VENGEANCE (נָקָם, H5934, and cognates; ἐκδικήσις and cognates, ὀργή, G3973). Punishment inflicted on account of injury or offense. Different aspects of this may be discerned through context or parallelism.

1. Wrath as the motivating force in vengeance is prominent in some cases (Prov 6:34; Isa 59:17; 63:4; Nah 1:2; Ecclus 5:7; 12:6; Rom 3:5). Human wrath may take the form of malice (Lev 19:18; 1 Sam 25:26; Lam 3:60; Ezek 25:12, 15).

2. The idea of punishment for sin or injury appears often (Lev 26:25; Ps 99:8; Luke 21:22). This gradually shades over into the concept of recompense or retaliation (Gen 4:15; Isa 34:8; Jer 50:15; Ecclus 35:18).

3. The justice of God or the faithfulness of His servants is vindicated by the punishment of enemies (Judg 11:36; Ps 94:1; 2 Thess 1:8). Sometimes an individual appeals to God for divine vengeance (Ps 58:10; Jer 11:20; 15:15; 20:12).

In the majority of cases God Himself is the author of vengeance either directly (Deut 32:35; Ps 94:1f.; Isa 59:17f.; Jer 46:10; Judg 8:27; 16:17; Rom 12:19; Heb 10:30); through His commands to His people (Num 31:3; Josh 22:23; Jer 50:15; Judg 9:2); or through other means (Wisd Sol 11:15; Ecclus 39:28). Of the half dozen passages where vengeance arises from man, one (Prov 6:34) is an observation of a natural tendency, one (1 Sam 25:26) is a case where David was restrained from taking vengeance, one (Lev 19:18) is a command not to do so (cf. Ecclus 28:1), and three (Lam 3:60; Ezek 25:12, 15) are examples of vengeance against Judah on the part of her enemies (cf. Judg 6:5; 1 Macc 7:9). Therefore the teaching of Romans 12:19 (cf. Deut 32:35; Heb 10:30), “Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God…” is amply supported throughout Scripture. There are perhaps a few cases where the author of vengeance is not clear (Gen 4:15; Wisd Sol 1:8; Ecclus 7:17). Judas Maccabeus took vengeance on those of his own nation who had deserted or rebelled against him (1 Macc 7:24).

The lex talionis (Exod 21:23-25; Lev 24:19, 20; Deut 19:21) was not for the individual to take into his own hands, but was a part of judicial procedure, and under divine sanction.

In Acts 28:4 and Jude 7 the Gr. is δίκη, G1472. Cremer (183) comments that this is “based upon the idea that right in human society asserts itself essentially as judgment and vengeance.” On Acts 28:4 Robertson (III, 479) says, “The natives speak of Dike as a goddess, but we know nothing of such actual worship in Malta, though the Greeks worshipped abstractions as in Athens.”

On blood vengeance, see [http://biblegateway/wiki/Avenger of Blood AVENGE].

Bibliography TWNT; TDNT; RTWB, s.v. “Reward”; Crem.; A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the NT, III (1947), 479; X. Leon-Dufour, ed., Vocabulaire de Théologie Biblique (1964), s.v., “Vengeance.”