“Vengeance and payback are mine
for the time when their foot slips;
for the day of their calamity is coming soon,
their doom is rushing upon them.”
-Deuteronomy 32:35
In this post I wanna talk about why I believe the oft-quoted verse “Vengeance is mine sayeth the Lord” is a translation that misses the point…big time.
The Hebrew word that we derive the English word “vengeance” from is NAKAH.
However, this word carries a different sense than “revenge”.
I’ve said this many times before but minus understanding the culture of the ancient Middle East you haven’t got a hope in heaven of properly understanding the Scriptures and this point couldn’t be more applicable and true than it is to our discussion here.
See, in the ancient Middle East, taking revenge on someone was the normal way a family dealt with one of its members who had dishonored the all-important family name.
You’ve got to understand that “vengeance” or “revenge” is rooted not only in ancient tribalism, it’s based in paganism and is NOT approved by the God of Israel.
In the ancient Middle East, taking vengeance on someone normally occurred because of a blood feud.
In other words, one was strongly OBLIGATED to kill a family member who had caused them to lose face or they would continue to live in a state of dishonor.
Now why can I say with confidence that Hashem does NOT approve of revenge or vengeance?
Well, take a look at the story of Jacob’s sons Simeon and Levi who led a murderous rampage of revenge against the helpless city of Shechem after they tricked all the males of the population into circumcising themselves.
They led this raid because their family had been dishonored by the King of Shechem’s son who had raped their sister Dinah.
How did Jacob respond to his sons acts of revenge and vengeance?
In Genesis Chapter 34, this is what we’re told:
Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me obnoxious to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land. We are few in number, and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”-Genesis 34:30
But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Decades later while on his deathbed, instead of blessing Simeon and Levi (as he did with their brothers), he ended up cursing them.
This is what he said:
“Simeon and Levi are brothers—
their swords are weapons of violence.
Let me not enter their council,
let me not join their assembly,
for they have killed men in their anger
and hamstrung oxen as they pleased.
Cursed be their anger, so fierce,
and their fury, so cruel!
I will scatter them in Jacob
and disperse them in Israel.”
-Genesis 49:5-7
Folks, this demonstrates that Hashem does NOT approve of revenge.
Heck, ever wonder why the Lord established cities of refuge in the Promised Land in the first place?
He did it to provide a safe and God-ordained haven for folks who otherwise would have been the victims of revenge.
Unfortunately, revenge and vengeance rooted in blood feuds, tribes and various religious sects is something very much alive and well in the Middle East today.
In the Muslim world, every time we hear a story of someone killing their sister or brother or even mother or father for converting to another religion, it’s all about revenge for dishonoring the family.
In fact, many Muslims who flee from the Middle East to seek refuge in the United States are attempting to escape from the consequences of blood feuds that would surely have claimed their lives had they stayed in their home countries.
Okay so let me get back to the original topic at hand here, so what does the Hebrew word NAKAH really mean?
In its proper Biblical context, it means that Hashem exercises His authority for the protection of His People.
In other words, the Lord is taking DEFENSIVE actions for His People as opposed to taking offensive actions against an enemy.
Of course, it’s understood that sometimes defense does require offense but the nuance is different than how we typically understand it.
The reason the Lord will pour out his wrath (the storage of poison wine I referred to earlier) upon those who commit wickedness upon His people is so that…
…they STOP committing wickedness upon His people.
He is protecting His People and ensuring their continued existence.
Again, we’re talking about protection and self-defense from an aggressive party and NOT going out and taking vengeance on someone because they have been dishonorable.
So what’s the conclusion here?
“Vengeance is mine saith the Lord” does NOT mean what we normally think it means.
Hashem is NOT saying He is taking revenge here.
And let me say that again for the stubborn and thickheaded.
God is absolutely NOT saying He is taking revenge here.
Instead, He is exercising His divine authority to take whatever means necessary to protect Israel His Chosen People from those who are NOT His Chosen People…in other words the gentiles.
And I believe we are soon going to see this divine authority exercised much sooner than any of us would have expected.
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