The 1599 Geneva Bible:

For he is the minister of God for thy wealth: but if thou do evil, fear: for he beareth not the sword for nought: for he is the minister of God to take vengeance on him that doeth evil.

Table of Contents:

THE TEXTUS RECEPTUS:

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ἔκδικος εἰς ὀργὴν

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The Authorized (King James) Version:

A revenger to execute wrath.

Exegetical Theology:

Louis de Dieu (c. 1642):

[Animadversiones in D. Pauli Apostoli Epistolam ad Romanos]

Verse 4: ἐκδικὸς εἰς ὀργήν

The Vulgate rendereth: vindex in iram (an avenger unto wrath). Erasmus and Beza: ultor ad iram (a revenger toward wrath), which is to say, as it is here noted, he through whom God, being wroth, taketh vengeance upon the wicked. The Syriac: ܢܘܩܡܐ (nūqāmā), meaning ultor iræ (a revenger of wrath), as though the phrase carrieth the force of a genitive, like unto the Hebrew מִזְמוֹר לְדָוִד (a psalm of David). So here, נוֹקֵם לְחֵמָה (an avenger unto wrath). Verily, the magistrate is the revenger of divine wrath, when, in punishing crimes, he executeth the wrath of God. The Arabic translateth: ومنتقم بالغضب (wa-muntaqim bi-l-ghaḍab), meaning avenging in wrath, taking εἰς as equivalent to ἐν, as oft it is.