The concept of being revengeful, or seeking vengeance, is addressed multiple times throughout the Bible, often with a cautionary tone. The Scriptures consistently emphasize that vengeance belongs to God alone and warn against harboring a spirit of revenge.

Old Testament Context

In the Old Testament, the principle of justice is often seen in the context of the law given to the Israelites. The famous lex talionis, or the law of retaliation, is found in passages such as Exodus 21:24, "eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot." This law was intended to limit retribution and ensure that punishment was proportionate to the offense. However, it was not a mandate for personal revenge but rather a guideline for judicial fairness.

Leviticus 19:18 explicitly instructs, "Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD." This command underscores the importance of love and forgiveness over personal vengeance.

New Testament Teachings

The New Testament further develops the theme of refraining from revenge. Jesus Christ, in His Sermon on the Mount, challenges the traditional understanding of retaliation. In Matthew 5:38-39, He states, "You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also." Here, Jesus calls His followers to a higher standard of non-retaliation and love.

The Apostle Paul echoes this teaching in Romans 12:19, where he writes, "Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: 'Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.'" Paul emphasizes that God is the ultimate judge and avenger, and believers are to trust in His justice rather than taking matters into their own hands.

Theological Implications

The Bible's stance against being revengeful is rooted in the character of God, who is just and merciful. By leaving vengeance to God, believers demonstrate trust in His sovereignty and justice. This trust is an act of faith, acknowledging that God sees all and will right all wrongs in His perfect timing.

Furthermore, the call to love one's enemies and to forgive those who wrong us is a reflection of the grace and forgiveness that God extends to humanity through Jesus Christ. As recipients of divine mercy, Christians are called to extend that same mercy to others, breaking the cycle of revenge and promoting peace.

Practical Application

In practical terms, the Bible encourages believers to respond to offenses with forgiveness and love. This does not mean ignoring justice or allowing wrongdoing to continue unchecked, but rather seeking resolution through godly means and trusting God to handle ultimate justice.

The teachings against revenge challenge believers to examine their hearts and motives, encouraging a spirit of humility and reliance on God. By choosing forgiveness over revenge, Christians bear witness to the transformative power of the Gospel and the peace that comes from living in accordance with God's will.(a.) Full of, or prone to, revenge; vindictive; malicious; revenging; wreaking revenge.5358. naqam -- to avenge, take vengeance
... to avenge, take vengeance NASB Word Usage avenge (9), avenged (5), avenger (2),
avenging (2), exact (1), execute (1), punished (1), revengeful (1), take (2 ...
/hebrew/5358.htm - 6k

The Seventh Season,
... The wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous than he." Now when we are thus
abused and wronged, it is hard to keep the heart from revengeful motions; to ...
//christianbookshelf.org/flavel/on keeping the heart/vii the seventh season.htm

Matt. xviii. 21
... Therefore God hath given us a way to repayment both ready and easy, and which is
able to cancel all these things, I mean, not to be revengeful. ...
/.../chrysostom/homilies on the gospel of saint matthew/homily lxi matt xviii 21.htm

Ephesians iv. 31, 32
... Hence He says, "eye for eye"; and yet again, "the ways of the revengeful lead to
death." [366] Now, if, where it was permitted to put out eye for eye, so great ...
/.../homily xvi ephesians iv 31.htm

The Days of the Week
... brave gods, very like themselves: but they themselves were not always what they
ought to be; they had fierce passions, were proud, revengeful, blood-thirsty ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/kingsley/the good news of god/sermon xxv the days of.htm

Wandering Thoughts
... Again: Sometimes they are taken up with angry, malicious, or revengeful thoughts;
at other times, with airy scenes of pleasure, whether of sense or imagination ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 41 wandering thoughts.htm

The Forgiving Spirit in Prayer
... blessing for far worse hearts than yours. How horrible, and how hell-like,
is a revengeful heart! While how beautiful, and how like ...
/.../whyte/lord teach us to pray/xxi the forgiving spirit in.htm

Six Cities
... How He loved to do His heavenly Father's will! How gentle, and good, and kind
He was to all! He never was angry, or passionate, or revengeful. ...
/.../macduff/the cities of refuge or the name of jesus/ii six cities.htm

The Christian's God
... pray. 4. God is revengeful or weak; in the first place men seek to keep
out of His way, in the second they do not care. When men ...
/.../sell/studies in the life of the christian/study ii the christians god.htm

The Beatific vision
... they have been taught that God feels feelings, and does deeds, which if a man felt,
or did, we should call him arbitrary, proud, revengeful, cruel: and yet ...
/.../kingsley/the good news of god/sermon i the beatific vision.htm

The Book of the Cross
... If the Almighty had been conceived of as a Despot or an Egotist, he would have been
expected to resort at once to revengeful violence in the presence of such ...
/.../mcconnell/understanding the scriptures/chapter vi the book of.htm

Revengeful (3 Occurrences)
... (a.) Full of, or prone to, revenge; vindictive; malicious; revenging; wreaking
revenge. Multi-Version Concordance Revengeful (3 Occurrences). ...
/r/revengeful.htm - 7k

Nabal (18 Occurrences)
... and wine, to meet David and to apologize for her husband's unkind words and
stinginess, and thus succeeded in thwarting the bloody and revengeful plans of ...
/n/nabal.htm - 16k

Jezebel (20 Occurrences)
... Jezebel has stamped her name on history as the representative of all that
is designing, crafty, malicious, revengeful, and cruel. ...
/j/jezebel.htm - 26k

Taunters (1 Occurrence)
... Taunters (1 Occurrence). Psalms 44:16 For the voice of him that taunteth and
blasphemeth; by reason of the enemy and the revengeful. (See RSV). ...
/t/taunters.htm - 6k

Revenge (13 Occurrences)
... (See NIV). Psalms 44:16 For the voice of him that taunteth and blasphemeth;
by reason of the enemy and the revengeful. (Root in JPS NIV). ...
/r/revenge.htm - 12k

Revengefully (2 Occurrences)

/r/revengefully.htm - 7k

Revilers (3 Occurrences)
... unholy, (See NAS). Psalms 44:16 For the voice of him that taunteth and blasphemeth;
by reason of the enemy and the revengeful. (See RSV). ...
/r/revilers.htm - 7k

Revenged (2 Occurrences)

/r/revenged.htm - 7k

Reviles (5 Occurrences)
... (See NIV). Psalms 44:16 For the voice of him that taunteth and blasphemeth;
by reason of the enemy and the revengeful. (See NAS). ...
/r/reviles.htm - 7k

Revenging (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Revenge. 2. (a.) Executing revenge;
revengeful. Multi-Version Concordance Revenging (1 Occurrence). ...
/r/revenging.htm - 6k

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