Matthew 5:38-42
“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. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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What's easy to miss here is that Jesus isn't abolishing a law, but correcting its dangerous misapplication. The "eye for an eye" principle was meant to limit retribution and ensure fairness in judicial punishment, not to fuel personal revenge. The religious leaders of Jesus' day had twisted it into a license for private vengeance, and Jesus is calling them out on that distorted interpretation.
Jesus is in the middle of his Sermon on the Mount, laying out what life in God's kingdom looks like. He’s been building on the Beatitudes, and now he's directly addressing common interpretations of the Law, often taught by the religious leaders of the day. He quotes the principle of "an eye for an eye" not to abolish it, but to correct the common misuse where people took it as a license for personal revenge instead of a judicial guideline for fairness.
Jesus quotes a famous phrase: 'An eye for an eye.' But what did this ancient law really mean, and how did people twist it?
The phrase 'An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth' comes from Old Testament laws (like Exodus 21:24). It wasn't a call for personal revenge.
A Limit, Not a License
But people often misunderstood or misused it, turning a judicial principle into a justification for their own anger and personal revenge. Jesus is addressing this misapplication.
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How did a law meant for judges become an excuse for everyday revenge? Jesus tackles the dangerous twist of ancient law.
The scholars point out a critical shift: the 'eye for an eye' principle, originally intended for the civil magistrate, was wrongly adopted by individuals for personal revenge.
The Distortion of Justice
Jesus is setting the stage to reveal God's higher standard – one that moves beyond this flawed, personal application of the law.
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.
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.
aggareuō · Greek Verb
To press into service or compel by legal or military authority. In the biblical world, this often referred to the right of Roman soldiers to conscript civilians for labor.
milion · Greek Noun
A Roman measure of distance equal to one thousand paces (approx. 4,854 feet). It represents the legal limit a person could be forced to carry a soldier's gear.
aiteō · Greek Verb
To ask for something, usually out of need or dependency. It is used both for those asking for charity and for believers presenting requests to God in prayer.
apostrephō · Greek Verb
To turn away or reject a request. Biblically, it often carries the connotation of turning one's back on a person in need or turning away from divine truth.
daneizō · Greek Verb
To receive something on loan with the intent to return it. Biblical law provides specific guidelines for lending and borrowing, emphasizing mercy and the prohibition of usury among brothers.
Jesus addresses the common understanding of the 'eye for an eye' law, which had been distorted from its original judicial purpose into a justification for private vengeance. He redirects his listeners toward a higher, more radical ethic of non-retaliation and selfless love, rooted in God's own mercy.
c. 1440 BC
Law of Retaliation Given
The principle of 'an eye for an eye' is first codified in the Law of Moses, given to the Israelites. This was intended as a judicial principle for magistrates to ensure proportionate punishment and limit excessive revenge.
c. 722 BC
Northern Kingdom of Israel Exiled
The Assyrian Empire conquers the Northern Kingdom of Israel, leading to the exile of many Israelites. This period of turmoil and loss deeply impacted Jewish society and their understanding of justice and suffering.
586 BC
Fall of Jerusalem and Southern Kingdom Exiled
The Babylonian Empire destroys Jerusalem and its Temple, exiling many Judeans. This catastrophic event left a deep spiritual and national wound, profoundly shaping Jewish identity and religious practice.
c. 400 BC
Jewish Law Interpreted by Scribes
Over centuries, scribal traditions developed, interpreting and applying the Law. Some interpretations, particularly among groups like the Pharisees, focused heavily on meticulous legal observance, sometimes leading to rigid or even distorted applications of the original intent.
c. AD 28— this verse
Jesus' Sermon on the Mount
Jesus delivers his most famous teaching, the Sermon on the Mount, to his disciples and a crowd in Galilee. This sermon addresses a wide range of ethical and spiritual teachings, including a reinterpretation of Old Testament law.
This is the Old Testament passage that the phrase 'an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth' originates from, showing the original context of this law as a judicial principle for magistrates, not private revenge.
Leviticus 24:20This verse reiterates the principle of 'eye for eye, tooth for tooth' within the context of the Law, further emphasizing its role as a standard for justice and punishment administered by authorities.
Romans 12:21Paul echoes Jesus' teaching by instructing believers not to be overcome by evil, but rather to overcome evil with good, offering a New Testament perspective on how to respond to wrongdoing.
1 Corinthians 6:7This passage directly addresses the issue of believers taking each other to court and suffering wrong, aligning with Jesus' teaching to be willing to endure loss rather than engaging in disputes and retaliation.
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 easy to miss here is that Jesus isn't abolishing a law, but correcting its dangerous misapplication. The "eye for an eye" principle was meant to limit retribution and ensure fairness in judicial punishment, not to fuel personal revenge. The religious leaders of Jesus' day had twisted it into a license for private vengeance, and Jesus is calling them out on that distorted interpretation.
Jesus is in the middle of his Sermon on the Mount, laying out what life in God's kingdom looks like. He’s been building on the Beatitudes, and now he's directly addressing common interpretations of the Law, often taught by the religious leaders of the day. He quotes the principle of "an eye for an eye" not to abolish it, but to correct the common misuse where people took it as a license for personal revenge instead of a judicial guideline for fairness.
Jesus is in the middle of his Sermon on the Mount, laying out what life in God's kingdom looks like. He’s been building on the Beatitudes, and now he's directly addressing common interpretations of the Law, often taught by the religious leaders of the day. He quotes the principle of "an eye for an eye" not to abolish it, but to correct the common misuse where people took it as a license for personal revenge instead of a judicial guideline for fairness.
"“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…" — What's easy to miss here is that Jesus isn't abolishing a law, but correcting its dangerous misapplication. The "eye for an eye" principle was meant to limit retribution and ensure fairness in judi…
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