Ambrose of Milan : One is victorious who hopes for the grace of God, not he who presumes upon his own strength. For why do you not rely upon grace, since you have a merciful Judge in the contest? "For the Lord is merciful and just, and our God shows mercy." Mercy is mentioned twice, but justice once. Justice is in the middle, enclosed by a double wall of mercy. Sins superabound. Therefore let mercy superabound. With the Lord there is an abundance of all powers, for he is the Lord of hosts. Yet there is neither justice without mercy, nor without the exercise of mercy is there justice, for it is written, "Be not overjust." What is above measure, you cannot endure, even if it is good. Preserve measure, that you may receive according to the measure. — ON THE DEATH OF THEODOSIUS 25 Ambrose of Milan : He who endeavors to amend the faults of human weakness ought to bear this very weakness on his own shoulders, let it weigh upon himself, not cast it off. For we read that the Shepherd in the Gospel carried the weary sheep and did not cast it off. And Solomon says, "Be not overmuch righteous," for restraint should temper righteousness. For how shall he offer himself to you for healing whom you despise, who thinks that he will be an object of contempt, not of compassion, to his physician? — Concerning Repentance 1.1.2 Athanasius of Alexandria : And as God promises to them that serve him truly, "I will fulfill the number of your days," Abraham dies "full of days," and David called on God, saying, "Take me not away in the midst of my days." And Eliphaz, one of the friends of Job, being assured of this truth, said, "You shall come to your grave … like as a shock of corn comes in its season." And Solomon confirming his words, says, "The souls of the unrighteous are taken away untimely." And therefore he exhorts in the book of Ecclesiastes, saying, "Be not overmuch wicked, neither be hard: why should you die before your time?" — DEFENSE OF HIS FLIGHT 14 Jerome : "Do not be too righteous, do not make yourself too wise: why destroy yourself? "If you should see a man who is harsh and wild to the extent of sinning against his brothers, so that he pardons neither the sinner in his speaking, or he who is slow on account of natural slowness, know that this man is more righteous than is good. For when the Saviour teaches, saying "Do not judge, so that you are not judged" [Luc. 6, 37.], and let none be without sin, even if it was not his life at any given day, the judgement of God is not ignorant of the weak state of man. Therefore do not be too righteous, since accursed conduct in the presence of God carries both a great and a minor burden. Philosophers have placed virtues therefore in the middle, and everything which is either too much either above or below, is thought to be at fault. [Cfr. Apuleius. Plat. 2, 5.] But he also says, "and do not ask too much, lest you become confused", or "lest you be amazed". For he knows that our mind cannot understand complete wisdom, (or that which is to be measured), and he says that we ought to know the wisdom which must be measured in our mortality. Then even Paul asked of him that was able to know more than man, saying, "why does he yet complain? For who has resisted his will?" [Rom. 9, 19.] He replies, "O man, who are you that reply to God?" [Ibid. 9, 20.], and so on. If he had heard the causes of the complaint from the apostle, he who is introduced while he is questioning, by chance he would have been stupefied by numbness and would have felt useful gratitude. Since it is a gift according to that same apostle, which is of no use to him that receives it. The command "do not be too righteous" [Cfr I Reg. 15.] is interpreted by the Hebrew as being about Saul, who felt pity for Agag, whom the Lord had commanded to be killed. But even that servant from the Gospel whom the Lord had pardoned [Cfr. Matth. 18. 23-34.], the Lord himself didn't want to pardon the servant, yet he can be used in this verse because he was too righteous. — Commentary on Ecclesiastes