But he answered: Peace be with you, fear not: your God, and the God of your father, hath given you treasure in your sacks. For the money, which you gave me, I have for good. And he brought Simeon out to them.
וַיֹּאמֶר֩ שָׁל֨וֹם לָכֶ֜ם אַל־תִּירָ֗אוּ אֱלֹ֨הֵיכֶ֜ם וֽ͏ֵאלֹהֵ֤י אֲבִיכֶם֙ נָתַ֨ן לָכֶ֤ם מַטְמוֹן֙ בְּאַמְתְּחֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם כַּסְפְּכֶ֖ם בָּ֣א אֵלָ֑י וַיּוֹצֵ֥א אֲלֵהֶ֖ם אֶת־שִׁמְעֽוֹן׃
3 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Do not be fearful, He assures us, and do not let this trouble you. No one will bring charges against you regarding this matter. We possess an abundance of silver. Furthermore, you acknowledge that it is a divine act that you hold treasures within.
The architect of the dwelling, perceiving their trepidation, reassured them: “Peace be with you, do not fear. You have not come here because of the riches I have received; rather, we desire your presence here due to your steadfastness, which is now acknowledged. You are not here to be judged for your past actions. Instead, our Lord has beckoned you to find safety in Him and to partake of His sustenance. Our Lord is truthful, and through the honor He will grant you in this moment, He intends to erase from your memory the shame you previously endured.”
Oh, great and clearly articulated commandments! It is proclaimed, Why do you take pride? Do you truly believe that the silver in your bags belongs to you? But what is it that you possess that you have not received? And if you do possess something, what is there to boast about as though you earned it yourself? You are already filled, you have grown wealthy (1 Cor. 4:7-8); you think you have silver, yet it was given to you by the God of your forefathers—the very God whom you have turned away from. But He grants forgiveness and shows compassion; He welcomes you if you turn back to Him. He is the One who does not ask for your silver but freely offers His own. He provided the silver that is now in your bags, which previously were filled with filth.
Thus, as it is said of you, ‘You have torn my vesture and clothed me with gladness’ (Ps. 29:12). The gift of joy is Christ, who is your true silver, your price of redemption. The Lord Jesus does not require you to pay for His sustenance, nor does He demand an account of your silver. Your silver is worthless; mere coins in a bag are of no value: I have accepted your genuine silver. This means, not the physical silver but your spiritual wealth is authentic. It is offered through your faith and devotion, like the sons of Jacob; it is given generously and is recognized as flawless, for through such a price, loss, that is death, is averted, and gain, that is life, is achieved (cf. Phil. 1:21).
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS