1 Thessalonians 4:6b → Psalm 94:1

Paul warns that "the Lord is an avenger" (ekdikos kyrios) concerning sexual sin, echoing the theology of Psalm 94:1 where Yahweh is invoked as "God of vengeance" (el-neqamot Yahweh). Psalm 94 appeals to God as the righteous judge who sees the oppression of the vulnerable and will repay the wicked — "he who disciplines the nations, does he not rebuke?" (94:10). Paul applies this divine-avenger theology to the specific context of sexual exploitation within the Christian community: just as Yahweh avenges the oppressed in Psalm 94, so the Lord will avenge those wronged by a brother's sexual transgression. The ekdikos language carries both judicial and covenantal weight — God vindicates the wronged party and upholds the holiness standards of his covenant community. Paul's application demonstrates that the God revealed in the Psalms as the cosmic judge is the same Lord who governs the ethical life of the new-covenant community. The connection also reinforces that divine vengeance is not arbitrary but protective, functioning as a safeguard for the vulnerable members of God's people against exploitation by those who should be their brothers.