An Eye For an Eye

People keep saying to me, "an eye for an eye." I suppose I bring it on myself, but they look at me and as if I have forgotten something obvious that can be put right by a simple reminder they say, "An eye for an eye."

Once the reminder is given, I believe I am expected to say, "Oh yes, you are right. How could I have been so foolish. That's right, "an eye for an eye." And then I will change my mind about whatever silliness I had said before and the world is properly ordered again.

"Eye for an eye" comes out of Exodus. God has led the Israelites out of Egypt, but they need some rules to govern themselves. First, God gives the Ten Commandments. Then He tells Moses that there are rules Moses must give to the Israelites.

"If someone buys a male Hebrew slave, the master has to let him go in seven years, unless the slave loves the master then the master can pierce the slave's ear with an awl and the slave will serve for life."

"If someone curses or strikes his father or mother, he will be put to death."

"When a slave-owner strikes a male or female slave with a rod and the slave dies immediately, the owner shall be punished. But if the slave survives for a day or two, there is no punishment; for the slave is the owner’s property."

And then if people are fighting they injure a pregnant woman, and she only has a miscarriage, but no other injury, they have to pay her husband a fine, but if there is other injury (apparently to the injured pregnant woman). "If any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe."

Moses then goes on with some other rules:

"If a thief is found breaking in, and is beaten to death, no blood-guilt is incurred; but if it happens after sunrise, blood-guilt is incurred."

"When a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged to be married, and lies with her, he shall give the bride-price for her and make her his wife."

"You shall not permit a female sorcerer to live."

"Whoever lies with an animal shall be put to death."

Then there are a couple that I like that are seldom mentioned:

"You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt."

"If you lend money to my people, to the poor among you, you shall not deal with them as a creditor; you shall not exact interest from them. "

Differently put, even for the time the laws of the Israelites were given, it is a little difficult to expand this law to include killing all those people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. When God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, he got all of the innocent people out first.

Some of us aspire to be, or pretend to be, or think we are followers of the teachings of Jesus. What did Jesus make of this eye for an eye?

Jesus' words parallel those of Moses. Instead of the Ten Commandments, He gives the Beatitudes. Then Jesus states a series of laws and provides for a different reaction to the law that goes beyond the law and provides for mercy. In particular about the "eye for an eye," He says:

You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” But I say to you, Do not resist an evildoer. But if anyone strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other also; and if anyone wants to sue you and take your coat, give your cloak as well; and if anyone forces you to go one mile, go also the second mile. Give to everyone who begs from you, and do not refuse anyone who wants to borrow from you.

I am no scholar of the Bible, but somehow this does not sound to me like Jesus is insisting on capital punishment.

As Gandhi suggested, "An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind."

It seems to me the complete statement when using "an eye for an eye" as an argument for retaliation should be something like this:

"I know Jesus fulfilled this law of retribution by providing for a higher law of love and mercy. I know He said the only true law was to Love God and Love Other People. I know He said not to resist an evil doer. But I don't accept Jesus' teachings. He is wrong about these things. My sense of justice says that Jesus may even be immoral or crazy for suggesting such a thing. I want to go back to the law Moses, and at least if a pregnant woman is injured when people are fighting we should knock out the eye of anyone who knocks out her eye. And we should kill all the witches."