Is "an eye for an eye" really in the Bible?

Yes. It appears in the Law of Moses in Exodus 21:24, with parallels in Leviticus 24:20 and Deuteronomy 19:21. It is a genuine biblical principle of proportional justice for the courts, meant to keep punishment fair and limited rather than to authorize personal revenge.

Did it mean people should take revenge?

No. In context it was a legal limit on retaliation, ensuring the penalty matched the crime and went no further, which restrained blood feuds. It governed judicial punishment, not private grudges. Reading it as a slogan for payback reverses its original purpose of restraining vengeance.

What did Jesus say about "an eye for an eye"?

Jesus quoted it directly in Matthew 5:38-39 and called his followers higher. Rather than insisting on equal retaliation, he taught "resist not evil" and "turn the other cheek." He does not deny it was said; he moves his disciples beyond personal retaliation toward mercy and non-retaliation.

Does the Bible say it?

"An eye for an eye": is it in the Bible?

Yes. "An eye for an eye" is in the Law of Moses, Exodus 21:24. But it was given to limit retaliation, making punishment proportional rather than escalating, not to encourage revenge. Jesus directly quotes it in Matthew 5:38-39 and calls his followers higher: resist not evil, but turn the other cheek. So it is biblical, yet not the last word.

VerdictActually in the Bible

What it actually is

The phrase is from the Law of Moses, stated in Exodus 21:24 and repeated in Leviticus and Deuteronomy. In its setting it is a principle of proportional justice for the courts: the penalty must fit the offense and go no further, which functioned as a limit on runaway vengeance and blood feud, not as a command to seek revenge.

People often quote it as a personal motto endorsing payback. But Jesus directly addresses it in Matthew 5:38-39, saying, "Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye," and then calls his followers to a higher way: do not resist an evil person, but turn the other cheek. It is genuinely in the Bible, yet Jesus explicitly moves beyond it for his disciples.

What the Bible actually says

Here is the original law and Jesus' response to it, side by side:

“Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,”

Exodus 21:24

“Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth:”

Matthew 5:38

“But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.”

Matthew 5:39

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A better question than the quote

Behind every “is this in the Bible?” is a gentler one: what does the Bible actually say, and who is the Jesus at the center of it? You do not have to take our word for it, ours least of all. Read his own words and see for yourself. It costs nothing but a little quiet and an honest look.

Meet Jesus His words and acts Read the Gospel of John

Jesus Christ is Lord.

Frequently asked questions

Is "an eye for an eye" really in the Bible?: Yes. It appears in the Law of Moses in Exodus 21:24, with parallels in Leviticus 24:20 and Deuteronomy 19:21. It is a genuine biblical principle of proportional justice for the courts, meant to keep punishment fair and limited rather than to authorize personal revenge.
Did it mean people should take revenge?: No. In context it was a legal limit on retaliation, ensuring the penalty matched the crime and went no further, which restrained blood feuds. It governed judicial punishment, not private grudges. Reading it as a slogan for payback reverses its original purpose of restraining vengeance.
What did Jesus say about "an eye for an eye"?: Jesus quoted it directly in Matthew 5:38-39 and called his followers higher. Rather than insisting on equal retaliation, he taught "resist not evil" and "turn the other cheek." He does not deny it was said; he moves his disciples beyond personal retaliation toward mercy and non-retaliation.

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