Movatterモバイル変換

Love Your Enemies
37Simply let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ Anything more comes from the evil one.38You have heardthatit was said,‘Eyeforeyeandtoothfortooth.’39But I tell you not to resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also;…

Treasury of Scripture

You have heard that it has been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:

An eye.

Exodus 21:22-27
If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit departfrom her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman's husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judgesdetermine…

Leviticus 24:19,20
And if a man cause a blemish in his neighbour; as he hath done, so shall it be done to him; …

Deuteronomy 19:19
Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you.

AnEyeHeardToothAnEyeHeardTooth1.Jesus' sermon on the mount:
3.The Beattitudes;
13.the salt of the earth;
14.the light of the world.
17.He came to fulfill the law.
21.What it is to kill;
27.to commit adultery;
33.to swear.
38.He exhorts to forgive wrong,
43.to love our enemies;
48.and to labor after perfection.

You have heard that it was said
This phrase introduces a common teaching method used by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount, where He contrasts traditional interpretations of the Law with His deeper, more spiritual understanding. The phrase indicates that Jesus is addressing a well-known principle from the Mosaic Law, which His audience would have been familiar with. This method of teaching highlights Jesus' authority to interpret and fulfill the Law, as seen inMatthew 5:17, where He states He came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets.

‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’
This phrase refers to the principle of lex talionis, or the law of retaliation, found in the Old Testament (Exodus 21:24,Leviticus 24:20,Deuteronomy 19:21). It was intended to limit retribution and ensure justice by prescribing a punishment equivalent to the offense. In its historical context, this law was a progressive step towards justice, preventing excessive vengeance and promoting fairness. However, by the time of Jesus, this principle was often misapplied, used to justify personal revenge rather than being administered through judicial systems. Jesus' teaching in the following verses (Matthew 5:39-42) calls His followers to a higher standard of love and forgiveness, reflecting the character of God and pointing to the ultimate example of Jesus Himself, who did not retaliate when wronged (1 Peter 2:23).

1.Jesus Christ
The speaker of this verse, delivering the Sermon on the Mount, which is a foundational teaching moment in the New Testament.

2.The Disciples and the Crowd
The immediate audience of Jesus' teaching, representing both His followers and the broader Jewish community.

3.The Mosaic Law
The original context of the "eye for eye" principle, found in the Old Testament, specifically in the laws given to the Israelites.

4.Mount of Beatitudes
The traditional location where the Sermon on the Mount was delivered, symbolizing a place of divine teaching and revelation.

5.The Pharisees and Teachers of the Law
Religious leaders of the time who often interpreted and enforced the Mosaic Law, sometimes with a focus on legalism.Understanding the Law's Purpose
The "eye for eye" principle was meant to limit retribution and ensure justice, not to encourage personal vengeance.

Jesus' Radical Call
Jesus challenges His followers to transcend the old law by embracing forgiveness and non-retaliation.

The Heart of the Law
True righteousness goes beyond legalistic adherence to the law and seeks the spirit of love and mercy.

Practical Non-Retaliation
In daily life, believers are called to respond to wrongs with grace and forgiveness, reflecting Christ's love.

Living Counter-Culturally
Jesus' teaching invites Christians to live in a way that contrasts with worldly values of revenge and retribution.1.What is the meaning of Matthew 5:38?

2.How does Matthew 5:38 challenge the concept of "an eye for an eye"?

3.What does Jesus teach about retaliation in Matthew 5:38?

4.How can Matthew 5:38 be applied in personal conflicts today?

5.How does Matthew 5:38 connect to Romans 12:17-21 on vengeance?

6.In what ways can Matthew 5:38 promote peace in our communities?

7.What does "An eye for an eye" mean in Matthew 5:38?

8.How does Matthew 5:38 challenge the concept of justice?

9.Why does Jesus reference "An eye for an eye" in Matthew 5:38?

10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Matthew 5?

11.Should you not resist an evil person?

12.Should you not resist an evil person?

13.What is the meaning of "turn the other cheek"?

14.Who was Mahatma Gandhi?You have heard

- Jesus addresses listeners who have been taught Scripture since childhood (Deuteronomy 6:6-7) and regularly hear it read in synagogue (Luke 4:16-17).

- As in the earlier “You have heard” statements (Matthew 5:21, 27, 31, 33), He signals that a familiar teaching is about to be examined in light of the heart-standard God always intended (Matthew 5:20).

- The phrase reminds us that merely hearing the Law cannot produce righteousness; it must shape motives and actions (James 1:22;Romans 2:13).

---

that it was said

- Jesus cites what was publicly taught from the Law of Moses—civil legislation given through God’s inspired Word (Exodus 21:24;Leviticus 24:19-21;Deuteronomy 19:21).

- Those statutes were:

• Judicial, meant for courts and elders, not private vendettas (Deuteronomy 17:8-12).

• Restrictive, limiting retaliation so punishment matched the offense (Genesis 4:23-24 shows the opposite spirit).

• Protective, upholding the value of every life and discouraging further violence (Numbers 35:31-33).

- By saying “it was said,” Jesus affirms the original command’s authority while preparing to correct its misuse by individuals seeking personal revenge (Proverbs 20:22).

---

‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’

- The exact quotation, “Eye for eye and tooth for tooth” (Matthew 5:38), summarizes the lex talionis—“law of equal retribution.”

- Intended purposes:

• Justice: ensuring equity when harm occurred (Exodus 21:24).

• Deterrence: making evil costly for the offender (Deuteronomy 19:21).

• Mercy: preventing excessive payback by limiting punishment (Leviticus 24:20).

