What was the "law of retaliation" meant to achieve (Exodus 21:23-25)?
Exodus 21:23-25 But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, 24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.
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Donna Williams
Supporter
Dear Anonymous, Exodus 21:23-25, is not about the "law of retaliation", as we have misinterpreted it to mean, but it is the law of recompense, or simply the payment for loss, injury, or suffering. Yahweh's purpose for setting these judgements, or ordinances in place, was so the judges would be able to determine or make fair and just rulings established by God's laws. If it was about retaliation, then it would be a contradiction to scriptures such as: Leviticus 19:18, "You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD". Matthew 5:38-39: "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' "But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also." Matthew 5:43-45: "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' (note: the latter was added, possibly by the religious leaders of that day) 44. "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, 45. that you may be the sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." Romans 12:17: "Repay no one evil for evil, have regard for good things in the sight of all men." Romans 12:21: "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Finally, I would like to say that God's concern is that we love Him and one another. That we show mercy towards one another, as He has shown mercy towards us. We have been saved by His grace and mercy. All glory and honor belong to God through Christ Jesus!
Reddit User
Supporter
The amazing thing about G-d's Word is that despite all of its detractors, the real substance of the mud the world slings, does not stick. An accusation has been that women are second-class citizens, yet this Scripture tells a different story. The ancient world had more of a "might makes right" mentality that still persists to this day. We should know, something we have lost sight of today, that there are genetic differences between the two G-d ordained genders. Women are called the weaker vessel in Scripture, as they are weaker in physical strength. So when an injury happened to a man, this man had the ability to exact justice. Justice is measured by 'up to the harm done' and 'restored to perfect pre-injury health'. In the ancient world, a woman would have had little ability to exact this justice by force, given the opportunity. Yet this ground-breaking law gave to women the right to be made whole by letter of the law! In this 'Age of Christ', we could all pretend we'd be the 'bigger man' and forgive if our wife were maimed, gored, injured or incapacitated. Certainly, we'd turn the other cheek. But what if the apparatus of the law turned and gave us the government-enforced ability to be made whole? Most of us would laud that as a good development. Investigations would certainly be made, witnesses interviewed, but if in the end the thing were true? True justice would prevail. The pagan and heathen world took the mantra "survival of the fittest" to its logical but heartless conclusion, so that if you harmed another, then it would be completely in the pale of normalcy to expect an armed response where your entire substance, life, limb and liberty were in danger. Your life and everyone you know, genetically and even superficially, could be retaliated against. The "eye for an eye" laws set limits to the "punitive" damages. Justice was guaranteed, blood lust and vengeance were not. A negative view of man-taken-vengeance occurred as a result. A line was drawn. G-d's protective mercy is that line.
Jack Gutknecht
Supporter
The phrase "eye for an eye" originates from the ancient legal principle known as lex talionis, which is Latin for the "law of retaliation. First, see the passage in qustion: Exodus 21:22 “If men fight and hit a pregnant woman and her child is born prematurely, but there is no serious injury, he will surely be punished in accordance with what the woman’s husband demands of him, and he will pay what the court decides. 21:23 But if there is serious injury, then you will give a life for a life, 21:24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, 21:25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise." The text now introduces the Lex Talionis with cases that were not likely to have applied to the situation of the pregnant woman. The lex talionis (vv. 23–25)... says, “The punishment must fit the crime.” In Matthew 5:38-39, Jesus addresses how individuals should respond to personal injury, shifting the focus from legal, civil justice to personal, moral grace.
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