Deuteronomy 19:21

21 but thou shalt ask life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Deuteronomy 19:21 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 19:21

And thine eye shall not pity
The false witness when convicted; this is directed to the judges, who should not spare such an one through favour or affection, but pronounce a righteous sentence on him, and see it executed, in proportion to the crime, and that according to the law of retaliation:

but life shall go for life;
in such a case where the life of a person must have gone, if the falsehood of the testimony had not been discovered, the false witness must suffer death; in other cases, where a member would have been lost, or the price of it paid for, the same penalty was to be inflicted:

eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot;
that is, the price of an eye an eye see ( Exodus 21:23 Exodus 21:24 ) ( Leviticus 24:19 Leviticus 24:20 ) .

Deuteronomy 19:21 In-Context

19 they shall yield to him, as he thought to have done to his brother; and (so) thou shalt do away evil from the midst of thee,

20 that other men hear, and have dread, and be no more hardy to do such things (so that other people can hear, and have fear, and no more be so fool-hardy to do such things). Thou shalt not have mercy on him,

21 but thou shalt ask life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.