Hebrews 10:30 means that God personally keeps the right to deal with wrongdoing, so believers do not need to take revenge on those who harm them. The writer quotes words from Deuteronomy and the Psalms to remind his readers that justice belongs to the Lord, who will repay and who will judge his people. The verse was written by the unknown author of the letter to the Hebrews, traditionally associated with Paul but not named in the text, and it was addressed to a community of Jewish Christians facing pressure and hostility.
For we know him who said, “Vengeance belongs to me,” says the Lord, “I will repay.” Again, “The Lord will judge his people.”
Hebrews 10:30 (WEB)
What Hebrews 10:30 Means
The verse begins by saying “we know him who said,” which means the readers already accept that God has spoken. The first quotation, “Vengeance belongs to me,” comes from Deuteronomy 32:35, where Moses sings of Israel’s God as the one who settles accounts. The author is telling his readers that the wrongs done against them, and the wrongs they might be tempted to repay in kind, are not theirs to avenge.
The second quotation adds that “the Lord will judge his people.” This does not mean God judges only outsiders. It means God’s own people also answer to him, and that the same God who will judge the wicked is the one who holds believers accountable and keeps his promises to them. The verse does not promise that every injustice will be fixed immediately or that you will personally see each wrong punished. It promises that God sees, and that he will act with perfect justice in his own time.
The Context of Hebrews 10:30
The letter to the Hebrews is a sermon-like letter that urges its readers to hold firmly to Christ rather than drift back toward the old system of sacrifices and the temple. The audience had already endured public insults, imprisonment, and the loss of property, and some were tempted to give up their confidence in Jesus. The surrounding verses in chapter 10 warn that turning away from the Son of God is a grave matter, and that the fire of judgment awaits those who reject the covenant.
Verse 32 shows that the author is not only warning but also encouraging. He reminds the readers of their earlier endurance, when they stood firm under suffering. Against that backdrop, verse 30 is not a threat aimed at those who have been wronged but a comfort: since God will repay, the believers can leave vengeance to him and continue faithfully. The sober warning and the reassurance belong together.
Key Phrases in Hebrews 10:30
Romans 12:19
Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.”
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Paul gives nearly the same instruction in Romans, urging believers not to avenge themselves and to leave room for God’s wrath. Reading it alongside Hebrews 10:30 shows that the principle appears across the New Testament as a steady call to trust God rather than take revenge.
Deuteronomy 32:35
Vengeance is mine, and recompense, at the time when their foot slides; for the day of their calamity is at hand. Their doom rushes at them.”
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This is the Old Testament passage from which the first quotation in Hebrews 10:30 is drawn. Reading it in its original setting helps you see that the author is building on a long tradition of trusting God as the true judge of Israel and the nations.
A Short Prayer From Hebrews 10:30
Lord, you are the righteous judge, and I am grateful that the work of justice belongs to you and not to me. When I feel wronged, help me resist the urge to repay in kind or to keep a ledger of who owes me. Give me the courage to act honestly and the peace to leave the final outcome in your hands. Thank you that you see every wrong and that your judgment is always wise and true. Amen.
