The City of God · Chapter
Of the seventh day, in which completeness and repose are celebrated explained
Augustine discusses the symbolism of the seventh day, representing God's rest and completeness.
What happens
Augustine discusses the symbolism of the seventh day, representing God's rest and completeness. He explores the perfection of the number seven as a symbol of totality and rest, contrasting the labor of partial knowledge in earthly life with the perfect rest and knowledge enjoyed by the holy angels. He cautions against excessive focus on numerical symbolism, emphasizing weight and measure.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This chapter is the dramatic climax because it marks the irreversible psychological and spiritual turning poin…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- True Worship and the One God
The seventh day is hallowed by God's rest, not by works, pointing to the eternal rest found in God.
- Eschatology and the Last Things
The rest of God and the perfect knowledge of the angels prefigure the eternal rest of the blessed.
Characters to notice
- Augustine
Author and commentator, reflecting on the seventh day and the perfection of the number seven.
- Holy Scripture
Cited for passages about the number seven, such as 'A just man falleth seven times' and 'Seven times a day will I praise Thee.'
- Jesus Christ
Referenced indirectly through the Holy Spirit, whom the Lord says 'will teach you all truth.'
Key passages
“Suffice it here to say, that three is the first whole number that is odd, four the first that is even, and of these two, seven is composed.”
The number seven is formed by adding three, the first odd number, and four, the first even number.
Augustine explains the composition of the number seven as a sum of the first odd and even numbers.
“For rest is in the whole, i.e. in perfect completeness, while in the part there is labour.”
Rest belongs to the whole, which is perfect completeness, whereas partiality involves labor.
Augustine contrasts the rest of completeness with the labor of partial knowledge.
