Exodus 22

Exodus 22:1

Gregory the Dialogist: Some think that the precepts of the Old Testament are stricter than those of the New; but these are certainly deceived by careless consideration. For in the Old Testament, not avarice but robbery is punished. There, property unjustly taken is punished by fourfold restitution. But here this rich man is not blamed for taking what belonged to others, but for not giving what was his own. Nor is it said that he oppressed anyone by violence, but that he exalted himself in the things he had received. From this, therefore, we must especially conclude with what punishment he should be punished who seizes what belongs to others, if he is struck with the condemnation of hell who does not share his own possessions. Therefore let no one consider himself safe, saying: “Behold, I do not seize what belongs to others, but I enjoy things lawfully granted to me,” because this rich man was not punished for taking what belonged to others, but because he wrongly abandoned himself to the things he had received. — 40 Homilies on the Gospels, Homily 40

John Chrysostom: Therefore the thief being taken pays fourfold, but he that spoils by violence is worse than he that steals. And if this last ought to give fourfold what he stole, the extortioner should give tenfold and much more; and it is much if even so he can make atonement for his injustice; for of almsgiving not even then will he receive the reward. Therefore saith Zacchaeus, “I will restore what I have taken by false accusation fourfold, and the half of my goods I will give to the poor.” And if under the law one ought to give fourfold, much more under grace; if he that steals, much more he that spoils by violence. For besides the damage, in this case the in-suit too is great. So that even if thou give an hundredfold, thou hast not yet given the whole. — HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF Matthew 52.6

Exodus 22:2

Origen of Alexandria: Watch therefore, for you do not know at what hour your Lord will come. Not giving “sleep to the eyes” of our soul nor “slumber to the eyelids,” so that we may await either our own end or the end of the age, whether that we should depart from this life or that this world should be brought to its consummation for us.

But someone will ask how the Lord, established as present among the disciples, speaks thus, as though not present but about to come, saying to them: watch, for you do not know at what hour your Lord will come. And the one who is more simple will say that he spoke this discourse concerning the second coming, in which he was to come. But another will say that he was speaking of the intelligible coming of the Word, still to come into the understanding of the disciples, because it was not yet in their understanding in the way it was going to be: since (as he shows through this passage) in those who watch he works the day of his coming in the soul of those who are illumined by the true light of him who comes to their souls.

Now the householder is the understanding of the man, and his house is his soul; but the thief, who comes suddenly while the householder sleeps and breaks into the house, is, I think, the devil or every contrary word, according to what the evangelist John teaches us, saying in this manner: “amen amen I say to you, he who does not enter through the door into the sheepfold but climbs up another way, that man is a thief and a robber”. As, therefore, he who “enters through the door into the sheepfold” is “the shepherd of the sheep”, for whom “the doorkeeper opens”, but “he who does not enter through the door but climbs up another way is a thief and a robber”, so the lord of the house enters into it confidently “through the door” when he wills, rewarding the one who watches; but the thief, being a thief, does not enter into the house to the soul of the negligent by the natural entrance, but (as one who has already broken into it) first destroying certain natural buildings of his soul and natural understandings, in him who has not watched — the things which God the Word had built. And having entered through that very breach, the thief plunders it, disarming the understanding, when, despoiling the householder who does not watch, “he will distribute his spoils”.

But sometimes someone catches the thief in the very act of breaking in, and seizing him as one having his own weapons, he strikes the thief, and, confuting the word that breaks in, he kills it, when, though killing, he is not reckoned a murderer, killing it without any delay. But if not in his own presence, yet in the presence of him who makes all hidden things manifest, someone catches him who has stolen his goods, and understands him and refutes him (that is, kills him), he has no pardon, the thief being dead and made manifest: for he too will die.

And see whether perhaps the law of Moses signifies some such thing, saying: “but if the thief is found in the very breaking in and, being struck, dies, there is no bloodguilt for him; but if the sun has risen over him, he is guilty: he shall die for it”. For he who, before he does the evil, recognizes the evil and crushes it in himself, is the one who catches and kills it in himself, while it is being broken in upon by it. But he who, after he has done the evil, although he refutes it, is seen to have caught the evil outside himself and to have killed it outside his house — it profits him nothing, for he has been made guilty of death. For after any man has sinned and turned back into himself, the divine understanding which is in us illumines him like a light, so that we may understand that the evil we have committed was to our own condemnation, not to our salvation. Yet in the text of this Gospel of which we are speaking, the thief comes not by day, when the soul of the earnest man has been illumined by the sun of righteousness, but by night and in the time while malice still remains. — COMMENTARY ON Matthew 59

Exodus 22:20

Augustine of Hippo: In the law of the true God it is written, “He that sacrifices to gods shall be put to death, save only to the Lord.” The dreadful sanction of this command makes it clear that God wanted no sacrifices offered to such gods, good or bad. — City of God 19.21

