The so-called Law of Retaliation is found in Ex 21:23-25.
But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn wound for wound, bruise for bruise.
Does this mean the Israelites were allowed to practice private vendettas and retaliate every time they were personally wronged?
This passage appears in the section of Exodus addressed to judges (Ex 21:1-22:17) which, in total, provided guidance for civil and criminal magistrates in settling disputes and administering justice. Personal vendettas were prohibited by Ex 21:26-27. The text in Ex 21:23-25 simply means that compensations paid were to match damages inflicted; in other words, these verses defined a paradigm for compensation. (Kaiser et al., p 150)
Ask Our Faithful Friend
Welcome to your personal study companion! This AI-powered chatbot is trained to help you explore Scripture and learn more about Christian apologetics.
Simply type your question about this page in everyday language, and the chatbot will do its best to answer using insights from the page you're on, trusted Bible translations (NIV and NASB), and our approved relevant sources.
Feel free to ask one question at a time — each answer is self-contained, so it’s best to include any details you’d like it to consider. It will not remember your previous questions, but your recent questions and answers will appear in a history section below.
Example questions:
Summarize this page for me.
Give me 5 study questions from this topic.
List the full and exact text of each Bible verse cited.
** AI-generated responses may contain errors and are not a substitute for pastoral guidance.
Your Chat History for This Page
This is a list of questions you've asked about this specific page. Each page has its own separate history, which is stored temporarily and will be cleared when you close your browser.
