Matthew 5:38 KJV
Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
Matthew 5:38 NKJV
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’
Matthew 5:38 MKJV
You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.”
Matthew 5:38 KJV 2000
You have heard that it has been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:
Interlinear KJV
Ye have heard /akouo/ that /hoti/ it hath been said, /rheo/ An eye /ophthalmos/ for /anti/ an eye, /ophthalmos/ and /kai/ a tooth /odous/ for /anti/ a tooth: /odous/
Commentary
Ye have heard that it hath been said, &c. There are two main types of personalities people can have. One type is strong, confident, and determined, often taking action quickly and caring about their reputation. The other type is gentle, flexible, forgiving, silent and gentle under rudeness and insult, not always quick to act but willing to endure difficult situations and sue for reconciliation where others would demand satisfaction. Most people admire the first type because it seems more powerful.
However, in Christianity, it’s the second type of personality that’s valued and encouraged. This goes against what most people might assume. Yet, the gentle and patient nature is actually more valuable both because it’s tougher to develop and because it helps create a happier society. When people have this kind of attitude, either individually or as a group, there are fewer disagreements and conflicts which lead to a better world for everyone.
An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth; “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” is a principle found in the Bible, specifically in the Old Testament. It is part of the Mosaic Law, which was given by God to the Israelites through Moses. This principle is often referred to as the law of retaliation or lex talionis. It means that if someone causes harm or injury to another person, the punishment should be proportional to the offense committed. In other words, the punishment should match the crime. This principle was intended to promote fairness and discourage excessive retaliation or revenge. It was meant to ensure that justice was served by ensuring that the punishment fit the crime.
However, in time, by a perversion of their law, the Jews had conceived that private revenge was permitted just like how, among the ancient heathens, private revenge was indulged without scruple and mercy. It was to check this furious ungovernable passion for vengeance that Jesus delivered the precepts which followed: ‘That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also …