You therefore, O LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel, awake to punish all the nations: be not merciful to any wicked transgressors. Selah.
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Augustine of Hippo
AD 430
8. "Without iniquity I did run, and was guided; rise up to meet me, and see." To God is said this. But why? If He meet not, is He unable to see? It is just as if thou wast walking in a road, and from afar by some one thou couldest not be recognised, thou wouldest call to him and wouldest say, Meet me, and see how I am walking; for when from afar thou espiest me, my steps thou art not able to see. So also unless God were to meet, would He not see how without iniquity he was guided, and how without sin he was running? This interpretation indeed we can also accept, namely, "Rise up to meet me," as if "help me." But that which he hath added, "and see," must be understood as, make it to be seen that I run, make it to be seen that I am guided: according to that figure wherein this also hath been said to Abraham, "Now I know that thou fearest God." God saith, "Now I know:" whence, but because I have made thee to know? For unknown to himself every one is before the questioning of temptation: j...
No mercy. Nehemias uses the like prophetic threats, 2 Esdras iv. 5. (Calmet)
"Every sin must be punished, either by the penitent, or by an avenging God. "The prophet supposes that his enemies died impenitent. (St. Augustine)
When the gospel was first preached, God visited the world with various afflictions, to make people enter into themselves. (Eusebius)
The prophet prays that God would visit all nations with peace, and punish obstinate persecutors of the Catholic Church. (Worthington)
