"The law of retribution, known in Latin as the lex talionis, was previously given in Exo_21:23-25 and Lev_24:17-22. This law was given to encourage appropriate punishment of a criminal in cases where there might be a tendency to be either too lenient or too strict. The law codes of the ancient Near East did provide for the maiming of a criminal (e.g., gouging out an eye, cutting off a lip, etc.). With one exception (Deu_25:11-12) Israelite law did not explicitly allow such mutilation. Apart from this one instance, therefore, only the first part of this law, life for life, was applied to indicate that punishment ought to fit the crime (punishment in kind). Thus a slave who lost his eye was freed (Exo_21:26). The lex talionis also served as a restraint in cases where the punisher might be inclined to be excessive in administering punishment. Jesus did not deny the validity of this principle for the courtroom, but He denied its usage in personal relationships (Mat_5:38-42). There should be no personal retaliation or revenge." -BKC
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Never teased this out before, but there is a difference between corporate justice and private justice. Jesus asks us NOT to demand private justice, to turn the other cheek, to go the extra mile.
Also intrigued that this seems to indicate that beyond "life for life" mutilation as punishment was discouraged. type thing never was applied except for the one bizarre case.
And as I thought "eye for eye" was pretty severe, it never occurred to me that such stipulations were also helpful in limiting MORE severe reactions and punishments.
Lots to think about in this piece of scripture and commentary...
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