The passage De congressu 73-80 in which Philo answers a question raised by the text of Gen 16,3 is justly famous. Not only does he appear to give a personal testimony about his own education, but he also makes a statement about the relation between encyclical studies, philosophy and wisdom that has given rise to much debate. Some scholars, however, have been critical of Philo’s handling of the allegorical interpretation of the text. The present article undertakes to offer a new interpretation based on a close reading of the passage. The exegesis proceeds in four steps, which are sequentially explained. The reader confronts two surprises. Firstly at Congr. 79 Philo distinguishes between philosophy and wisdom. The distinction is drawn from Greek philosophy, but why does he introduce it here? Secondly philosophy is identified not with virtue, but with enkrateia, self-control. The answer may be that Abraham reveals self-control in having sexual relations with his wife’s handmaiden for virtuous purposes. But there is a higher motivation for such virtuous actions, namely to please God. There is no need to introduce this element in the exegesis, but it reveals how much value Philo attaches to the virtue of piety and service to God. The sequence of thought is thus best explained by relating it to the initial exegetical question. The article concludes with a brief examination of the interpretative changes introduced by the Christian writer Clement of Alexandria in his reading of the Philonic passage.