Requital, in biblical terms, refers to the act of returning or compensating for a deed, whether good or evil. It is a concept deeply rooted in the justice and righteousness of God, who is portrayed as the ultimate judge and dispenser of recompense. The principle of requital is evident throughout Scripture, emphasizing that actions have consequences and that God will ensure justice is served.

Old Testament Context

In the Old Testament, the concept of requital is often associated with God's covenantal promises and His justice. The Hebrew word often translated as "requital" or "recompense" is "gemul," which signifies a reward or punishment based on one's actions.

One of the clearest expressions of divine requital is found in Deuteronomy 32:35, where God declares, "Vengeance is Mine; I will repay." This passage underscores God's sovereign role in administering justice, assuring that He will address wrongdoing in His perfect timing. Similarly, in Psalm 62:12, it is written, "And loving devotion belongs to You, O Lord. For You will repay each man according to his deeds."

The principle of requital is also evident in the wisdom literature. Proverbs 24:12 states, "If you say, 'Behold, we did not know this,' does not He who weighs the heart consider it? Does not He who guards your soul know it? And will He not repay a man according to his deeds?" This verse highlights the inevitability of divine recompense and the futility of attempting to escape God's justice.

New Testament Context

In the New Testament, the concept of requital is further developed, particularly in the teachings of Jesus and the writings of the apostles. The Greek word "antapodosis" is often used to convey the idea of recompense or repayment.

Jesus Himself speaks of requital in the context of judgment and reward. In Matthew 16:27, He states, "For the Son of Man will come in His Father’s glory with His angels, and then He will repay each one according to what he has done." This passage affirms the certainty of divine judgment and the assurance that Christ will execute justice.

The apostle Paul also addresses the theme of requital in his epistles. In Romans 2:6, Paul writes, "God 'will repay each one according to his deeds.'" This echoes the Old Testament teaching and reinforces the idea that God's justice is impartial and based on one's actions. Furthermore, in 2 Thessalonians 1:6, Paul assures believers that "God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you."

Theological Implications

The doctrine of requital is integral to understanding God's character as just and righteous. It assures believers that God is aware of all actions and will ultimately bring about justice. This concept serves as both a warning and a comfort: a warning to those who persist in sin and a comfort to those who suffer unjustly, knowing that God will vindicate them.

Requital also underscores the importance of living a life that reflects God's righteousness. Believers are called to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8), knowing that their deeds will be evaluated by the Lord. The assurance of divine requital encourages Christians to persevere in faith and good works, trusting in God's perfect justice and timing.(n.) Return, good or bad, for anything done; in a good sense, compensation; recompense; in a bad sense, retaliation, or punishment; as, the requital of evil deeds.468. antapodoma -- requital
... requital. Part of Speech: Noun, Neuter Transliteration: antapodoma Phonetic Spelling:
(an-tap-od'-om-ah) Short Definition: a gift in return, a return, a ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/468.htm - 6k

287. amoibe -- requital, recompense.
... 286, 287. amoibe. 288 . requital, recompense. ... Word Origin from ameibomai
(to repay) Definition requital, recompense. requite, recompense. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/287.htm - 6k

473. anti -- over against, opposite, hence instead of, in comp. ...
... denotes contrast, requital, substitution, correspondence. Part of Speech: Preposition
Transliteration: anti Phonetic Spelling: (an-tee') Short Definition ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/473.htm - 7k

489. antimisthia -- a reward
... recompense, reward. From a compound of anti and misthos; requital,
correspondence -- recompense. see GREEK anti. see GREEK misthos. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/489.htm - 6k

3405. misthapodosia -- payment of wages
... recompense of reward. From misthapodotes; requital (good or bad) -- recompence of
reward. see GREEK misthapodotes. (misthapodosian) -- 3 Occurrences. ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/3405.htm - 7k

469. antapodosis -- recompense
... reward. From antapodidomi; requital (properly, the act) -- reward. see GREEK
antapodidomi. (antapodosin) -- 1 Occurrence. 468, 469. antapodosis. 470 . ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/469.htm - 6k

7966. shillum -- requital
... 7965, 7966. shillum or shillum. 7967 . requital. Transliteration: shillum or
shillum Phonetic Spelling: (shil-loom') Short Definition: bribe. ...
/hebrew/7966.htm - 6k

8011. shillumah -- requital, retribution
... 8010, 8011. shillumah. 8012 . requital, retribution. Transliteration: shillumah
Phonetic Spelling: (shil-loo-maw') Short Definition: recompense. ...
/hebrew/8011.htm - 6k

1576. gemul -- a dealing, recompense, benefit
... From gamal; treatment, ie An act (of good or ill); by implication, service or requital
-- + as hast served, benefit, desert, deserving, that which he hath given ...
/hebrew/1576.htm - 6k

