But he does not hesitate to punish and destroy those who reject him.
Parallel translations
- WEB and repays those who hate him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack to him who hates him. He will repay him to his face.
- KJV 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.
- BSB But those who hate Him He repays to their faces with destruction; He will not hesitate to repay to his face the one who hates Him.
- NKJV and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them. He will not be slack with him who hates Him; He will repay him to his face.
- NASB but He repays those who hate Him to their faces, to eliminate them; He will not hesitate toward him who hates Him, He will repay him to his face.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God repays those who hate him with destruction, and he will not delay. His justice is as certain as his covenant love.
Overview
Alongside steadfast love stands God's righteous judgment on those who persist in hating him. He is not slack but will surely repay. This sober warning balances grace with holiness and points to the final judgment, from which only those covered by Christ are delivered.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Isa 59:18According to their deeds, he will repay as appropriate, wrath to his adversaries, recompense to his enemies; he will repay the islands their due.
- Rom 12:19Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.”
- Nah 1:2Yahweh is a jealous God and avenges. Yahweh avenges and is full of wrath. Yahweh takes vengeance on his adversaries, and he maintains wrath against his enemies.
- Deut 32:25Outside the sword will bereave, and in the rooms, terror; on both young man and virgin, the nursing infant with the gray-haired man.
- Deut 7:9Know therefore that Yahweh your God himself is God, the faithful God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness with them who love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations,
- Exod 20:5you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me,
- Deut 32:35Vengeance is mine, and recompense, at the time when their foot slides; for the day of their calamity is at hand. Their doom rushes at them.”
- Prov 11:31Behold, the righteous shall be repaid in the earth; how much more the wicked and the sinner!
- John 15:23–24He who hates me, hates my Father also.
- 2 Pet 3:9–10The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but is patient with us, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
- Ps 21:8–9Your hand will find out all of your enemies. Your right hand will find out those who hate you.
- Deut 32:41if I sharpen my glittering sword, my hand grasps it in judgment; I will take vengeance on my adversaries, and will repay those who hate me.
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Moses promised a Prophet like himself to whom Israel must listen (18:15); Jesus is that Prophet, the one who keeps the covenant we broke and becomes the curse for us by hanging on a tree (Gal 3:13).
How Deuteronomy 7:10 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.