Deuteronomy 7:10
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The verse emphasizes that God's repayment to those who hate Him is personal and immediate, not delayed or abstract. The phrase "to their face" means they will witness and experience their own destruction, leaving no room for them to deny or ignore God's judgment.
and repays to their face those who hate him, by destroying them. He will not be slack with one who hates him. He will repay him to his face.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Moses is reminding the Israelites that God is not just a promise-keeper for those who love Him, but also a swift punisher for those who hate Him. This declaration of divine justice, presented in stark contrast to His faithfulness, sets the stage for the blessings and curses that will follow if they obey or disobey His commands. The immediate context emphasizes God's active and personal involvement in both rewarding loyalty and dealing with opposition.
Ever feel like God's justice is slow or distant? This verse paints a powerful picture of His direct and undeniable response to those who oppose Him.
The phrase 'to his face' is striking. It emphasizes that God's judgment isn't a distant, abstract concept, but a personal, immediate, and visible reckoning.
Visible and Personal
This isn't just about punishment happening somewhere, but about it happening to them, in a way they can see and experience. It’s a direct confrontation with the very One they defied.
No Evasion
It highlights that there’s no hiding or escaping God’s justice. When He repays, it's open and undeniable, leaving no room for denial or excuse.
The Bible often describes God as slow to anger, so what does it mean when He says He will 'not be slack'?
This verse addresses a potential misunderstanding of God's patience. While God is indeed longsuffering and desires repentance, His commitment to justice for those who hate Him is absolute.
Divine Timing
'Not be slack' doesn't mean God never delays judgment; His timing is perfect. Instead, it means His justice will never fail to arrive. He won't let hatred for Him go unaddressed indefinitely.
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The Purpose of Delay
Sometimes, His apparent 'slackness' is actually an invitation to repentance, giving people opportunity to turn from their hatred to love. But when that time passes, His judgment is sure and swift.
When we talk about 'hating God,' it sounds extreme. But who does this verse include beyond the obvious rebels?
The 'hatred' described here isn't always overt blasphemy. It encompasses a broader rejection of God and His ways.
Rejection of His People and Word
As commentators note, hating God can be expressed through opposing His people and His divine word. When we stand against those who follow Christ, or disregard His commands, we are acting in opposition to Him.
Willful Disobedience
Crucially, it includes those who 'wilfully persist in the breach of God’s commandments.' This isn't about occasional failure, but a persistent, defiant attitude against God's standards, often fueled by pride.
The Contrast with Love
This hatred stands in direct contrast to the love described in the preceding verses, which is demonstrated by keeping His commandments. The choice is stark: love and obedience, or hatred and defiance.
This passage beautifully contrasts God's character, highlighting His compassion and faithfulness to those who love Him, while also affirming His justice and His judgment on sin, echoing the dual nature of God's response in Deuteronomy 7:10.
Romans 1:18-32Paul describes how God's wrath is revealed against those who suppress the truth and live in unrighteousness, showing a divine response to hatred and rebellion that aligns with the judgment described in Deuteronomy 7:10.
Psalm 21:8-9This psalm speaks of God's ultimate victory over His enemies, stating that He will make them like a furnace of fire in the day of His anger, reflecting the comprehensive destruction promised to those who hate God.
Hebrews 10:26-31The author warns against deliberately continuing to sin after receiving the truth, emphasizing that judgment is certain and that vengeance belongs to God, reinforcing the seriousness of hating God and the certainty of His repayment.
2 Peter 3:9This verse explains God's seeming 'slackness' in judgment as patience, demonstrating His desire for repentance, which provides a crucial context for understanding that while God is not 'slack' in the sense of forgetting, His timing is purposeful.
gillDeuteronomy 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."
And repayeth them that hate him to their face, to destroy them,.... Openly, publicly, and at once, they not being able to make any resistance. Onkelos interprets it in their lifetime, and so Jarchi which agrees with the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem: "or to his face"; (f) the face of God; that is, he will punish them that hate him to…
calvinDeuteronomy 7:9-15: "Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;"
And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee.
Diliget quoq…
The verse emphasizes that God's repayment to those who hate Him is personal and immediate, not delayed or abstract. The phrase "to their face" means they will witness and experience their own destruction, leaving no room for them to deny or ignore God's judgment.
Moses is reminding the Israelites that God is not just a promise-keeper for those who love Him, but also a swift punisher for those who hate Him. This declaration of divine justice, presented in stark contrast to His faithfulness, sets the stage for the blessings and curses that will follow if they obey or disobey His commands. The immediate context emphasizes God's active and personal involvement in both rewarding loyalty and dealing with opposition.
Moses is reminding the Israelites that God is not just a promise-keeper for those who love Him, but also a swift punisher for those who hate Him. This declaration of divine justice, presented in stark contrast to His faithfulness, sets the stage for the blessings and curses that will follow if they obey or disobey His commands. The immediate context emphasizes God's active and personal involvement in both rewarding loyalty and dealing with opposition.
"and repays to their face those who hate him, by destroying them. He will not be slack with one who hates him. He will repay him to his face." — The verse emphasizes that God's repayment to those who hate Him is personal and immediate, not delayed or abstract. The phrase "to their face" means they will witness and experience their own des…
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Last reviewed October 2026
