Was it not Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi who said, An eye for an eye makes the world go blind?
From times before 1869 and 1948, when he lived, there has been the saying, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. It was part of the laws of Moses to the people of Israel.
According to the Gospel, Jesus Christ equally commented on the statement, and what makes His commentary interesting is that He changed the narrative.
In this message, we will discuss An eye for an eye in the Bible, what it means, and how it could make the world go blind. But feel free to checkout our recent message: Go And Sin No More.
An Eye For An Eye Bible Verse
The statement, An eye for an eye, has its foundation in the Torah and historically in Hammurabi’s Code. As we settle down with the Bible, the initial verse where An eye for an eye, was mentioned is in Exodus 21:24, but for a better understanding, we will see the pre and post-text.
Exodus 21:23,24, and 25 says:
“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, wound for wound, and bruise for bruise.”
The KJV is like the above, but the New Living Translation (NLT) puts the statement this way: “If an eye is injured, injure the eye of the person who did it. If a tooth gets knocked out, knock out the tooth of the person who did it. Similarly, the payment must be hand for hand, foot for foot,” Exodus 21:24.
Are you still wondering what exactly an eye for an eye means? Notice that Moses also instructed a life for a life, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot, burning for burning, and bruise for a bruise, aside from an eye and a tooth.
The point we often do not pay attention to is that he built those instructions on the concept of an event of men fighting and hurting a pregnant woman in the process. He said:
“If men fight and hurt a pregnant woman so that she gives birth prematurely, and yet no harm follows, he shall be surely fined as much as the woman’s husband demands and the judges allow.” Exodus 21:22 WEB.
However, in the case where she dies, the one who killed her must die too. In the situation where she loses an eye, a tooth, a hand, a foot, a burn, or a bruise, the same must happen to the one who caused it.
And someone like Martin Luther King would say, “If we do an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, we will be a blind and toothless nation.”
What Does An Eye For An Eye Mean?
An eye for an eye is a phrase among phrases of retaliation in the laws of Moses. Though some see it as a representative instruction, it is literal if read in context.
It means to take out the eye of a person who took out the eye of another. But that does not sound good, or does it?
Assuming I fought with someone who punched me in the eye and I lost sight, I would be required to either do likewise or get someone to do it to that person. Imagine that person doing the same to another, and it goes on and on, how great the world would be.
If you have watched An Eye For An Eye Movie, you will learn about hatred, revenge, repentance, and forgiveness. That brings me to the comments of Jesus on that ideology.
But let me state that an eye for an eye means to pay back evil for evil, and when Moses said ‘eye for eye,’ he meant what he said.
In Matthew 5:38–39 WEB, Jesus said:
“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.’
But I tell you, don’t resist him who is evil; but whoever strikes you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also.”
The word resist used there is the word antistenai (ἀντιστῆναι) in Greek. It means to oppose, to withstand, or to stand against. What Jesus meant was when a person does evil to you, do not make yourself an opponent in the sense that you do another evil in return.
A simple example is in the game of boxing. You will see that when one punches another, the opponent is presumed to return the punch. But Jesus said, do not do that in life.
Instead, when someone strikes you on the right cheek, you should turn the other for him. That, I would say is a figurative statement of how we should treat people who do us wrong; by showing them right.
“If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also.
Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two.
Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.” Matthew 5:40–42 NASB.
The statements Jesus made were not different from those of Paul, which would be a furtherance of His. Paul said in Romans 12:19–21 NASB:
“Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord.
‘But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.’
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
An Eye For An Eye Makes The Whole World Blind
What happens when people choose the other way is that evil continues to grow until everyone goes down to the grave. An eye for an eye makes the world blind is a factual statement.
Think of it this way: if we were to take out an eye for an eye, would we not all go blind? Maybe we would be walking with one eye each. But if anyone has the guts to take out one, what makes you think they would not take out the other?
Jokes aside, one thing many people do not notice about an eye for an eye in the Bible and the world today is that those who pay back evil for evil are guilty of the same. That is why in most cases, the world is where it is, full of evil and wickedness.
The world is teeming with the blind leading the blind into the ditch, and I wonder if there is hope for man in this world. We often hear the saying that two wrongs cannot make a right, but many of what people call right in this world have their building on the wrongs.
If I may diverge a little, considering the governments of this world, the evil that men do, and the wickedness in high places that has affected those in the low, I can only say that the world seems darker than I thought.
Darkness breeds evil, evil breeds blindness, and blindness breeds death. Ever wonder why many people prefer darkness? They are under the blindfold of their evil deeds.
“This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.
For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.” John 3:19–20 NASB.
It is about time we come to the Light, that is Christ Jesus, let the legal institution of justice take its course, and stop taking laws into our hands. But learn to forgive and treat people with love as we would ourselves. If we do, imagine how bright the world would be.
We cannot all get it right in this world, but we can try a little kindness and shine the light for everyone to see. You can start by repenting and trusting God in Christ Jesus.
“He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” John 3:18 NASB.
“Finally, be all like-minded, compassionate, loving as brothers, tender hearted, courteous,
not rendering evil for evil, or insult for insult; but instead blessing; knowing that to this were you called, that you may inherit a blessing.
For, ‘He who would love life, and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil, and his lips from speaking deceit.
Let him turn away from evil, and do good. Let him seek peace, and pursue it.
For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears open to their prayer; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.’” 1 Peter 3:8–12 WEB.
