Revenge: What does the Bible say and is it always wrong?

When we suffer at the hands of another person, our natural inclination may be to seek revenge. But causing more damage is probably not the answer or our best way to respond. There are countless revenge stories in the history of mankind and they also appear in the Bible. The definition of revenge is the action of inflicting injury or damage to someone through an injury or mistake suffered in their hands.

Revenge is a matter of the heart that we Christians can better understand by looking at God's Scripture for clarity and direction. When we have been harmed, we may wonder what the right course of action is and whether revenge is permitted according to the Bible.

Where is Revenge Cited in the Bible?

Revenge is mentioned in the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. God warned His people to avoid revenge and to let him avenge and to obtain perfect justice as he saw fit. When we want to retaliate, we should keep in mind that causing harm to another person will never undo the damage we have already suffered. When we have been victimized, it is tempting to believe that revenge will make us feel better, but it is not. When we consider the realm of Scripture, what we learn is that God knows the pain and hardships of injustice, and promises that he will make things right for those who have been mistreated.

“It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due course their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their fate rushes on them "(Deuteronomy 32:35).

“Don't say, 'So I will do to him as he did to me; I will return to man according to his work '”(Proverbs 24:29).

"Beloved, never avenge yourself, but leave him to the wrath of God, because it is written: 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord'" (Romans 12:19).

We have comfort in God that when we have been hurt or betrayed by another person, we can trust that instead of taking on the burden of seeking revenge, we can surrender to God and let him handle the situation. Instead of remaining victims full of anger or fear, unsure of what to do, we can trust that God knows the general picture of what has happened and will allow the best course of justice. Followers of Christ are encouraged to wait on the Lord and trust Him when they have been injured by another person.

What does it mean that "Vengeance belongs to the Lord?"
"Vengeance belongs to the Lord" means that it is not our place as humans to avenge and repay an offense with another offense. It is God's place to settle the situation and it is He who will bring justice in a painful circumstance.

“The Lord is a God who avenges. O God who avenges, shine. Get up, judge of the earth; repay the proud what they deserve "(Psalm 94: 1-2).

God is the righteous judge. God decides the avenged outcome of every injustice. God, omniscient and sovereign, is the only one who could lead to restoration and revenge only when someone has been wronged.

There is a consistent message in all the scriptures not to seek revenge, rather than to wait for the Lord to avenge the evil that has been suffered. He is the judge who is perfect and loving. God loves His children and will take care of them in every way. Therefore, believers are asked to submit to God when we have been injured because he has the task of avenging the injustices suffered by His children.

Does the "eye for an eye" verse contradict this?

"But if there are further injuries, then you will have to name a penalty for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise" (Exodus 21: 23 -25).

The passage in Exodus is part of the Mosaic Law that God established through Moses for the Israelites. This particular law concerned the judgment rendered when someone seriously injured another human being. The law was created to ensure that punishment was not too lenient, nor too extreme, for crime. When Jesus entered the world, this Mosaic law had been distorted and distorted by some Jews who tried to justify revenge.

During his earthly ministry, and in his famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus quoted the passage found in the book of Exodus on revenge and preached a radical message that his followers should abandon that type of vindictive pseudo-justice.

"You heard that it was said: an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." But I tell you, don't resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on the right cheek, turn the other cheek to them too "(Matthew 5: 38-39).

With these two steps side by side, a contradiction may appear. But when the context of both passages is taken into account, it becomes clear that Jesus came to the heart of the matter by instructing his followers not to seek revenge on those who harm them. Jesus fulfilled the Mosaic Law (see Romans 10: 4) and taught the redemptive ways of forgiveness and love. Jesus does not want Christians to get involved in repaying evil for evil. Therefore, he preached and lived the message of loving your enemies.

Is there ever a time when it is right to take revenge?

There is never a suitable time to seek revenge because God will always create justice for His people. We can trust that when we are harmed or injured by others, God will avenge the situation. He knows all the details and will avenge us if we trust him to do it instead of taking things into our own hands, which will make things worse. Jesus and the apostles who preached the gospel message after Jesus' resurrection, all taught and lived the same wisdom that instructed Christians to love their enemies and that the Lord's revenge was.

