Matthew 5:38-40
“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. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Jesus highlights how the religious leaders twisted an ancient law meant for judges to limit punishment into a justification for personal revenge, missing its true purpose of restraining excessive retaliation.
{ "themes": [ "Justice as restoration", "Misuse of sacred law", "Personal vs. judicial revenge" ] }
That ancient phrase, 'An eye for an eye,' might sound harsh, but Jesus wasn't abolishing justice. So, what went wrong?
Jesus is quoting the 'lex talionis' – the law of retaliation found in the Old Testament (Exodus 21:24, Leviticus 24:20). It's crucial to understand that this was originally a principle for judges, not for individuals seeking personal revenge.
The Purpose of the Law:
The Corruption of the Law:
However, by Jesus' time, religious leaders and the people had twisted this. They took a judicial principle meant for the courts and turned it into a justification for personal revenge. Instead of limiting vengeance, it became a license to 'get even' on a private level, often leading to more harm than the original offense.
If 'an eye for an eye' was for judges, what does Jesus expect from us when we're wronged?
Jesus isn't actually repealing the Old Testament law; He's revealing its intended heart and calling His followers to a higher standard than mere legal retribution. He's shifting the focus from what the offender deserves to how the follower should respond.
A New Standard:
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.
Jesus is directly confronting a common misinterpretation of Old Testament law by the religious leaders of His day. They had twisted a judicial principle meant to limit retribution into a justification for personal revenge, which Jesus now corrects.
c. 1450 BC
Law of Retaliation Given
In the Book of Exodus, God gives the law of retaliation ('eye for eye, tooth for tooth') as a judicial principle to regulate magistrates in administering justice.
c. 1450 BC
Law Against Vengeance Given
Around the same time, God also commanded the Israelites, 'You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sooner of your people' (Leviticus 19:18).
c. 1st Century BC - 1st Century AD— this verse
Pharisaic Interpretation of the Law
During Jesus' time, some religious leaders (like the Scribes and Pharisees) taught that the law of retaliation permitted or even encouraged private revenge.
c. 27-30 AD
Jesus Teaches the Sermon on the Mount
Jesus delivers His famous Sermon on the Mount, directly addressing and correcting the popular, distorted understanding of the law of retaliation.
This is the original Old Testament law that Jesus is quoting, highlighting that the original intent was for judicial application by magistrates, not for private revenge.
Leviticus 19:18This passage, often overlooked by those seeking revenge, instructs not to 'seek revenge or bear any grudge against one of your people,' providing a counterpoint to the misuse of the 'eye for an eye' principle.
Romans 12:17Paul echoes Jesus' teaching by directly stating, 'Repay no one evil for evil,' expanding on the principle that private retaliation is forbidden.
1 Corinthians 6:7This verse addresses the Corinthians' tendency to take each other to court, essentially a form of retaliation, and asks why they don't simply accept being wronged rather than pursuing legal revenge.
Luke 6:29Luke records Jesus' parallel teaching, saying, 'To the one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also,' which directly follows his teaching on non-resistance to evil.
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…
Jesus highlights how the religious leaders twisted an ancient law meant for judges to limit punishment into a justification for personal revenge, missing its true purpose of restraining excessive retaliation.
{ "themes": [ "Justice as restoration", "Misuse of sacred law", "Personal vs. judicial revenge" ] }
{ "themes": [ "Justice as restoration", "Misuse of sacred law", "Personal vs. judicial revenge" ] }
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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.
krinō · Greek Verb (Passive in context)
To go to law, bring a legal action, or seek a judicial decision. It involves the process of reaching a verdict or settling a dispute through an authority figure.
chitōn · Greek Noun
An inner garment worn next to the skin, similar to a shirt or tunic. It was a basic component of daily attire in the ancient Near East.
himation · Greek Noun
The outer garment or robe, which served as protection from the elements and a blanket at night. Mosaic law protected the cloak as an essential possession that could not be kept as a pledge overnight.
"“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. And if anyone would sue you and tak…" — Jesus highlights how the religious leaders twisted an ancient law meant for judges to limit punishment into a justification for personal revenge, missing its true purpose of restraining excessive…
