1 Peter 3:12 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers; God watcheth over them, looks favourably on them, and hears their prayers: see Psalms 34:15. This he lays down as a motive to patience under injuries, and to keep us from tumultuating passions, and desires of revenge; that God sees all we suffer, hath a care of us, and is ready to hear, and in due time to help us. But the face of the Lord is against them that do evil; his anger, or indignation; face being here taken not for God's favour, (as many times it is), but in the contrary sense, as Leviticus 17:10, Leviticus 20:5 Psalms 68:1,2. Men show by their countenances whether they be angry or pleased; and hence it is that God's face is sometimes taken for his favour, sometimes for his displeasure. A further argument to persuade us to patience, that God undertakes to plead our cause against our enemies, and avenge us on them; whereas if we think to secure ourselves against them by undue means, we make God an enemy to us.