And repayeth them that hate him to their face. The phrase, "to their face "( אל פָנָיו, to their faces), has been variously explained. It has been taken as meaning, instantly, statim, hand cunctanter (Vulgate, Gesenius); openly, manifestly, palam (Grotius, Calvin, Michaelis); during life, in hac vita (Targum, Vatab.
); in their presence, in their own sight (LXX; κατὰ πρόσωπον: Rosenmüller). The last seems the best. פָנֶהּ signifies properly, front, and אֶל פָנִים, to the front, before, in presence (cf. Le Deuteronomy 9:5; Exodus 23:17).
The hater of God should be repaid, so that the man should himself see and feel that he had been smitten of God (cf. Isaiah 65:6; Job 34:11; Ps 62:13). And this retribution should come speedily: He will not be slack to him that hateth him; i.
e. he will not delay to repay him.