תהלים, פרק קמ״ט, פסוק ז׳

Through their dedication to serving God, the Israelites will ultimately merit witnessing divine justice enacted upon the nations of the world [מאירי]. This future reckoning, destined for the Messianic era, is not meant simply for the sake of punishment. Rather, its final goal is to inspire all peoples to return and serve God together in unity [אבן עזרא].

This process of justice unfolds in two distinct forms: vengeance and rebukes. The primary approach among commentators is that these rebukes represent physical disasters, suffering, and painful trials brought upon the nations [ביאור שטיינזלץ, מצודת ציון]. At the same time, this reckoning includes an internal struggle. As these hardships strike, the people of the nations will argue with their own kings, confronting their leaders and demanding to know the reasons for the disasters that have fallen upon them [רד״ק].

The severity of the punishment depends entirely on how each nation historically treated the Israelites, creating a clear distinction between different groups. Those who actively oppressed and persecuted the Israelites will face severe, direct vengeance. In contrast, the nations that did not cause harm to the Israelites will experience a much lighter consequence, enduring only the rebukes [אלשיך].