Hebrews 10:31 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

It is a fearful thing, &c.— To fall into the hands of God, imports the being punished more immediately by him, 2 Samuel 24:14. 1 Chronicles 21:13 though in those places God is spoken of as a God graciously correcting; whereas here he is considered as a righteous and angry Judge taking vengeance on his adversaries: and his being the living God, or the God who lives and can take vengeance for ever, may justlyadd to the consideration of the terribleness of his vengeance. See Matthew 10:28. This verse seems to refer to the just punishments inflicted by men for the breach of the Mosaic law, and to the unrighteous persecutions which Christians endured from their enemies: and it appears to be the apostle's design to put them in mind, that the divine vengeance was incomparably more terrible than both.