With whomever you find your gods, let him not live: before our brethren discern what is yours with me, and take it to you. For Jacob knew not that Rachel had stolen them.
All Commentaries on Genesis 31:32 Go To Genesis 31
Ambrose of Milan
AD 397
Now let us consider how the just person ought to behave if enmity arises. First, let him avoid it; it is better to go away without strife than to settle down with contention. Next, let him possess a property that he can carry off with him so that he cannot be held under any obligation by the adversary but may say, “Identify whatever of yours I may have.” And Laban searched and found nothing of his with Jacob. He was a great man and truly happy who could lose nothing of his and possess nothing of another’s, that is, possess nothing too little and nothing to excess. Therefore, the person who has no lack of anything has been perfected; the person who has nothing to excess is just—this is to observe the proper mean of justice. How powerful virtue is! Alliance with it brought gain but did not inflict loss. This is what perfection is; it gives the greatest advantage to those who hold to it but brings them no disadvantage whatsoever. Accordingly, the man who desired to do harm to Jacob was not able to send him away empty. For the wise person is never empty but always has the garment of prudence on himself and is able to say, “I was clad with justice, and I clothed myself with judgment,” as Job said. Surely these are the inner veils of the spirit, and no one can take them away except when someone strips them off by his own guilty action. In fact, Adam was found stripped so, and naked, whereas Joseph was not naked even though he had thrown off his external clothing, as he possessed the safe covering of virtue. Therefore, the wise person is never empty. How could he be empty? He has taken from the fullness of Christ and keeps what he has received. How could he be empty? His soul is filled, for it guards the garments of grace it has received. We must be afraid that someone may lose the veil of blamelessness and that ungodly people may transgress the bonds of justice with onslaughts of sacrilege and persecution and snatch away the garment of the soul and of the spirit. This does not readily happen unless a person has first been stripped of his clothing by the voice of his iniquity. On this account David also says, “If there is iniquity in my hands, let me deservedly fall empty before my enemies. Let the enemy pursue my soul and take it.”
