Exodus 21:25

KJV

Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

KJV (with Strong's)

Burning {H3555} for burning {H3555}, wound {H6482} for wound {H6482}, stripe {H2250} for stripe {H2250}.

Complete Jewish Bible

burn for burn, wound for wound and bruise for bruise.

Berean Standard Bible

burn for burn, wound for wound, and stripe for stripe.

American Standard Version

burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

Commentary

### SUMMARY
Exodus 21:25 articulates a foundational principle of proportionate justice, often termed *Lex Talionis*, within the Covenant Code. This verse specifies that penalties for physical injuries—such as burns, wounds, and stripes—must be strictly equivalent to the harm inflicted. Far from advocating for literal, brutal retaliation, this principle served as a crucial legal safeguard in ancient Israel, designed to limit excessive vengeance, promote equity before the law, and establish a clear framework for fair compensation and judicial order within the community.

### CONTEXT
* **Literary Context:** Exodus 21:25 is an integral part of the Covenant Code, a comprehensive body of civil and ceremonial laws delivered by God to Moses immediately following the Ten Commandments (found in [Exodus 20:22-23:33](/exodus/20 "Exodus 20:22-23-33 - The Covenant Code")). This section marks a transition from the broad moral principles of the Decalogue to their specific, practical application in the daily life and legal disputes of the Israelite community. Specifically, verses 22-25 address cases of personal injury, particularly those resulting from altercations, including harm to pregnant women. The broader principle of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" is famously stated in [Exodus 21:24](/exodus/21-24 "Exodus 21:24 - The Principle of Lex Talionis"), serving as the immediate antecedent and overarching declaration to which verse 25 provides concrete examples of physical harm. The inclusion of such detailed legal provisions underscores the divine emphasis on justice, order, and the protection of individuals within God's covenant relationship with His people.

* **Historical & Cultural Context:** The concept of *Lex Talionis* was not unique to ancient Israel; similar principles of proportionate retribution are evident in other ancient Near Eastern (ANE) law codes, such as the Code of Hammurabi (c. 1754 BC) and the Laws of Eshnunna. However, the Mosaic Law, while sharing this foundational principle, applied it with distinct theological and social nuances. Unlike some ANE codes that prescribed varying penalties based on social status, the Mosaic Law generally applied its principles of justice equally to all members of the community, regardless of their wealth or origin (compare [Leviticus 24:22](/leviticus/24-22 "Leviticus 24:22 - One Law for All")). Crucially, the practical application of "burning for burning, wound for wound" in Israelite jurisprudence was typically understood not as a command for literal physical mutilation, but as a guideline for monetary compensation. This compensation would cover damages, medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering. This interpretation was vital for limiting private vengeance, preventing escalating blood feuds, and ensuring that justice was administered through a recognized legal system rather than individual retaliation, thereby reflecting God's desire for a just, orderly, and compassionate society.

* **Key Themes:** Exodus 21:25 contributes significantly to several key themes within the broader book of Exodus and the Pentateuch. Foremost among these is the theme of **Divine Justice and Righteousness**. God, as the ultimate Lawgiver, establishes a legal system that reflects His own character of fairness and equity, ensuring that wrongs are addressed justly and that victims receive appropriate redress. This principle also highlights the **Sanctity of Human Life and Bodily Integrity**, affirming that harm to an individual is a serious offense requiring a measured response. Furthermore, the *Lex Talionis* principle underscores the theme of **Order and Stability in Society**. By providing clear guidelines for punishment and compensation, it prevented chaos and vigilante justice, fostering a stable community under God's covenant. It also implicitly touches upon **Limitation of Vengeance**, as the law's primary purpose was to restrict retaliation to a proportionate degree, preventing an endless cycle of escalating retribution. This is a crucial distinction from unchecked personal vengeance, which the law aims to curb.

