What is the Doctrine of Retribution

One of the key dramatic themes in the Book of Job concerns the doctrine of Retribution, or we might simply say getting what you deserve. No doubt we’re more familiar with it through its Scripturally based description, ‘an eye for an eye’ or a ‘tooth for a tooth’. This is found in the Mosaic Law, specifically Exodus 21:23-27 (see also Leviticus 24:19 and Deuteronomy 19:21) and restated with additional clarity in Matthew 5:38-42. In ancient legal terms this has become known as lex taliones, Latin for the Law of Retaliation, and it is a ubiquitous throughout the ancient near east being found in the Code of Hammurabi, Judaic laws and writings including the Talmud, Islamic Law, and Roman Law among others.

In the Book of Job, lex taliones becomes a central argument from his friends in order to explain why tragedy has struck in the form of the death of his children, loss of his property, and disease ridden flesh. In their view, lex taliones had to be the explanation for some sin that he had committed which deserved God’s just punishment. The problem with Job’s friends wasn’t necessarily in their understanding of this doctrine, rather it was with their blanket application of the law.

I’ve noted before that Jesus’ disciples had the same problem of applying lex taliones with respect to blind man in John 9:1-12. There they asked Jesus who had sinned the man or his parents, highlighting their blanket application of not only lex taliones but the doctrine of generational sin. Jesus’ response corrects both incorrect applications by stating it was neither, rather that the works of God might be displayed in him (the blind man). By responding this way, Jesus indicates a higher principle. Rather than strict justice of ‘this for that’, He gives a ‘not this for that’. In other words, not getting what we otherwise deserve. This is what’s called mercy.

While justice is getting what you deserve and mercy is not getting what you deserve, there is another category that must be pointed out, namely injustice. This would be getting what you don’t deserve. It’s important to understand the interplay between these terms. Is God unjust? NO! So we know that He is going to deal in terms of either justice or mercy. While Job’s friends were claiming God’s justice in the form of retribution, Job was claiming he didn’t deserve it and it was therefore unjust. When God shows up on the scene, He reminds Job of who He is as sovereign Creator and providential Orchestrator of all events. He then restores Job abundantly. That was God’s mercy.

In 2 Thessalonians 1:5-12 we see again the doctrine of retribution paired alongside mercy.

³ We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is fitting, because your faith grows exceedingly, and the love of every one of you all abounds toward each other, ⁴ so that we ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure, ⁵ which is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer; ⁶ since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, ⁷ and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, ⁸ in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹ These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, ¹⁰ when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.

In this passage, we see the primary theme of the justice of God. Then, as a result of this, or we might say downstream of this, the context is suffering believers. In verse 6, Paul restates succinctly God is just, as we discussed above. He follows this with the application of that justice on those who have afflicted believer’s, repaying upon them tribulation for the trouble that they have caused, Lex Taliones. Justice is described in the strongest of terms as flaming fire in vengeance, punished with everlasting destruction, and banished from the presence of the Lord. In verse 7, we find our example of mercy, remembering that this is NOT gettig what is deserved. Those who have been afflicted, God will repay with relief, literally relaxation. Did they do anything to merit this from God? Not at all. Mercy cannot be earned, it is at the sole discretion of the Judge.

This brings back to Jesus’ own commentary on the doctrine of retribution in Matthew 5. The original law, cited in those passages from the Torah that we listed above, was given to Israel who at the time was a Theocracy, a system of government in which God rules directly. It, along with the rest of the law, was given to the people collectively though with individual application. The law, or better the Mosaic Covenant, was in a sense the governing constitution for Israel. Lex Taliones wasn’t a prescription for vengeance; it was a directive for justice. In other words, it didn’t mean that if someone knocked out your eye, you were prescribed by law to knock the offending person’s eye out. As per the lesson we learned in 2 Thess., mercy is the better available “option” and God has provided the very pattern going all the way back to Genesis 3. Jesus’ words on this law/doctrine from Matthew 5 are below:

38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ 39 But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 If anyone wants to sue you and take away your tunic, let him have your cloak also. 41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 Give to him who asks you, and from him who wants to borrow from you do not turn away. Matthew 5:38-42

Here we see our doctrine of retribution quoted and followed by the familiar redirect of Jesus in His Sermon on the Mount, “But I tell you”, establishing Himself as the new authoritative lawgiver, i.e. The Greater Moses. When Jesus redirects, He isn’t overturning the previously stated law as though it were deficient. He’s usually clarifying either a misunderstanding, misapplication, or abuse. In this case, He removes the application of this doctrine as a strict prescription, replacing it not with pacifism but with mercy, “not this for that”. The way lex taliones had likely been interpreted was as a prescription to allow people to take their pound of flesh in vengeance against the person who had wronged them. The very real likelihood was that the restraint that the law was intended to provide had been far exceeded, falling into the ditch of injustice. We see this in the example of Dinah’s brothers, Simeon and Levi (Jacob’s sons), taking vengeance out on the Shechemites (Genesis 34).

In Jesus’s application of lex taliones He doesn’t prescribe a sort of returning the favor. As stated, He also isn’t promoting a type of pacifism and He certainly isn’t condoning injustice. What He does do is build out the principles of mercy, not from the position that each of us are the judge, but on the basis of love outlined in Matthew 5:43-48. In each of the three cases Jesus mentions what He instructs is to go over and above what’s being asked. Wouldn’t this leave the offending person without justice and be inherently unjust? No, not if we understand that God as the Judge is the one who hands out justice, as in the fierce example from 2 Thess. specifically upon those who have abused believers. In other words, as His divine representatives we are to be the witness to mercy, springing forth out of a heart for love towards even our enemies. This doesn’t mean pacifism or letting someone abuse our family, but it does mean letting the offender pile up offenses so that the Judge may give them what they truly deserve. In operating from this principle of love we aren’t overturning the law, but actually upholding it (Matt. 22:37-40)

Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.