Origen of Alexandria: Some people give no thought to the question of demons, that is to say, to the fact that these demons, in order to be able to exist in the heavy atmosphere that encircles the earth, must have the nourishment of exhalations and consequently are always on the lookout for the savor of burnt sacrifices, blood and incense. Since they attach no importance to the matter of sacrifice, we would express ourselves also on this subject. If men who give sustenance to robbers, murderers and barbarian enemies of the great king are punished as criminals against the state, how much more will they be punished justly who through offering sacrifice proffer sustenance to the minions of evil and thus hold them in the atmosphere of the earth! And this holds true especially if knowing the text, “He that sacrifices to gods other than the Lord alone will be destroyed utterly,” they nevertheless sacrifice to these authors of evil on earth. In my opinion, when there is question of crimes committed by these demons operating against men, they who sustain them by sacrificing to them will be held no less responsible than the demons themselves that do the crimes. For the demons and they that have kept them on earth, where they could not exist without the exhalations and nourishment considered vital to their bodies, work as one in doing evil to mankind. — EXHORTATION TO MARTYRDOM 45

Exodus 22:25

Clement of Alexandria: There is a great deal about sharing and exchanging, but it is enough to say that the law forbids lending at interest to a brother. By brother it means not merely one born of the same parents but a member of the same tribe or one of the same faith, who shares in the same Logos. The law does not deem it right to collect interest on the capital. It seeks to enable free giving to those in need, with hands and minds wide open. God is the creator of this free gift. It is he who shares his goods, exacting as the only reasonable interest the most precious things human beings possess: gentleness, goodness, high-mindedness, repute, glory. — The Stromata Book 2

Exodus 22:27

Basil of Caesarea: It appears also that one who does not give back his pledge to a poor man stands condemned with God, for the following threat is directed against such a one: “He who does not receive back his pledge will cry to me,” says the Lord, “and I will hear him because I am compassionate."[Of old] it was wicked and unlawful to gather the sheaves left after the harvest, or to glean the vines after the vintage or to gather up the olives that remain after the trees were picked, because these things were to be left for the poor. Now if this was commanded of those who were under the law, what shall we say of those who are in Christ? To them the Lord says, “Unless your justice abound more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.” .

Pseudo-Basil: It appears also that one who does not give back his pledge to a poor man stands condemned with God, for the following threat is directed against such a one: “He who does not receive back his pledge will cry to me,” says the Lord, “and I will hear him because I am compassionate."[Of old] it was wicked and unlawful to gather the sheaves left after the harvest, or to glean the vines after the vintage or to gather up the olives that remain after the trees were picked, because these things were to be left for the poor. Now if this was commanded of those who were under the law, what shall we say of those who are in Christ? To them the Lord says, “Unless your justice abound more than that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven.” — ON MERCY AND JUSTICE

Exodus 22:28

Augustine of Hippo: “Brethren, I did not know that he was the high priest; for it is written, ‘You shall not speak ill of a ruler of your people.’ " The mildness of this prompt reply shows how calmly he had spoken what he seemed to have uttered in anger, for such a reply could not be given by those who are angered or perturbed. And in the reply, “I did not know that he was the high priest,” he spoke the truth to those who understand him. It is as though he were saying, “I have come to know another High Priest for whose name’s sake I am suffering these injuries—a High Priest whom it is not lawful to revile but whom you are reviling, because in me you hate nothing else than his name.” — ON THE LORD’S SERMON ON THE MOUNT 1.19.58

Exodus 22:29

Ambrose of Milan: Those emotions therefore which are morally good are the first fruits of our senses, whereas the others are of common and indifferent stock. This classification was used by Moses, following in that respect the language of the Jews, in his reference to the threshing floor of the law: “The tithes of your threshing floor and of your wine vat you shall not delay to pay: you shall give the firstborn of your sons to me.” All the morally good emotions of your senses are the first fruits of the threshing floor of the soul in such a manner as grain is separated in an actual barn floor. — CAIN AND ABEL 2.1.5

John Cassian: The law says, “You shall not delay in offering your tithes and first fruits.” But grace says, “If you wish to be perfect, go, sell all that you have and give to the poor.” — CONFERENCE 21.32.3

Exodus 22:30

Clement of Alexandria: Scripture says, “At least grant the offspring to its mother for its first seven days.” For if nothing comes to be without reason and milk flows in the mothers for the nourishment of the offspring, then in taking the offspring away from the providential endowment of milk, a person is doing violence to nature. So Greeks and anyone else who runs the law down ought to blush for shame if the law is generous over irrational beasts, whereas they actually expose human offspring to die. Yet for a long time with prophetic authority the law has cut short their ferocity through the commandment of which we have been speaking. For if the law refuses to allow the offspring of irrational creatures to be separated from their mother before taking milk, it is far more forceful in preparing human beings against that cruel, uncivilized view. If they ignore nature, at least they may not ignore the lessons of the law. — The Stromata Book 2