Eye for an eye bible leviticus4/3/2023 The above Bible verses do not require further explanation. I am the LORD your God (Leviticus 24:17-22). You are to have the same law for the foreigner and the native-born. Whoever kills an animal must make restitution, but whoever kills a human being is to be put to death. The one who has inflicted the injury must suffer the same injury. Anyone who injures their neighbor is to be injured in the same manner: fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth. Anyone who takes the life of someone’s animal must make restitution – life for life. An eye for an eye in the Bible: designed to protect humans and animalsĪnyone who takes the life of a human being is to be put to death. In a nutshell the law of eye for an eye in the Bible is designed to protect pregnant women and unborn children from ruthless people. How about you? You see, God is not only a loving God but also a just God – a fact often ignored by Christians, non-Christians, atheists and sceptics alike. If a judge lets the murderer of your pregnant wife and the unborn child walk free, what would you do? God wants them punished. In other words, God is instructing judges to pass judgement to fit the crime. In the second scenario where there is serious injury, the punishment is severe. This is remarkably similar to the modern justice system. Therefore, the husband can make a demand, but the judge will decide. However, there is another layer of justice to prevent the husband exploiting the system by making unrealistic demands. In the first scenario where there is no serious injury, the husband has the right to decide the level of fine. Now let us go back to the first scenario. When you read the above verses, I trust you paid attention to the words “the court allows”, and also aware of the fact that this law was given to judges and priests through Moses, not to anyone else. But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise (Exodus 21: 22-25) An eye for an eye in the Bible: designed to protect pregnant women and unborn children “If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows. Leaving the judge aside, what would you like to happen to the person who hit your pregnant wife (or any pregnant woman)? Now, let us look at the Bible verses about an eye for an eye. What should the judge do? The judge has two options: let the culprit go free or impose some form of punishment to fit the crime? What judgement should the judge pass on to the person who hit your pregnant wife? In this instance, it leads to a serious injury, for example, death of your baby or death of your pregnant wife or both. Scenario 2: Your wife is pregnant, and someone comes and hits her. What judgement should the judge pass on to the person who hit your pregnant wife? What should the judge do? The judge has two options: let the culprit go free or impose some form of punishment to fit the crime. This leads to a premature birth of the baby, but no other injury. Scenario 1: Your wife is pregnant, and someone comes and hits her. An eye for an eye in the Bible: The Bible versesīefore reading the Bible verses, imagine two scenarios. Let us start with the Bible verses in their context. The law of ‘an eye for an eye’ appears in the following three places in the Old Testament: Exodus 21: 22-25 Leviticus 24:17-22 and Deuteronomy 19: 15-21. What is the meaning of ‘an eye for an eye’ in the Bible?įor a proper understanding, one must read the Bible verses in their context. Apparently, ‘eye for an eye’ is the favorite verse of the American President Donald Trump, according to Politico. ‘Eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind’ said Gandhi, although I am not sure if he was criticizing the Bible. How can a God who promotes retribution be considered a loving God? Skeptics argue that the law of ‘an eye for an eye’ portrays a blood-thirsty and violent God, not a loving and compassionate God as portrayed by those desperate Christians. An eye for an eye is considered one of the savage and merciless laws of the Bible, especially the Old Testament.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |