Exodus 12:36Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

That even after those plagues, their emancipation from slavery relied on the might of Him who instilled terror in them and submerged the Egyptians in the sea. He emphasizes this to prevent the foolish from assuming that God's command to take the precious vessels was due to any weakness on His part. Instead, He acted with the intent to instill dread in His foes, demonstrating that He can achieve all things through both strength and authority, whether openly or in ways unseen by them. What He performed openly was not beyond His ability to orchestrate secretly, and that which He arranged discreetly was equally within His capacity to accomplish openly; in both instances, He revealed His might. Furthermore, this also instilled great fear in the foreigners, as evidenced when the wise men of Azotus declared, “And why should you harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? Behold, when the Lord exhibited His power over them, they let them go, and they departed” (1 Kings 6:6). Do you recognize how they feared Him because of the abduction, the secrecy, and their lack of understanding?

These beliefs may even contain authentic affirmations regarding the obligation to honor the one true God, akin to their gold and silver, which they did not earn on their own but, like a divine treasury scattered abroad, they have taken and misused in a way that pleases demons. Therefore, when a person’s spirit is distanced from such a miserable existence, it becomes essential for the Christian to withdraw in order to engage in the noble mission of proclaiming the Gospel.

Following this illustrious leader, it seems appropriate that those who follow the path of virtue should not hoard Egyptian treasures or amass foreign gems. Instead, having acquired the possessions of their oppressors, they should regard these as a loan, as directed by Moses. It would be unwise to interpret the lawgiver's decree as encouraging injustice, as it should be clear that he did not intend for his people to commit wrong against their neighbors, despite some perceiving this strategy as a means of reclaiming what was rightly theirs from the Egyptians. The moral culpability remains unchanged if such a command is tinged with falsehood or deceit. To borrow and then fail to return what is not theirs is unjust, akin to stealing; however, to seize what truly belongs to oneself while misleading the lender is to act as a deceiver.

Thus, this initial interpretation lends itself to a higher understanding, suggesting that those dedicated to a virtuous and liberated life are called to appropriate the wealth of secular knowledge, with which the uninitiated are enriched by faith. The instructor in righteousness encourages them to consider this borrowed wisdom—be it in moral philosophy, mathematics, astronomy, literature, or any esteemed discipline outside the Church—as resources to enrich the divine sanctuary. Therefore, those who collect such wisdom and contribute to Moses, who diligently oversees the tabernacle, offer their insights for the purpose of constructing the holy place. This practice continues even today, as many pursue secular knowledge and present it as a gift to the Church. A notable example is Saint Basil, who in his youth acquired treasures from Egypt and dedicated them to God, thereby adorning the true temple of the Church.

After all, who trades without seeking profit? Who purchases without hoping for gain? What worker does not labor to support himself? And do not the faithful in the king's household utilize the provisions from Caesar's domain, each contributing to the needy according to their means? The Egyptians were indebted to the Israelites not just for their possessions, but even for their lives, due to the kindness of the patriarch Joseph. What debt do the Gentiles, from whom we gain both benefit and profit, owe us? We enjoy our share from their labors without the effort. The Israelites endured severe oppression under the Egyptians, as Scripture recounts: ‘The Egyptians did great violence to the children of Israel, and made their life bitter with hard service’ (Ex. 1:13-14). They built fortified cities and toiled excessively for many years, enriching the Egyptians while receiving in return a meager reward for their harsh servitude. Is it unjust for them to take a small portion from the abundance they worked to create? If any free person was forcibly enslaved, served for many years, and afterward received a small compensation in return for significant labor and loss, it would be the captor who is deemed unjust, not the freedman. Thus too are those who condemn the people for taking some of what was rightfully theirs, while failing to reproach those who showed no gratitude for the sacrifices of their ancestors and instead drove them into grievous subjugation.

These critics claim that the Israelites acted unjustly by seizing unminted gold and silver in limited quantities, while they themselves assert as legitimate the minted coins bearing Caesar’s image that they carry for the efforts of others. In a comparison of our actions with theirs, who has a more just claim to receive? The Israelites from the Egyptians, who owed them everything, or we from the Romans and other nations, who owe us nothing? The world finds peace through the Romans, allowing us to travel and navigate freely. The words of the Lord fit perfectly here: ‘Hypocrite, first remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye’ (Matthew 7:5). If the one making such claims against you had truly separated himself from Gentile society, lacking foreign possessions and living a destitute life among the wilderness, he could be excused for not recognizing our collective needs. However, if he utilizes what he considers foreign while critiquing the acts of others, he reveals himself to be unjust, bringing the indictment upon himself. He will be found carrying that which he deems foreign and coveting what is not his own. Hence the Lord cautioned, ‘Judge not, that you be not judged; for with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you’ (Matt. 7:1-2). This is not to say we should refrain from correcting wrongdoing or endorsing evil actions, but rather that we should not unfairly judge the divine decrees of God, who rightly oversees all that is for our benefit. Knowing that we would use our possessions well, which we receive from others, He instructs us: ‘He who has two tunics, let him share with him who has none, and he who has food, let him do likewise’ (Luke 3:11). Furthermore, ‘I was hungry, and you gave Me food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink’ (Matt. 25:35-36). And, ‘When you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing’ (Matt. 6:3). We rightly perform good deeds, akin to purchasing our own from another's grasp—not that the world is alien to God, but because we receive gifts from others, just as the Israelites did from the Egyptians who were without knowledge of God. By this very act, we create within ourselves a dwelling for God, since He resides with those who perform good, as stated: ‘Make friends for yourselves with unrighteous wealth, that when it fails, they may receive you into everlasting habitations’ (Luke 17:9). What we obtained unjustly as Gentiles is transformed into favor from the Lord, achieving justification upon our embrace of faith. Hence, these considerations were integral to that transformative moment, and through them, the dwelling of God is constructed, for the Israelites rightly received, and in them, we who will serve God through others are anticipated. The entire exodus from Egypt, orchestrated by God, symbolizes the Church’s emergence from the Gentiles, and at the culmination of time, He will guide her to her inheritance, which is bestowed not by Moses, the servant of God, but by Jesus, the Son of God. Should anyone take a closer look at the prophetic messages regarding the end times, and what John, the Lord’s disciple, witnessed in the vision, they will discover that the nations will face similar tribulations as those that had afflicted Egypt.

However, the actions of the Israelites cannot be considered wrong by either God or His law for several reasons: First, the Israelites did not act out of their own boldness but followed a specific command from God, as indicated in Exodus 3:22, where He is identified as the God of Israel and the Sovereign Lord over all creation. Secondly, the wealth taken from the Egyptians rightfully belonged to the Israelites, as it had been unjustly withheld from them during their years of servitude in Egypt. They were entitled to this recompense from God at the time of their deliverance. Just as a civil court allows a government to reclaim property from a debtor who fails to honor their obligations, so God’s just decree should not be viewed as theft.

Moreover, the Israelites did not forcibly seize these items; rather, they received them willingly from those with whom they had gained favor. Additionally, as noted by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 31:1), possessions acquired through deceit and violence are due for reclamation from those who misused them, which is why God bestowed them upon His people.

It is also noteworthy that the term used in Hebrew to describe this acquisition does not imply theft, even though the commandment prohibits stealing; instead, it can be interpreted as a form of transfer, emphasizing that no justification exists for thinking that theft is permissible in this context. Lastly, all instances shaped by God’s divine design, along with specific permissions granted to His people for a designated time, and commands issued directly by the Creator, fall outside the scope of the law and thus should not be regarded as normative examples for conduct within the framework of divine law.