John Calvin Commentary Deuteronomy 7:10

"and repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hateth him, he will repay him to his face." — Deuteronomy 7:10 (ASV)

And repays those who hate him. No mention is made here of the vengeance “to the third and fourth generation.”²²²

Those who interpret the passage to mean that God confers kindnesses on the wicked while they are living in this world,²²³ so that He may eventually destroy them in final perdition, distort the words too severely. Nor is the opinion of others probable, that God repays the wicked with the reward of hatred, in His face, or anger.

I therefore interpret "face" to mean the face of those whose disobedience God opposes when He humbles their arrogance. For He alludes to their pride and audacity, because they do not hesitate to provoke God, as if He were without the courage or the power to contend with them.

He declares, then, that their impudence and brazen front will avail them nothing, but that He will cast down the insolence of their countenance and the arrogance of their forehead. He also signifies that they will feel the judgment they despise as certainly as if He presented it before their eyes.

He adds, moreover, that He will not deal with the wicked with the clemency He shows His children. For He chastises His children in such a way that His correction is always profitable for their salvation, while He denounces deadly punishment against the wicked. Although He seems to treat both alike when He inflicts temporal punishment, still, what is merely a medicine for believers is, for the reprobate, a foretaste of their eternal destruction.

What He says, however, about taking vengeance without delay, does not seem to agree with other passages of Scripture, in which He declares Himself to be slow to anger, kind, and long-suffering. Besides, it also seems to be contradicted by experience, since He does not immediately hasten to inflict punishment, but proceeds slowly, so that His severity compensates for the slowness with which He acts.

But we must remember what He says in Psalm 90:4, that a thousand years in His sight are but as a single day. Consequently, when we think that He delays, He is, in His infinite wisdom, hastening as much as is necessary.

Indeed, He seems to take no notice for a time, so that He may thereby invite people to repent. But still He declares that He will not delay, but that He will come suddenly, like a whirlwind, to hasten His judgments, lest the ungodly grow drowsy in their security. Let us, therefore, learn to wait quietly and patiently for the proper time of His vengeance.

²²² Added in Fr., “Mais seulement que Dieu punira les delinquans;” but only that God will punish the transgressors.., “Mais seulement que Dieu punira les delinquans;” but only that God will punish the transgressors.

²²³ The question is as to the word פניו, literally his or their face. The first explanation noticed by C., in their lifetime, is that of the Chaldee and Syriac versions, and also of the Hebrew Commentators; the second, in his anger, is attributed in Poole’s Synopsis, amongst others, to S M. Dathe’s translation is, “praesentissima pernicie;” and his note “mihi quidem videtur פנים dictum esse pro nomine reciproco ille, ipse, ut Exodus 33:15; Deuteronomy 4:37; 2 Samuel 17:11. Vide Noldius sub hac voce, num. 2. Latine non commode iisdem verbis exprimi potest. Igitur notionem, quae vocabulo Hebraeo subisse videtur, cum sequenti להאבידו conjunetim indicavi.”