Leviticus 24:19-20
If anyone injures his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him, fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; whatever injury he has given a person shall be given to him.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse isn't just about "an eye for an eye" in a literal, punitive sense. The ancient Near East had similar laws, but the Hebrew context often understood this "like for like" principle as requiring restitution and compensation for damages, rather than exact physical retaliation. It was meant to ensure fairness and prevent excessive revenge by setting a proportional standard of justice.
This verse appears immediately after an incident where a man, whose mother was an Israelite but father was Egyptian, blasphemed God's name during a dispute. The laws that follow, including this one about retaliation, seem to address the fallout and the need for clear legal and moral boundaries within the Israelite community. This principle of "eye for an eye" is presented as a principle of justice and restitution, not necessarily literal, physical retribution, but ensuring fair compensation for harm done.
When someone is wronged, what's the most fitting response? Leviticus lays down a principle that sounds harsh but aimed for fairness.
This verse speaks to the principle of 'lex talionis,' or the law of retaliation. In its ancient context, this wasn't about endless revenge but about ensuring justice was proportional.
Fair Measure
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It wasn't just about broken bones or lost limbs. This law also guarded something deeper – a person's wholeness and standing in the community.
The word 'blemish' here goes beyond just physical injury. It encompasses causing disfigurement, deformity, or any lasting damage that would affect a person's dignity and social standing.
The Value of Wholeness
Understand the original words
rea' · Hebrew Noun
A fellow member of the covenant community; someone to be treated with justice, fairness, and love under God's law.
mum · Hebrew Noun
A physical injury or blemish; biblically, it signifies the disruption of the wholeness (shalom) God intended for human bodies.
This passage lays out the 'eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth' principle more broadly, showing how this specific law in Leviticus was part of a larger legal framework designed for justice and proportionality in ancient Israel.
Matthew 5:38-39Jesus directly addresses this principle of retaliation, teaching a radical shift towards non-resistance and loving one's enemies, which fulfills and goes beyond the strict application of the Law of Moses.
Deuteronomy 19:16-21This passage elaborates on the need for thorough investigation before carrying out a penalty, emphasizing that the punishment should fit the crime and that false witnesses should receive the penalty they intended for the accused.
Romans 12:17-21Paul echoes Jesus' teaching, instructing believers not to repay evil for evil but to overcome evil with good, demonstrating how the spirit of retaliation is superseded by divine justice and mercy in Christ.
gillLeviticus 24:19: "And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him;"
And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour,.... Does him any hurt or mischief, causes any mutilation or deformity in him by striking him: as he hath done, so shall it be done unto him: not that a like damage or hurt should be done to him, but that he should make satisfaction for it in a pecuniary way; pay for the cure of him, and for loss of time, and in consideration of the pain he…
pooleLeviticus 24:19: "And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him;"
No text from Poole on this verse.
This verse isn't just about "an eye for an eye" in a literal, punitive sense. The ancient Near East had similar laws, but the Hebrew context often understood this "like for like" principle as requiring restitution and compensation for damages, rather than exact physical retaliation. It was meant to ensure fairness and prevent excessive revenge by setting a proportional standard of justice.
This verse appears immediately after an incident where a man, whose mother was an Israelite but father was Egyptian, blasphemed God's name during a dispute. The laws that follow, including this one about retaliation, seem to address the fallout and the need for clear legal and moral boundaries within the Israelite community. This principle of "eye for an eye" is presented as a principle of justice and restitution, not necessarily literal, physical retribution, but ensuring fair compensation for harm done.
This verse appears immediately after an incident where a man, whose mother was an Israelite but father was Egyptian, blasphemed God's name during a dispute. The laws that follow, including this one about retaliation, seem to address the fallout and the need for clear legal and moral boundaries within the Israelite community. This principle of "eye for an eye" is presented as a principle of justice and restitution, not necessarily literal, physical retribution, but ensuring fair compensation for harm done.
"If anyone injures his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him, fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; whatever injury he has given a person shall be given to him." — This verse isn't just about "an eye for an eye" in a literal, punitive sense. The ancient Near East had similar laws, but the Hebrew context often understood this "like for like" principle as requiri…
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