If anyone injures his neighbor, it shall be done to him as he has done: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. It shall be done to him as he has injured someone.
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Leviticus 24:19-20 sits inside this longer paragraph.
“ ‘He who strikes any man mortally shall surely be put to death. He who strikes an animal mortally shall make it good, life for life. If anyone injures his neighbor, it shall be done to him as he has done: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. It shall be done to him as he has injured someone. He who kills an animal shall make it good; and he who kills a man shall be put to death. You shall have one kind of law for the foreigner as well as the native-born; for I am Yahweh your God.’ ”
Parallel Translations
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If anyone injures his neighbor, it shall be done to him as he has done:
fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. It shall be done to him as he has injured someone.
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And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him;
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.
Show all 3 translations
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And if a man maim his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him:
breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he hath maimed a man, so shall it be rendered unto him.
Examined in Scripture Analysis
Contradictions (1)
Questions where the Bible appears to say two different things, with the passages on each side set together.
Cross-references (6)
- Deuteronomy 19:21 (vv19–20) Your eyes shall not pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
- Matthew 5:38 (vv19–20) “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’
- Matthew 7:2 (v19) For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you.
- Exodus 21:23-25 (v20) But if any harm follows, then you must take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning,…
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this passage (9 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
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John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain On v19 Lev 24:19 And if a man cause a blemish…
Lev 24:19 And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him;
Ver. 19. As he hath done.] God loves to retaliate; it is his usual manner of proceeding in punishing.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain On vv19–20 Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth,....…
Breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth,.... Which is not to be taken strictly or literally, but for the price or value of those, which is to be given in a pecuniary way; See Gill on Exo 21:24, Exo 21:25,
as he hath caused a blemish in a man, shall it be done to him; unless he gives satisfaction, and pays a valuable consideration for it.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
Adam Clarke 1810 · Public Domain On v20 Verse 20. Breach for breach] This is a repetition…
Verse 20. Breach for breach] This is a repetition of the lex talionis, which see explained, Clarke's note "Ex 21:24".
Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary 1859 · Public Domain On vv19–20 Blemish. Hebrew mum, denotes any thing by which the…
Blemish. Hebrew mum, denotes any thing by which the body is disfigured or hurt. (Menochius)
George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain On v20 20. Breach for breach — Broken limb for broken…
20. Breach for breach — Broken limb for broken limb. This punishment is included in that of life for life, as a part is included in the whole. In those primitive times it was a stronger restraint from crime than the modern penalty of a term of imprisonment with good food and healthful labour.
The law of retaliation is for the guidance of the judge, and not a provision for the injured person to practice private revenge. It was this perversion of the law which Christ condemns, and not legal punishments enjoined by a magistrate. See Mat_5:37-39, notes. Society is conserved by law, and law by penalties. There is mercy in this code, inasmuch as it protects the criminal against too severe punishment through the heat of popular indignation or the malice of a hostile party, as that of the priests and scribes against Jesus Christ. There may be injustice done by fixed penalties, but we are convinced that without them there is a liability of doing greater wrong.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain On v19 19. Cp. Exo_21:23-25. The lex talionis or law of…
19. Cp. Exo_21:23-25. The lex talionis or law of retaliation bulks largely in the Code of Hammurabi (op. cit.), e.g. in the case of human life, §§ 116, 210, 219, 229; of tooth for tooth, § 200; of eye for eye, § 196; and so of ox for ox, §§ 245, 263; of sheep for sheep, § 263; and of goods for goods, § 232. Cp. the Koran, Sura, 2. 173 ff.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers 1878 · Public Domain On v19 (19, 20) And if a man cause a blemish.—See…
(19, 20) And if a man cause a blemish.—See Exo_21:24-25.
A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
unfoldingWord translationNotes 2017 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v19 Connecting Statement:
Connecting Statement:
God continues telling Moses what the people must do when someone does something bad.
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it must be done to him
This can be stated in active form. AT: "you must do to him" (See: Active or Passive)
fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth
These phrases emphasize that a person should receive the same harm he did to someone else.
fracture for fracture
This refers to broken bones. AT: "broken bone for broken bone" or "If he breaks someone's bone, one of his bones must be broken" or "If he breaks someone's bone, they will break one of his bones" (See: Idiom)
eye for eye
This refers to eyes being seriously injured or gouged out. AT: "If he destroys someone's eye, one of his bones must be destroyed" or "If he destroys someone's eye, they will destroy his eye" (See: Idiom)
tooth for tooth
This refers to teeth being knocked out of the mouth. AT: "If he knocks out someone's tooth, one of his teeth must be knocked out" or "If he knocks out someone's tooth, they will knock out one of his teeth" (See: Idiom)
anyone who kills a person must be put to death
This can be stated in active form. AT: "they must put to death anyone who kills a person" (See: Active or Passive)
translationWords
neighbor
unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.
Tyndale Open Study Notes 2022 · CC BY-SA 4.0 On v20 24:20 eye for an eye: The legal principle involved…
24:20 eye for an eye: The legal principle involved is often called lex talionis (“law of retaliation”), which is that the penalty must fit the crime. When an injured party sought revenge on behalf of their kinsman (see Num 35:19-21), excessive revenge naturally ensued instead of appropriate justice. This provoked even greater retaliation, resulting in a cycle of increasing violence. Lex talionis served to regulate the prosecution of crimes (see also Lev 6:2-7; cp. Exod 21:24; Lev 24:20; Deut 19:21; Matt 5:28-39).
Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.