Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you;
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George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Seeing it is a just thing. Literally, If yet it be just. St. Chrysostom takes notice, that we must not expound the text as if St. Paul made a doubt whether it was just or not for God to repay retribution to such as troubled, afflicted, and persecuted his faithful servants, and to punish them when he shall be revealed (i.e. at the day of judgment) with flaming fire, or with the flames of hell: nothing certainly is more just; as on the contrary, it is just to reward the pious and those who are found worthy of the glorious kingdom of God. (Witham)
If indeed,
a conjunction of cause, is used in this case not for the purpose of doubting but for affirmation, as if he were saying, "Since it is just for God to do this."
You; and to you who are troubled rest with us, at the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ from heaven with His mighty angels, and in a flame of fire, to take vengeance upon those who know not God, and upon those that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall also be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power; when He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them who have believed in Him.".
Paul also refers to this event when he says, "If, however, it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you, and to you that are troubled rest with us, at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven, with His mighty angels, and in a flame of fire."
The phrase If so be that here is put for because, which we also use, in speaking of things that are quite evident and not to be denied; instead of saying, Because it is exceedingly righteous. If so be, he says, that it is a righteous thing with God to punish these, he will certainly punish them. As if he had said, If God cares for human affairs, If God takes thought. And he does not put it of his own opinion, but among things confessedly true; as if one said, If God hates the wicked, that he may compel them to grant that He does hate them. For such sentences are above all indisputable, inasmuch as they also themselves know that it is just. For if this is just with men, much more with God.
To recompense, he says, affliction to them that afflict you, and to you that are afflicted rest. What then? Is the retribution equal? By no means, but see by what follows how he shows that it is more severe, and the rest much greater. Behold also another consolation, in that they have their partner...
He must be either the Creator, or (as Marcion would be loth to admit) One like the Creator-"with whom it is a righteous thing to recompense tribulation to them who afflict us, and to ourselves, who are afflicted, rest, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed as coming from heaven with the angels of His might and in flaming fire."
He had just said before that the judgment of God is just; he repeats this when he says, it is just for God to repay trouble to those who trouble you. And this is the sense, Nothing is more just than when they are afflicted who cause affliction to the good, and they wo suffer receive rest.