- Common misuse in Jesus’ day turned this courtroom guideline into personal license to strike back. He will counter in the next verse, “But I tell you, do not resist an evil person” (Matthew 5:39), inviting disciples to forego retaliation and trust God’s ultimate justice (Romans 12:19;1 Peter 2:23).

- Living out the spirit of the command today means:

• Leaving vengeance to lawful authorities when wronged (Romans 13:4).

• Choosing forgiveness and proactive kindness (Luke 6:27-28;1 Thessalonians 5:15).

• Remembering that Christ Himself bore injustice to save us, setting the model for patient endurance (Isaiah 53:7;1 Peter 2:21-23).

---

summary

Matthew 5:38 recalls a God-given statute designed for equitable, courtroom justice. Jesus affirms its truth yet exposes how it was twisted into personal retaliation. Properly understood, “Eye for eye and tooth for tooth” restrains vengeance, upholds human worth, and points believers to entrust judgment to God while responding to wrongs with grace—an ethic fully revealed in the Savior who bore our sins without striking back.

(38)An eye for an eye.--Here again the scribes first took their stand on the letter, regardless of the aim and purpose, of the Law, and then expanded it in a wrong direction. As originally given, it was a check on the "wild justice" of revenge. It said, where the equilibrium of right had been disturbed by outrage, that the work of the judge was not to do more than restore the equilibrium, unless, as in the case of theft, some further penalty was necessary for the prevention of crime. It was, in its essence, a limit in both directions. Not less than the "eye for an eye," for that might lead to connivance in guilt; not more, for that would open a fresh score of wrong. The scribes in their popular casuistry made the rule one not of judicial action only, but of private retaliation; and it was thus made the sanction of the vindictive temper that forgives nothing.

Verses 38-48. - The two remaining examples of the current teaching of the Law are very closely connected together, and, in fact, our Lord's corrections of them are intermingled inLuke 6:27-36. Yet the subjects are really distinct. In the first (vers. 38-42) our Lord speaks of the reception of injuries, in the second (vers. 43-48) of the treatment of those who do them. Godet's remarks (in his summary ofLuke 6:27-45) on the use made by St. Luke of these examples are especially instructive. "These last two antitheses, which terminate in Matthew in the lofty thought (ver. 48) of man being elevated by love to the perfection of God, furnish Luke with the leading idea of the discourse as he presents it, namely, charity as the law of the new life."Verses 38-42. -The reception of injuries. The Law inculcated that the injured should obtain from those who did the wrong exact compensation (on this being properly a command, not merely a permission,vide Mozley, 'Ruling Ideas,' etc., pp. 182, sqq.). Our Lord inculcates giving up of all in-sistance upon one's rights as an injured person, and entire submission to injuries, even as far as proffering the opportunity for fresh wrongs.Verse 38. -An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. No short phrase could more accurately describe the spirit of the Mosaic legislation. Offences against individuals were to be punished by the injured individual receiving back, as it were, the exact compensation from him who had injured him. While this was originally observed literally, it was in Mishnic times (and probably in the time of our Lord) softened to payment of money (vide Lightfoot, 'Hor. Hebr.'). The phrase comes three times in the Pentateuch (Exodus 21:24;Leviticus 24:20;Deuteronomy 19:21). Notice:

(1) The LXX. has the accusative in each case, although only in the first does a verb precede. Probably the expression had already become proverbial in Greek even before the translation of the LXX.

(2) The Hebrew ofDeuteronomy 19:21 is slightly different from that of the other two passages, and as the preposition there used (ב) is not so necessarily rendered byἀντί, that passage is perhaps the least likely of the three to have been in our Lord's mind now. It seems likely, however, that he was not thinking of any one of the three passages in particular. The words served him as a summary of the Law in this respect.

Parallel Commentaries ...

You have heard
Ἠκούσατε(Ēkousate)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Active - 2nd Person Plural
Strong's 191:To hear, listen, comprehend by hearing; pass: is heard, reported. A primary verb; to hear.

that
ὅτι(hoti)
Conjunction
Strong's 3754:Neuter of hostis as conjunction; demonstrative, that; causative, because.

it was said,
ἐρρέθη(errethē)
Verb - Aorist Indicative Passive - 3rd Person Singular
Strong's 2046:Probably a fuller form of rheo; an alternate for epo in certain tenses; to utter, i.e. Speak or say.

‘Eye
Ὀφθαλμὸν(Ophthalmon)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3788:The eye; fig: the mind's eye. From optanomai; the eye; by implication, vision; figuratively, envy.

for
ἀντὶ(anti)
Preposition
Strong's 473:A primary particle; opposite, i.e. Instead or because of.

eye
ὀφθαλμοῦ(ophthalmou)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3788:The eye; fig: the mind's eye. From optanomai; the eye; by implication, vision; figuratively, envy.

and
καὶ(kai)
Conjunction
Strong's 2532:And, even, also, namely.

tooth
ὀδόντα(odonta)
Noun - Accusative Masculine Singular
Strong's 3599:A tooth. Perhaps from the base of esthio; a 'tooth'.

for
ἀντὶ(anti)
Preposition
Strong's 473:A primary particle; opposite, i.e. Instead or because of.

tooth.’
ὀδόντος(odontos)
Noun - Genitive Masculine Singular
Strong's 3599:A tooth. Perhaps from the base of esthio; a 'tooth'.


Matthew 5:38 NIV
Matthew 5:38 NLT
Matthew 5:38 ESV
Matthew 5:38 NASB
Matthew 5:38 KJV

Matthew 5:38 BibleApps.com
Matthew 5:38 Biblia Paralela
Matthew 5:38 Chinese Bible
Matthew 5:38 French Bible
Matthew 5:38 Catholic Bible

NT Gospels: Matthew 5:38 You have heard that it was said (Matt. Mat Mt)