The Pharoah And Justice

ΕΡΩΤ Η' Προσειδὼς ὁ Θεὸς τοῦ Φαραὼ τὸ δυσπειθὲς, τί δήποτε μὴ ἐξαρχῆς αὐτὸν ἐκόλασεν; Ὅτι προῇδει δεδήλωκεν. Οἴδα γὰρ, φησὶν, ὅτι οὐ προὴσεται ὑμᾶς Φαραὼ βασιλεὺς Αἰγύπτου, εἰ μὴ μετὰ χειρὸς κραταιᾶς. Καὶ ἐκτείνας τὴν χεῖτα, πατάξω τοὺς Αἰγυπτίους· Ἀλλ' ὅμως ἀγαθὸς ὤν καὶ φιλάνθρωπος κολάζειν ἐκ μόνης προγνώσεως οὐκ ἀνέχεται· ἀλλὰ ἀναμένει τῶν πραγμάτων τὸ τέλος, καὶ δείκνυσιν ἄπασι τῆς τιμωρίας τὸ δίκαιον. Ἄλλως τε καὶ πολλῷ δικαιότερον, τὸ τὴν ἐκείνου γυμνωθῆναι κακίαν καὶ πονηρίαν, τοῦ τὸν Θεὸν ἀπηνῆ νομισθῆμαι. Εἰ γὰρ πρὸ τῶν ἐλέγχων ἐκόλασεν, ἔδοξεν ἂν καὶ ὠμος εἶναι καὶ ἄδικος· νῦν δὲ καὶ τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸ μακρόθυμον, δέδεκται, κἀκείνου τὸ δυσσεβὲς καὶ θηριῶδες ἐλήλεγκται. Θεοδώρητος Ἐπίσκοπος Κύρρος, Εἰς Τὴν Ἐξοδον Source: Migne PG 80.232a-b

Question 8 Since God foreknew the insolence of Pharaoh, why did He not immediately punish him? That He obviously did foreknow, He says: 'For I know that Pharaoh the king of Egypt will not let you go, unless by a strong hand. And so stretching out my hand, I shall strike the Egyptians.' 1 But as God is good and benevolent He refrains from punishing from foreknowledge alone, but He waits for the end of works, and thus He reveals to all that he punishes justly. Besides, it would be much more just if the wickedness and evil of the Pharaoh were revealed than God be thought cruel. For if he had punished before refutation, He would have seemed cruel and unjust, but now the patience of God is observed and the impiety and savagery of Pharaoh is convicted. Theodoret of Cyrrhus, Questions On Exodus 1 Exodus 3.19-20