John Calvin Commentary Hebrews 10:30

"For we know him that said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense. And again, The Lord shall judge his people." — Hebrews 10:30 (ASV)

For we know him that has said, etc. Both these passages are taken from Deuteronomy 32:35-36. But as Moses there promises that God would take vengeance for the wrongs done to his people, it seems that the words are improperly and forcedly applied to the vengeance referred to here. For what does the Apostle speak of?

It is that the impiety of those who despised God would not go unpunished. Paul also, in Romans 12:19, knowing the true sense of the passage, applies it to another purpose. For, intending to exhort us to patience, he instructs us to leave room for God to take vengeance, because this office belongs to him; and this he proves by the testimony of Moses.

But there is no reason why we should not turn a special declaration into a universal truth. Although the design of Moses was to console the faithful, as they would have God as the avenger of wrongs done to them, yet we may always conclude from his words that it is the specific office of God to take vengeance on the ungodly. Nor does a person pervert his testimony who therefore proves that contempt for God will not go unpunished, for he is a righteous judge who claims for himself the office of taking vengeance.

At the same time, the Apostle might here also reason from the lesser to the greater, and in this manner: “God says that he will not allow his people to be injured with impunity, and declares that he will surely be their avenger. If he does not allow wrongs done to men to go unpunished, will he not avenge his own? Does he have so little or no care and concern for his own glory as to overlook and pass by indignities offered to him?” But the former view is more simple and natural — that the Apostle only shows that God will not be mocked with impunity, since it is his specific office to render to the ungodly what they have deserved.

The Lord shall judge his people. Here another and greater difficulty arises, for the meaning of Moses seems not to agree with what is intended here. The Apostle seems to have quoted this passage as though Moses had used the word “punish,” and not “judge.” But as it immediately follows by way of explanation, He will be merciful to his saints, it appears evident that to “judge” here means to act as a governor, according to its frequent meaning in Hebrew. However, this seems to have little to do with the present subject.

Nevertheless, one who weighs all things well will find that this passage is fitly and suitably cited here. For God cannot govern the Church without purifying it and without restoring to order the confusion that may be in it. Therefore, this governing ought justly to be dreaded by hypocrites, who will then be punished for usurping a place among the faithful and for treacherously using the sacred name of God, when the master of the family himself undertakes the care of setting his own house in order.

It is in this sense that God is said to arise to judge his people, that is, when he separates the truly godly from hypocrites (Psalms 1:4), and in Psalm 125:5, where the Prophet speaks of eliminating hypocrites, so that they might no longer dare to boast that they were of the Church because God tolerated them, he promises peace to Israel after having executed his judgment.

It was not unreasonable, then, that the Apostle reminded them that God presided over his Church and omitted nothing essential for its rightful government, so that they might all learn carefully to keep themselves under his power and remember that they had to give an account to their judge.

He therefore concludes that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. A mortal man, however enraged he may be, cannot carry his vengeance beyond death; but God’s power is not bounded by such narrow limits. Besides, we often escape from men, but we cannot escape God’s judgment.

Whoever then considers that he has to do with God must (unless he is extremely foolish) truly tremble and quake. Indeed, such an apprehension of God must necessarily absorb the whole person, so that no sorrows or torments can be compared with it. In short, whenever our flesh allures us, or we flatter ourselves by any means in our sins, this admonition alone ought to be sufficient to arouse us: it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. For his wrath is equipped with dreadful punishments that are eternal.

However, David’s saying, when he exclaimed that it was better to fall into God’s hands than into the hands of men (2 Samuel 24:14), seems inconsistent with what is said here. But this apparent inconsistency vanishes when we consider that David, relying confidently on God’s mercy, chose him as his judge rather than men. For though he knew that God was displeased with him, he still felt confident that he would be reconciled to him. In himself, indeed, he was prostrate, but he was raised up by the promise of grace.

Since he believed God not to be unrelenting, it is no wonder that he dreaded God’s wrath less than that of men. But the Apostle here speaks of God’s wrath as being dreadful to the reprobate, who, lacking the hope of pardon, expect nothing but extreme severity, as they have already closed the door of grace against themselves. And we know that God is portrayed in various ways according to the character of those whom he addresses. This is what David means when he says, With the merciful you will be merciful, and with the froward you will be froward (Psalms 18:25–27).