Matthew 5:38 known as the principle of "lex talionis", is an ancient statement of the principle of retributive punishment dating back to the Code of Hammurabi. This phrasing appears several times in the Old Testament at Exodus 21:24, Leviticus 24:20, and Deuteronomy 19:21. This was a moderate rule compared with the blood feuds described in Genesis 4:23-24. The New Testament scholar R. T. France notes that by Jesus' era such punishments were no longer in practice, rather they had been replaced with fines judged to be of equal value to the damage caused. Thus, according to France, Jesus is not here condemning
Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament an e-book for Amazon Kindle, and as a Bible software add-on for products including Accordance, Logos, QuickVerse and WORDsearch. Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament was edited by G. K. Beale and D. A. Carson, and published by Baker Books in 2007. It is a comprehensive Bible commentary on Old Testament references within the New Testament. The editors headed a team of scholars to identify, explain and comment on both the direct quotations within the text of the New Testament and its many other probable allusions