Even Jesus, while being nailed to the cross, forgave His authors (See Luke 23:34). Although Jesus might have taken revenge, he chose the way of forgiveness and love. We can follow Jesus' example when we have been mistreated.

Is it wrong for us to pray for revenge?

If you have read the Book of Psalms, you will notice in some chapters that there are reasons for revenge and suffering for the wicked.

“When he is judged, he is judged guilty and his prayer becomes sin. Let his days be few and another take his office "(Psalm 109: 7-8).

Most of us can refer to having similar thoughts and feelings found in the Psalms when we were wrong. We want to see our culprit suffer as we did. It seems as if the psalmists are praying for revenge. The Psalms show us the natural inclination to seek revenge, but continue to remind us of the truth of God and how to respond.

If you take a closer look, you will notice that the psalmists prayed for God's revenge. They asked God for justice because truly, their circumstances were out of their hands. The same is true of today's Christians. Instead of praying specifically for revenge, we can pray and ask God to bring about justice according to his good and perfect will. When a situation is out of our hands, praying and asking God to intervene can be our first response to navigating difficult circumstances, so as not to fall into the temptation to repay evil for evil.

5 things to do instead of seeking revenge
The Bible provides insightful teachings on what to do when someone is wronged by us instead of avenging us.

1. Love your neighbor

“Do not seek revenge or grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord ”(Leviticus 18:19).

When Christians have been wounded, the answer is not revenge, it is loving. Jesus echoes this same teaching in his sermon on the mountain (Matthew 5:44). When we want resentment towards those who betrayed us, Jesus invites us to let go of pain and instead to love our enemy. When you find yourself consumed by revenge, take steps to see who has hurt you through God's loving eyes and allow Jesus to empower you to love them.

2. Wait for God

"Don't say, 'I'll refund you for this mistake!' Wait for the Lord and he will avenge you "(Proverbs 20:22).

When we want to seek revenge, we want it now, we want it quickly and we want the other to suffer and hurt as much as we do. But the word of God tells us to wait. Instead of seeking revenge, we can wait. Wait for God to make things right. Wait for God to show us a fairer way to respond to someone who has hurt us. When you have been injured, wait and pray to the Lord for guidance and trust that he will avenge you.

3. Forgive them

"And when you are praying, if you hold something against someone, forgive them, so that your heavenly Father can forgive your sins" (Mark 11:25).

While it is common to remain angry and bitter towards those who have hurt us, Jesus taught us to forgive. When you have been injured, embarking on the journey of forgiveness will be part of the solution to letting go of pain and finding peace. There is no limit to the frequency with which we should forgive our authors. Forgiveness is incredibly significant because when we forgive others, God forgives us. When we forgive, revenge no longer seems important.

4. Pray for them

"Pray for those who mistreat you" (Luke 6:28).

This may sound difficult, but praying for your enemies is an incredible step of faith. If you want to be more righteous and live more like Jesus, praying for those who have hurt you is a powerful way to get away from revenge and get closer to forgiveness. Praying for those who have hurt you will help you heal, let go and move forward rather than being angry and resentful.

5. Be good to your enemies

“On the contrary: if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will accumulate hot coals on his head. Do not let yourselves be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good "(Romans 12: 20-21).

The solution to overcome evil is to do good. In the end, when we were mistreated, God teaches us to do good to our enemies. This may seem impossible, but with Jesus' help, everything is possible. God will authorize you to abide by these instructions to overcome evil with good. You will feel much better about yourself and the situation if you respond to someone's illicit actions with love and kindness rather than revenge.

The Bible provides us with wise guidance when it comes to being offended and suffering because of the malicious intentions of another human being. The word of God provides us with a list of right ways to respond to this wound. A consequence of this destroyed and fallen world is that humans harm each other and do horrible things to each other. God does not want His beloved children to be overwhelmed by evil, or by a vindictive heart, because of being hurt by someone else. The Bible is constantly clear that revenge is the duty of the Lord, not ours. We are human, but it is a God who is perfectly righteous in all things. We can trust God to make things right when we have been wrong. What we are responsible for is keeping hearts pure and holy by loving our enemies and praying for those who hurt us.