8005. shillem -- recompense
... Word Origin from shalem Definition recompense NASB Word Usage retribution (1).
recompense. From shalam; requital -- recompense. see HEBREW shalam. 8004, 8005 ...
/hebrew/8005.htm - 6k

8002. shelem -- a sacrifice for alliance or friendship, peace ...
... peace offering. From shalam; properly, requital, ie A (voluntary) sacrifice in thanks --
peace offering. see HEBREW shalam. 8001, 8002. shelem. 8003 . ...
/hebrew/8002.htm - 6k

Passion Week Our Requital.
... Passion Week Our Requital. IV. Our Requital. 7,7,7,7. Der am Kreuz ist meine
Liebe. [82]Greding. Born 1676. Him on yonder cross I love,. ...
/.../lyra germanica second series the christian life/passion week our requital.htm

Requiting God
... His mercies? But now let us look for a moment at the elements which make
up this requital of God in which He delights. And, first ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture j/requiting god.htm

The Marcionites Charged God with Having Instigated the Hebrews to ...
... has the question been settled by the advocates on both sides, [2951] of the Egyptians
demanding their vessels, and the Hebrews claiming the requital of their ...
/.../the five books against marcion/chapter xx the marcionites charged god.htm

Letter Lxi. To Athanasius, Bishop of Alexandria.
... This man must surely look for the scourges of the righteous Judge, repaid him in
exact requital for those which he himself has previously inflicted on the ...
/.../basil/basil letters and select works/letter lxi to athanasius bishop.htm

Chapter xx.
... Nor are we thus precluded from inflicting such punishment [requital] [187] as avails
for correction, and as compassion itself dictates; nor does it stand in ...
//christianbookshelf.org/augustine/our lords sermon on the mount/chapter xx.htm

The World's Hatred, as Christ Saw It
... And then His words become sadder and pierce deeper, and with a tone of wounded love
and disappointed effort and almost surprise at the world's requital to Him ...
/.../the worlds hatred as christ.htm

Acts xxviii. 1
... care of them. So that he was worthy to receive kindness: wherefore Paul
as a requital for his receiving them, "healed him. So when ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on acts and romans/homily liv acts xxviii 1.htm

And Bring us not into Temptation but Deliver us from Evil
... Such men are reasonably delivered to passion of dishonor by the God whom they have
forsaken, being forsaken by Him in return, receiving the requital of error ...
//christianbookshelf.org/origen/origen on prayer/chapter xix and bring us.htm

Now Saul Upon God's not Answering Him Concerning the Fight with ...
... greatly averse to, and offered him the only creature she had, as a poor woman, and
that earnestly, and with great humanity, while she had no requital made her ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 14 now saul upon.htm

But If, for the Contest's Sake, God had Appointed Martyrdoms for ...
... But consider the requital, when flesh and life are paid away"than which in man there
is nought more precious, the one from the hand of God, the other from ...
/.../tertullian/scorpiace antidote for the scorpions sting/chapter vi but if for.htm

Requital (9 Occurrences)
... (n.) Return, good or bad, for anything done; in a good sense, compensation; recompense;
in a bad sense, retaliation, or punishment; as, the requital of evil ...
/r/requital.htm - 9k

Return (499 Occurrences)
... 7. (vt) To repay; as, to return borrowed money. 8. (vt) To give in requital or
recompense; to requite. ... 21. (n.) A payment; a remittance; a requital. 22. ...
/r/return.htm - 38k

Forgive (81 Occurrences)
... 2. (vt) To give up resentment or claim to requital on account of (an offense or
wrong); to remit the penalty of; to pardon; -- said in reference to the act ...
/f/forgive.htm - 33k

Recompense (79 Occurrences)
... 3. (vt) To give in return; to pay back; to pay, as something earned or deserved.
4. (vi) To give recompense; to make amends or requital. ...
/r/recompense.htm - 30k

Requite (42 Occurrences)

/r/requite.htm - 18k

Justice (212 Occurrences)
... 3. (n.) The rendering to every one his due or right; just treatment; requital of
desert; merited reward or punishment; that which is due to one's conduct or ...
/j/justice.htm - 46k

Indebted (4 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (imp. & pp) of Indebt. 2. (a.) Brought into debt;
being under obligation; held to payment or requital; beholden. ...
/i/indebted.htm - 8k

Inmost (49 Occurrences)
... surely die; and all the Churches shall come to know that I am He who searches into
men's inmost thoughts; and to each of you I will give a requital which shall ...
/i/inmost.htm - 20k

Forfeit (12 Occurrences)
... 2. (n.) A thing forfeit or forfeited; what is or may be taken from one in requital
of a misdeed committed; that which is lost, or the right to which is ...
/f/forfeit.htm - 13k

Receiving (72 Occurrences)
... (See NAS). Luke 23:41 And we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving due
requital for what we have done. But He has done nothing amiss." (WEY NAS RSV) ...
/r/receiving.htm - 28k

Requital: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus