And he shall bring upon them their own iniquity, and shall cut them off in their own wickedness; yea, the LORD our God shall cut them off.
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Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
23. "And the Lord shall recompense them according to their works, and after their own malice; the Lord our God shall destroy them" (ver. 23). The words, "after their own malice," are not said without meaning. I am benefited through them: and yet it is said to be their malice, and not their benefits. For assuredly He trieth us, scourgeth us, by means of the wicked. To prepare us for what doth He scourge us? Confessedly for the kingdom of heaven. "For He scourgeth every son whom He receiveth; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?" and when God doth this, He is teaching us in order to an eternal heritage: and this learning He often giveth us by means of wicked men, through whom He trieth and perfecteth our love, which He doth will to be extended even to our enemies. ...Thus also they who persecuted the Martyrs, by persecuting them on earth, sent them into heaven: knowingly they caused them the loss of the present life, while unconsciously they were bestowing upon them the gai...
Will destroy them. Hebrew yatsmithem, occurs twice, to denote the certainty of the event, though the Septuagint, omit the repetition. (Haydock)
Cyrus overturned the cruel empire of Babylon. (Calmet)
The wicked at the last day shall seek to hide themselves, and will for ever be removed from the sight of the just, aphaniei autous. We may say of each of them, it had been better if he had never been born, Matthew xxvi. 24. (Haydock)
The retribution of the good and bad is eternal. (Worthington)