### EXPOSITION AND ANALYSIS
#### Key Word Analysis
* **Burning (Hebrew, _kᵉvîyâh'_):** This Hebrew term, derived from the root meaning "to brand" or "to sear," refers specifically to a burn or a branding mark. Its inclusion highlights a common and often severe form of physical harm in ancient contexts, emphasizing that even specific types of injury required proportionate redress. The repetition "burning for burning" underscores the principle of exact equivalence in the punishment or compensation, ensuring that the penalty precisely matches the nature of the inflicted injury.
* **Wound (Hebrew, _petsaʻ'_):** This word is a more general term for an injury, encompassing various forms of bodily harm such as cuts, lacerations, or contusions. Its breadth indicates that the principle of proportionate justice was not limited to specific types of injury but applied broadly to any form of physical damage inflicted upon another person. The law's inclusion of this general term demonstrates its comprehensive scope in addressing all forms of personal injury.
* **Stripe (Hebrew, _chabbûwrâh'_):** This term denotes a bruise, a weal, or a black-and-blue mark, often specifically referring to the mark left by a blow or lashing. Its presence suggests injuries resulting from physical assault or beating, such as those inflicted by a rod or whip. Together, these three terms—burning, wound, and stripe—provide a comprehensive, though not exhaustive, list of physical harms, reinforcing the universal application of the *Lex Talionis* principle to all forms of bodily injury within the Israelite legal system.

#### Verse Breakdown
* **"Burning for burning":** This clause establishes the principle of direct and equivalent retribution for injuries caused by burns. In ancient Israelite law, this was typically interpreted as requiring monetary compensation equal to the damage caused by the burn, including medical costs, loss of income, and compensation for pain and suffering, rather than inflicting a literal burn on the offender. This interpretation served to limit private vengeance and promote a more civilized form of justice.
* **"wound for wound":** This broad statement extends the principle of proportionate justice to any general physical injury. It mandates that the compensation or penalty for a wound must correspond directly to the severity and impact of the injury sustained by the victim, ensuring that all forms of bodily harm, from minor cuts to severe injuries, are addressed with equitable justice within the legal framework.
* **"stripe for stripe":** This final clause specifies injuries resulting from blows or lashings, reinforcing the consistent application of the *Lex Talionis*. It ensures that even specific forms of assault are met with a proportionate response, thereby limiting the scope of vengeance and upholding the integrity of the legal system by preventing either insufficient or excessive punishment, maintaining a balance of justice.

#### Literary Devices
The primary literary device at play in Exodus 21:25 is **Repetition**, specifically a form of **Parallelism** known as **Anaphora**, where the same grammatical structure ("X for X") is repeated at the beginning of successive clauses. This repeated structure—"burning for burning," "wound for wound," "stripe for stripe"—creates a powerful rhetorical effect, emphasizing the principle of exact correspondence and proportionality. This makes the law clear, memorable, and seemingly absolute, underscoring the idea of a balanced scale of justice where the penalty precisely matches the offense. Furthermore, the verse employs a form of **Merism** by listing specific examples of physical harm ("burning," "wound," "stripe"). While not a complete merism (which would cover all possibilities by naming extremes), these specific terms collectively represent the broader category of all possible physical injuries, indicating that the principle of *Lex Talionis* applies comprehensively to any bodily harm. The concise, aphoristic nature of the verse also makes it a powerful and easily recalled legal maxim, designed for clarity and easy understanding within the community.

### THEOLOGICAL AND THEMATIC CONNECTIONS
Exodus 21:25, as part of the *Lex Talionis*, profoundly reveals God's character as a God of justice, order, and equity. This principle was not designed to promote vengeance but rather to limit it, ensuring that punishment was proportionate to the offense and preventing the escalation of blood feuds. It established a framework for fair legal proceedings, where restitution and compensation were prioritized, reflecting God's desire for a society grounded in righteousness and the protection of the vulnerable. The law underscores the sanctity of human life and bodily integrity, affirming that harm to one individual demands a just and measured response, administered through a divinely ordained system rather than private retribution. This reflects God's commitment to both victim and offender, ensuring fairness for all.
* [Exodus 21:24](/exodus/21-24 "Exodus 21:24 - Eye for Eye, Tooth for Tooth")
* [Leviticus 24:20](/leviticus/24-20 "Leviticus 24:20 - Law of Retribution in Cases of Injury")
* [Deuteronomy 19:21](/deuteronomy/19-21 "Deuteronomy 19:21 - The Principle of Just Retribution")

### REFLECTION AND APPLICATION
While the New Testament introduces a higher ethic of radical love, forgiveness, and turning the other cheek in personal relationships, the underlying principle of proportionate justice in Exodus 21:25 remains profoundly relevant for understanding God's character and the foundational requirements for a just society. This ancient law informs modern legal systems that strive for fair sentencing, appropriate compensation for victims, and the prevention of cruel or excessive punishment. It reminds us that justice is a divine attribute, and the pursuit of equity in our communities is a reflection of God's heart. For believers, it calls us to advocate for systems that uphold fairness, protect the vulnerable, and ensure accountability, even as we personally extend grace and reconciliation in our individual interactions. It's a reminder that while grace abounds, justice is a non-negotiable pillar of God's moral universe, ensuring that society functions with order and that the dignity of every person is upheld. We are called to embody both divine justice and divine mercy in our lives.

