The Pre-Sinai Correction: How the “Eye for an Eye” Principle Proves the Antiquity of God’s Law
When people think of God’s law, one phrase often comes to mind: Lex Talionis, or the principle of “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.” This law is typically seen as a revolutionary, if harsh, command delivered directly at Mount Sinai.
But here is the surprising detail: The principle of reciprocal justice—the idea that a punishment should match the crime—was not an invention of the Sinai covenant. It was a principle of justice already operating in the ancient world, but God’s codification of it at Sinai was a profound correction that proves the foundational equality inherent in His original, pre-Sinai moral law.
The Code of Hammurabi vs. The Code of Moses
The principle of talion existed in various forms centuries before Moses led Israel out of Egypt. The most famous example is the Code of Hammurabi (circa 1754 BC), a legal code from Mesopotamia. Hammurabi’s laws often decreed reciprocal penalties, stating, “If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out.”
However, Hammurabi’s law was built on a tiered social system:
- If a man put out the eye of a nobleman, the talion applied literally (eye for eye).
- But if he put out the eye of a commoner or a slave, the penalty was often reduced to a monetary fine.
This demonstrates that while the idea of reciprocal justice existed, its application was corrupted by human social structures, enshrining inequality and the inherent value difference between classes.
The Sinai Equalizer: A Return to Foundational Law
The stunning revelation of the Mosaic Law was that it universalized this principle. When the law was codified at Sinai, the principle of Lex Talionis was stripped of all social bias. It was established as a reciprocal standard for all people, regardless of status:
“Life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth…” (Exodus 21:23-24)
This act of equalizing the law demonstrated that the fundamental principle—that justice requires equal, proportional payment—was part of God’s original design for humanity, predating the formal covenant.
The fact that God codified a non-tiered system proves that His pre-Sinai law (the one written on the heart and reflected in creation) inherently recognized the equal value of every human life. The legal codes of the world had taken a divine principle and corrupted it with class distinction; God simply restored the principle of universal equality that existed from the days of Adam.