Matthew 5:38-39
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What's often missed is that Jesus isn't challenging the ancient law itself, but how it had been twisted. The law of "an eye for an eye" was originally meant to limit retribution, preventing excessive revenge by ensuring punishments were proportionate to the crime. The religious leaders, however, had perverted this into a justification for private vengeance, essentially giving people a license to settle scores themselves.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Jesus is in the midst of delivering his Sermon on the Mount, explaining what it truly means to live as a citizen of God's kingdom. He's just proclaimed blessings on those who are poor in spirit, mourning, and meek, and is now turning to address the specific laws of the Old Testament, showing how they are to be lived out with a deeper, internal righteousness. This verse introduces the principle of "an eye for an eye," which Jesus will then contrast with his own radical teaching on non-retaliation.
Jesus starts with a familiar phrase from the Old Testament, but the way it was being used was far from God's original intent. Discover how a rule meant for justice was twisted into an excuse for revenge.
The phrase "An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth" comes from God's law given to Moses in Exodus 21:24. It's called the law of lex talionis, or the law of retaliation.
A Limit on Punishment
Think of it this way: if someone put out another person's eye, the punishment was to put out their eye. It wasn't meant to be an endorsement of revenge, but a limit on it. Judges were supposed to ensure that the punishment fit the crime – no more, no less. It prevented excessive vengeance in a time when society was much rougher.
Twisted for Private Grudges
The problem Jesus addresses is that people had taken this judicial principle and applied it to their personal lives. Instead of letting the authorities handle justice, individuals started seeking their own 'eye for an eye' revenge for every slight and wrong. This fueled endless cycles of retaliation and bitterness, moving far from God's heart.
Jesus doesn't just correct a misunderstanding; he introduces a revolutionary way of living that flips the script on 'getting what you deserve.'
Jesus is clear: the standard of the Kingdom of God is to return evil for evil. While the Old Testament law restricted magistrates from excessive punishment, Jesus calls His followers to a higher path that goes beyond any form of retaliation.
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Rejecting the Vengeful Cycle
He's not saying we should never seek justice or protect ourselves from harm. The scholars point out that Jesus is addressing the spirit of revenge and the tendency to fight back with equal or greater force when wronged. The Jewish leaders had wrongly interpreted the law to justify personal vengeance.
Embracing Generous Patience
Instead of 'an eye for an eye,' Jesus introduces principles like turning the other cheek, giving away more than what was taken, and going the extra mile. This isn't about being a doormat; it's about actively choosing not to escalate conflict and trusting God with the outcomes. It's a radical call to break the cycle of retaliation by absorbing and overcoming evil with good.
Understand the original words
ophthalmos · Greek Noun
The organ of physical sight, frequently used in biblical imagery to represent spiritual perception, desire, or the legal principle of proportional retribution (lex talionis).
odous · Greek Noun
A part of the body used in legal contexts within the Old Testament law to illustrate the principle of equivalent justice and fair compensation for injuries.
anthistēmi · Greek Verb
To set oneself against, withstand, or oppose. In a legal or personal sense, it refers to standing against an adversary or taking up a defensive position.
rhapizō · Greek Verb
To strike with the palm of the hand. Culturally, this was often an act of personal insult, social shaming, or contempt rather than an attempt to cause severe physical injury.
siagōn · Greek Noun
Part of the face; being struck on the cheek in the ancient world was a profound symbol of public humiliation and the loss of personal honor.
Jesus is correcting a distortion of God's law. The "eye for an eye" principle was meant for judges to ensure fair sentencing, not for individuals to enact personal revenge. The religious leaders of Jesus' day had twisted it into a justification for private retaliation, and Jesus calls His followers to a far more radical, love-driven ethic.
c. 1446 BC
The Law of Retaliation Given
The "eye for an eye" principle is established in the Mosaic Law, intended as a judicial guideline for magistrates to ensure proportionate punishment and prevent excessive revenge.
c. 586 BC
Exile and Dispersal
The Babylonian exile significantly disrupted Jewish society and governance, potentially leading to a greater reliance on community norms and individual interpretations of law.
c. 1st century BC - 1st century AD
Pharisaic Interpretation and Practice
Some Jewish leaders, particularly among the Pharisees, began to interpret and apply the law of retaliation beyond its original judicial context, allowing for private vengeance within certain limits.
c. AD 28-30— this verse
Jesus Teaches the Sermon on the Mount
Jesus directly addresses the common understanding and application of the "eye for an eye" principle, contrasting it with a higher standard of non-resistance and love.
This passage is the direct source of the Old Testament law Jesus is quoting, establishing the principle of 'eye for an eye' as a judicial guideline for justice, not private revenge.
Leviticus 24:20This verse reiterates the 'eye for an eye' principle within the context of communal law, emphasizing its role in maintaining justice and order under God’s covenant.
Deuteronomy 19:21Here, the 'eye for an eye' principle is applied specifically to the case of false witnesses, demonstrating its judicial application and deterrent effect within the community.
Proverbs 24:29This proverb directly contrasts the principle of retaliation with the wisdom of forbearance, aligning with Jesus' teaching against personal revenge and advocating for a more merciful response.
1 Corinthians 6:7Paul echoes Jesus' teaching by admonishing believers not to take matters to secular courts and to bear wrongs patiently, highlighting the tension between Christian conduct and worldly justice.
clarkeMatthew 5:38: "Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:"
An eye for an eye - Our Lord refers here to the law of retaliation mentioned See Exodus 21:24 , (see the note there, and see Leviticus 24:20 (note)), which obliged the offender to suffer the same injury he had committed. The Greeks and Romans had the same law. So strictly was it attended to at Athens, that if a man put out the eye of another who had but one, the offender was condemned to lose both…
calvinMatthew 5:38-41: "Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:"
You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. 39. But I say to you, Do not resist evil: but whoever, shall inflict a blow on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also: 40. And to him who wishes to enter into a law-suit with thee, and to take away thy coat, allow him thy cloak also: 41. And whoever shall constrain thee to one mile, go with him two.
To him…
What's often missed is that Jesus isn't challenging the ancient law itself, but how it had been twisted. The law of "an eye for an eye" was originally meant to limit retribution, preventing excessive revenge by ensuring punishments were proportionate to the crime. The religious leaders, however, had perverted this into a justification for private vengeance, essentially giving people a license to settle scores themselves.
Jesus is in the midst of delivering his Sermon on the Mount, explaining what it truly means to live as a citizen of God's kingdom. He's just proclaimed blessings on those who are poor in spirit, mourning, and meek, and is now turning to address the specific laws of the Old Testament, showing how they are to be lived out with a deeper, internal righteousness. This verse introduces the principle of "an eye for an eye," which Jesus will then contrast with his own radical teaching on non-retaliation.
Jesus is in the midst of delivering his Sermon on the Mount, explaining what it truly means to live as a citizen of God's kingdom. He's just proclaimed blessings on those who are poor in spirit, mourning, and meek, and is now turning to address the specific laws of the Old Testament, showing how they are to be lived out with a deeper, internal righteousness. This verse introduces the principle of "an eye for an eye," which Jesus will then contrast with his own radical teaching on non-retaliation.
"“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also." — What's often missed is that Jesus isn't challenging the ancient law itself, but how it had been twisted. The law of "an eye for an eye" was originally meant to limit retribution, preventing excessi…
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Last reviewed October 2026