#### Questions for Reflection
* **How does the principle of proportionate justice in Exodus 21:25 inform our understanding of fairness and accountability in modern legal systems?**
* **In what ways does this Old Testament law lay a foundation for the New Testament call to forgiveness and grace, even as it differs in its application to personal relationships?**
* **How can we, as believers, balance the pursuit of justice and accountability in society with the command to extend mercy and forgiveness in our personal lives?**

### FAQ
**Is "an eye for an eye" (and by extension, "burning for burning") meant to be taken literally in the Mosaic Law?**

Answer: While the phrasing sounds literal and severe, in ancient Israelite legal practice and Jewish tradition, the principle of "an eye for an eye, tooth for tooth, burning for burning" was primarily interpreted as a guideline for monetary compensation rather than a command for literal physical mutilation. Its main purpose was to ensure that the punishment or compensation was proportionate to the injury, preventing either excessive vengeance or insufficient restitution. It limited private retribution and ensured that justice was administered through the courts, often through financial penalties that covered medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering. This understanding prevented escalating blood feuds and promoted a more orderly and compassionate legal system.

**How does this law differ from other ancient Near Eastern laws that also contained *Lex Talionis* principles?**

Answer: While the concept of *Lex Talionis* was common in the ancient Near East (e.g., the Code of Hammurabi), the Mosaic Law distinguished itself in several key ways. Firstly, the Mosaic Law applied the principle of justice equally to all members of society, regardless of social status, whereas some ANE codes prescribed harsher penalties for offenses against higher-ranking individuals. This reflects God's impartial justice. Secondly, as noted, the Mosaic Law's application of *Lex Talionis* was generally understood as requiring monetary compensation, thereby limiting literal physical retaliation and preventing escalating blood feuds. This reflects a more compassionate and orderly approach to justice, emphasizing restitution and the preservation of life, consistent with God's covenant with Israel. The focus was on limiting vengeance and establishing a just system under God's authority, rather than encouraging brutal retaliation.

### CHRIST-CENTERED FULFILLMENT
Exodus 21:25, with its emphasis on proportionate justice, finds its ultimate fulfillment and reinterpretation in Jesus Christ. While the Old Testament law established a necessary framework for societal order and limited human vengeance, Jesus elevated the principle in the New Covenant. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus directly addresses the *Lex Talionis*, stating, "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 the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also" ([Matthew 5:38-39](/matthew/5-38-39 "Matthew 5:38-39 - Jesus Teaches on Retaliation")). This teaching does not abolish the Old Testament's foundational truth about justice but recontextualizes it for personal ethics, moving from external legal compliance to an internal disposition of radical love, forgiveness, and non-retaliation, particularly for believers. However, Jesus did not come to destroy the Law but to fulfill it ([Matthew 5:17](/matthew/5-17 "Matthew 5:17 - Jesus Fulfills the Law")). The principle of divine justice, which demands a "wound for wound" for sin, is perfectly satisfied in Christ. He, the sinless Lamb of God, willingly bore the "stripes" ([Isaiah 53:5](/isaiah/53-5 "Isaiah 53:5 - By His Wounds We Are Healed")) and the ultimate "wound" of humanity's sin on the cross, taking upon Himself the just penalty that we deserved. Through His atoning sacrifice, the divine requirement for justice was met, allowing for the outpouring of God's mercy and grace upon all who believe ([Romans 3:25-26](/romans/3-25-26 "Romans 3:25-26 - Christ Our Propitiation")). Thus, Christ is the perfect embodiment of both justice and mercy, fulfilling the spirit of the law by demonstrating that true justice is not merely about equal retribution, but about the redemptive power of sacrificial love that reconciles humanity to God and provides a path to eternal life through His perfect sacrifice ([2 Corinthians 5:21](/2_corinthians/5-21 "2 Corinthians 5:21 - Christ Became Sin for Us")).

Note: Commentary is generated by AI with a directive for Biblical fidelity. Always rely on the Holy Spirit for discernment. The Scripture text and cross-references are from verified, non-AI sources.