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
Bible translations into Athabaskan languages Siemens, and perhaps others) was headed by Jaap Feenstra of Wycliffe Bible Translators. The complete New Testament in Dogrib (Nǫhtsı̨ Nı̨htł'è, Zezì wegǫ̀hlı̨ tł'axǫǫ̀) was dedicated on August 23, 2003 in Rae, Northwest Territories. The first portions of the Bible available in Gwich'in language (Athabaskan language family) of Canada was the Gospels and 1-3 John. This was translated by Archdeacon Robert McDonald of the Church Missionary Society in 1874. The whole New Testament, also McDonald's translation, was printed in 1884. In 1886, he proceeded with the Old Testament. A small edition of Genesis, Exodus and Leviticus was published in 1890