Leviticus 24:20 kjv

Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be done to him again.

Leviticus 24:20 nkjv

fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he has caused disfigurement of a man, so shall it be done to him.

Leviticus 24:20 niv

fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. The one who has inflicted the injury must suffer the same injury.

Leviticus 24:20 esv

fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; whatever injury he has given a person shall be given to him.

Leviticus 24:20 nlt

a fracture for a fracture, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Whatever anyone does to injure another person must be paid back in kind.

Leviticus 24 verses

Leviticus 24 20 Meaning

Leviticus 24:20 establishes a fundamental principle of justice known as lex talionis, meaning "law of retaliation." This verse specifies that punishment for physical harm must be proportionate to the injury inflicted. It emphasizes "fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth," ensuring that the offender receives a penalty precisely equal in severity to the damage they caused to another person. This divine decree served as a strict guideline for Israelite courts to ensure equitable justice, limiting retaliation and preventing escalating vengeance.

Leviticus 24 20 Context

Leviticus 24:20 is embedded within a section outlining various laws concerning sacred items and community offenses. The preceding verses (Lev 24:10-16) describe an incident where a man, the son of an Israelite woman and an Egyptian father, blasphemes the Name of the LORD. Moses sought divine instruction on the matter, and God commanded that the blasphemer be stoned to death, emphasizing impartiality in judgment: "anyone who blasphemes the name of the LORD is to be put to death. The entire assembly must stone them. Whether foreigner or native-born, when they blaspheme the Name they are to be put to death" (Lev 24:16).

Immediately following this decree for blasphemy, God broadens the scope of justice to include general principles for causing physical harm or taking life. Verse 17 establishes "whoever takes a human life is to be put to death," and verse 18 addresses property damage ("whoever kills an animal must make restitution for it, life for life"). Leviticus 24:20 then completes this series, laying down the rule for non-fatal bodily injury. The historical context is Israel at Mount Sinai, receiving the foundational laws for their covenant community, aiming to establish a just society that reflects God's own holiness and righteousness, applicable equally to native Israelite and sojourner (Lev 24:22).

Leviticus 24 20 Word analysis

• fracture for fracture (שֶׁבֶר תַּחַת שֶׁבֶר - shever tachat shever):

  • shever: From the root meaning "to break." It refers to a serious bone break or physical damage.
  • tachat: Means "under" or "in place of," denoting substitution or exchange. This is key to the principle of exact equivalence.
  • Significance: This phrase introduces the fundamental concept of lex talionis by starting with a specific type of grave physical harm. It sets the precedent for proportional punishment.

• eye for eye (עַיִן תַּחַת עַיִן - ayin tachat ayin):

  • ayin: Eye.
  • Significance: This is the most iconic phrase of lex talionis. While often interpreted literally in ancient codes like Hammurabi's, in Israelite law, particularly with the subsequent Jewish rabbinic tradition, it generally indicated monetary compensation for the value of the injury, unless otherwise specified. Its literal interpretation in a judicial setting was primarily meant to set a maximum limit on punishment, preventing private parties from escalating vengeance beyond what was fair and proportional. It was not a command for brutal, mutilating retaliation in every case, but a standard for judicial assessment of damages and penalty.

• tooth for tooth (שֵׁן תַּחַת שֵׁן - shen tachat shen):

  • shen: Tooth.
  • Significance: Reinforces the principle of precise, equitable restitution or punishment. Like "eye for eye," it symbolized equivalent damage.

• whatever injury he has inflicted on someone (כַּאֲשֶׁר יִתֵּן מוּם בָּאָדָם - ka'asher yitten mum ba'adam):

  • ka'asher: As, according as, whatever.
  • yitten: From natan, "to give" or "to inflict."
  • mum: Refers to a physical blemish, defect, or lasting injury. It implies a permanent disfigurement or disability.
  • Significance: This phrase generalizes the principle, moving beyond the specific examples (fracture, eye, tooth) to encompass any permanent disabling injury. It ensures comprehensive coverage under the law of proportionality.

• is to be inflicted on him (כֵּן יִנָּתֵן בּוֹ - ken yinnaten bo):

  • ken: So, thus.
  • yinnaten: Passive form of natan, "it shall be given," "it shall be inflicted."
  • bo: In him, upon him.
  • Significance: This closing clause reiterates and reinforces the core idea of exact reciprocity. The legal consequence should be directly borne by the offender, mirroring the damage they caused. This entire verse, and the broader concept, served as a polemic against the arbitrary and often excessive forms of personal vengeance common in ancient Near Eastern societies, imposing divine and judicial restraint.

Leviticus 24 20 Bonus section

The historical interpretation of lex talionis has often been distorted, painting Old Testament law as primitive and cruel. However, a deeper understanding reveals its progressive and restraining nature for its time. Many contemporary ancient Near Eastern legal codes allowed for vastly disproportionate penalties, sometimes favoring certain social classes, or permitting the offender's family to suffer consequences for crimes committed by one individual. The Israelite application of "eye for an eye" often required specific circumstances for its literal application (such as the unprovoked and violent goring ox in Exodus 21:29) or provided options for monetary redemption (kopher), particularly for lesser injuries, as seen in other related laws. The concept of assessing the value of the injury, rather than strict physical retaliation, reflects a more developed legal system. The fact that the same principle was applied to foreigners as well as native-born Israelites (Lev 24:22) highlights a remarkable impartiality uncommon in other ancient law codes, underscoring the divine source of these statutes.

Leviticus 24 20 Commentary

Leviticus 24:20 articulates lex talionis, the "law of like for like," within the context of physical injury. Far from promoting barbarity or savage mutilation, its primary purpose in ancient Israelite jurisprudence was to impose strict limits on punishment and ensure that justice was equitable and proportionate. It acted as a crucial safeguard against unrestrained private vengeance, which could easily escalate into debilitating blood feuds. By stipulating an "eye for an eye," the law prevented disproportionate retaliation, such as demanding a life for a lost tooth. It mandated a ceiling for penalty, ensuring that the judicial outcome matched, but did not exceed, the crime.

This law was intended for courts and judges, not as a license for private individuals to exact personal revenge. Judges were tasked with implementing this principle, often through monetary compensation for the value of the injury sustained (e.g., pain, medical costs, loss of income due to disability), rather than always through literal physical reciprocation. The "eye for an eye" functioned more as a legal calculus of appropriate damage than a command for surgical exactitude.

In the New Testament, Jesus addresses this principle in Matthew 5:38-39, reinterpreting its personal application. While He did not abolish the principle of proportionate justice for societal governance, He challenged His followers to transcend the spirit of personal retaliation in their individual dealings, advocating instead for grace, forgiveness, and non-resistance to evil. This New Testament perspective elevates the personal ethical standard from mere proportionate justice to sacrificial love, but it does not dismantle the need for public justice administered by governing authorities (Rom 13:4) to maintain order and restrain evil in society. The Old Testament law provided the floor of justice, preventing undue severity; the New Testament offers the ceiling of grace and mercy for the individual, promoting spiritual growth beyond simple retribution.