, and a people shall overcome a people, and the elder will serve the younger,' 1 in the spiritual understanding the carnal folk among the people of God are signified by the elder son, and the spirtual by the younger, as the Apostle says: 'The spiritual was not first, but the animal, after came the spiritual. ' 2 It is customary to understand what was said, that in Esau is the figure of the elder people of God, that is, Israel according to the flesh, and in Jacob is the figure of the spiritual offspring. Saint Augustine of Hippo, Questions on The Heptateuch, Book 1 1 Gen 25.23 2 1 Cor 15.46