The question of whether divine justice exists in the world receives a direct and piercing answer. God promises that He will not abandon the world to lawlessness. Instead, He will personally appear as prosecutor, judge, and witness to bring justice to those who exploit the vulnerability of others or operate in the shadows.
The primary approach among commentators is that the promise of an approaching judgment refutes the misconception that the punishment of the wicked is entirely delayed until the end of days. [אברבנאל] and [מלבי״ם] emphasize that this judgment is imminent and occurs constantly. It takes place either when a person departs this world for the World to Come, or through immediate punishment in this world for severe sins, preventing the wicked from becoming completely corrupt. Others maintain a different view, suggesting that this exact judgment is directed specifically at the generation living at the end of days, while previous generations who escaped punishment in their lifetimes will face their reckoning in the World to Come [רד״ק, אבן עזרא].
When God comes to judge, He acts as a swift witness. While human courts require time to investigate and interrogate witnesses, divine justice suffers no such delays. God Himself knows all hidden things, acts quickly to deliver retribution, and exposes the deeds of the wicked for all to see [מצודת דוד, אבן עזרא, אברבנאל]. This reality is deeply terrifying. As recorded in the Talmud, Rabbi Yochanan would weep upon considering this scene, wondering how a servant could ever be cleared in a trial where his own master is the one testifying against him [צאינה וראינה].
The severe sins that provoke this judgment fall into two main categories: offenses committed in secret, and the abuse of the weak. The first group includes sorcerers and adulterers, who operate in hiding under the illusion that no one sees them, as well as those who swear falsely in God's name [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ, מנחת שי]. The second group consists of individuals who abuse their power. This includes those who rob or withhold the rightful wages of a hired worker, and those who harm widows and orphans who lack the strength to defend themselves [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. It also encompasses those who pervert the justice of the defenseless stranger. A profound Talmudic tradition teaches that anyone who manipulates the judgment of a stranger is considered to have perverted the justice of God Himself [מנחת שי, צאינה וראינה]. Interestingly, the sin of idolatry is absent from this list of severe crimes, as it was no longer a widespread practice during the Second Temple period [אברבנאל].
The root of all these destructive behaviors is a fundamental lack of awe for God. These individuals allow themselves to harm the vulnerable or sin in secret because they do not fear human authority, completely ignoring the reality that God sees everything and rules over all. Had they possessed true fear of Him and repented, God would have forgiven them and suspended their judgment [מצודת דוד, אברבנאל].