THEOSISJohn Chrysostom
Observe how powerful humility is and how formidable virtue can be! Those who once expelled him now approach the outsider, the one without a homeland, to express their remorse for their past actions and seek forgiveness for their transgressions against him. They not only honor the just one but also reveal the dread that had overtaken them, confess their own weakness, and recognize the immense strength of the righteous individual. What could be more potent than the one who has God by his side? “We have seen clearly that the Lord is with thee.” And how do they know this? They affirm that the unfolding events have served as their enlightenment.
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They perceive that you, once rejected, have gained greater strength than those who rejected you, that the one who was wronged has surpassed those who wronged him, and from the very progression of events, they comprehend that you have considerable divine support. It was by divine Providence that their hearts were filled with awe for the righteous, and that such insight was planted within them. They state, “We have learned that the Lord is with thee ... let us make a covenant between us and you.” Notice how, moved by their own conscience, they eagerly seek to correct themselves, without any external pressure or explanation required. If you have not wronged a just individual, he questions, why then do you seek unity with him? Yet this is not the case: each day, the conscience is plagued, and while the one wronged remains silent, those who have caused harm are burdened by the threat of retribution, daily feeling as if they have sealed their own doom for their wrongdoing. Therefore, recognizing their plight, the people of Gerar propose, “Let us make a covenant between us and you.” They then clarify the nature of their desire for the covenant: “And we will establish an alliance with you, so that you will not harm us, just as we have not harmed you.”