REVENGE

Rom 12:19  Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

Revenge may be defined as "a perversion of that innate sentiment of repugnance to wrong as wrong". I do not remember just where I picked up this definition but from the Biblical point of view it is certainly justified. Antagonism against wrong is a primary instinct to our moral nature. Revenge is this instinct when it has grown into a wild passion, and is directed against the person who committed the wrong, and not to the wrong itself.

In English, "avenge" and "revenge" are similar in meaning, and may often be used interchangeably. But there is also a subtle difference in that "avenge" is usually more closely related to the objective act of a just retribution against a wrongdoer, while "revenge" usually includes the subjective idea of retaliation by the one wronged.  Both words, when they have completed their work result in "vengeance" being visited upon the wrongdoer. 

I am among those who must confess that it is very difficult at times to submit to the Biblical declaration that "vengeance is mine, saith the Lord". This tendency to want vengeance against evildoers is not only true concerning personal matters within the family of God but it also comes to the fore when one considers the evident lack of justice in the world, both here in America and in foreign countries in every corner of the globe. 

Nevertheless, the Bible is crystal clear about the dangers of taking it upon oneself to dispense vengeance, even against those who most certainly appear to deserve it. The more justified that your reason to take vengeance appears to be in your own eyes, the more certain you should be that you may leave it either to the civil government under the authority and commission of God, or should that fail you, in the ultimate certainty of the final judgment when all accounts are eternally settle, again by the authority and commission of God.  It is at any rate, a very important matter even in our day, and one which warrants digging deeper.

Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, and let not thine heart be glad when he stumbleth:  Lest the LORD see it, and it displease him, and he turn away his wrath from him. Prov. 24:17,18.

The object of revenge in these verses is "thine enemy". The very fact that he is the enemy would seem to indicate that any evil that befalls him would from the viewpoint of justice be deserved punishment.  What is not always clear to us is that sin has made this one our enemy who by creation should be related to us as a brother. This terrible change has separated all of us from the Father, and so from one another. If man had no sin he would have no enemies. If he had no enemies there would be no revenge.  In heaven, we may be sure that no such passion will burn in us. And passion is the problem.  Injuries that are "revenged" by us are the result of passion. Injuries that are "avenged" by God or by legitimate Government are the result of justice. 

The avenger is identified as under the scrutiny of God: Lest the Lord see it.  Revenge is unmanly and it is also unchristian. Man's revenge in fact displeases God because it is opposed to the benevolence that is His nature, which benevolence was granted to you, when in fact you were the enemy of God! It is contrary to the Word of God. In addition any attempt to gain revenge may well turn God against the one seeking revenge. The thing we must remember is that when we listen to the Lord and act honorably, recognizing the image of God even in your enemies, we do not thereby somehow let them get away with anything because this enemy will ultimately come before the Lord and be given his due. All men everywhere are required by the mercy of God to recognize the coming judgment and it should strike a note of fear in every soul. Only see and understand that the “payoff” is not your responsibility. 

The gratification that we get from revenge is realized in the fall of our enemies.  It brings bliss to the revenging soul. But God says, "Let not thine heart be glad." As a rule in spiritual morality but contrary to what we would carnally think, it is the weaker man who has the strongest desire for revenge. Those who are of strong character and who also trust in God, take the attitude of David who when he was speaking about his enemies declares in Psalm 35:13,14, But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom. I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.  And Job, speaking of his adversaries said;  "For I should have denied the God that is above. If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him:  Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.  Job 31:27-29.

The most common word for “avenging” in the O.T. is NAQAM (Strong's #5358). It first appears in Gen 4:15 And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. And occurs again in verse 24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.  This word is used about 75 times in the O.T.

Personal or private revenge was forbidden to Israel. The Israelites were always taught to leave vengeance in God's hands because He would avenge the blood of His servants and would take their part against their enemies. The Lord's vengeance is regarded as retribution, but not as retaliation. It is not set forth as an evil passion, but rather as the righteous judgment and unerring vindication of His own people and of His own course of action to the hurt of those who would set themselves in opposition to Him. He metes it out with justice, but on such a day or at such a time as seems fitting to Him. This point is dramatically presented in Luke 4:18-21 when Jesus stands up in the synagogue at Nazareth to read from Isaiah. He begins at Isaiah 61:1 The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; But when He comes to Isaiah 61:2, he reads only the first portion  To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD and the Bible tells us that he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. He does not read the rest of verse two which says, and the day of vengeance of our God! because it is not time for that ultimate work of God to come to pass!

When the Jews translated the Hebrew O.T. Scriptures into Greek (Septuagint) they chose the word EKDIKEO (Strong's #1556) to represent the Hebrew NAQAM. This word  is found often in the N.T. and implies the visitation of due penalty on the criminal. This is true whether it is administered by the hand of the human judge as is the case in Luke 18:2-3 There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. Or by God as our Lord reveals in Luke 18: 6-8 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. 

There is no place given in the N.T. any more than there is in the O.T. for the avenging of personal injuries. On the contrary, the feeling of revenge is consistently condemned.  Where the magistrate is not called upon to vindicate the sufferer God will step in.

It should go without saying that we are speaking here of personal enemies. When the enemies of God Himself are spoken of as in the imprecatory psalms (see below), then we understand that we are dealing with a different set of circumstances. It is the prerogative of God to judge and it is not to be taken lightly or personalized. 

                                                                                                Hayden

Some additional relevant passages:

Lev. 19:18                  Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.

Deut 32:35                  To me belongeth vengeance, and recompense; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.

Deut 32:43                  Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people: for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful unto his land, and to his people.

Psalm 18:47,48           It is God that avengeth me, and subdueth the people under me.He delivereth me from mine enemies: yea, thou liftest me up above those that rise up against me: thou hast delivered me from the violent man.

Jer 11:20                    But, O LORD of hosts, that judgest righteously, that triest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I revealed my cause.

Acts 7:24                    And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:

Rom. 13:4                   For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.

I Pet. 2:13,14              Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.

Luke  21:22                For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.

 I Thess. 4:6              That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified.

II Thess 1:6-9             Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;

Rev. 6:10                    And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?

Rev. 19:2                    For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.

Note on Imprecatory Psalms from the Holman Bible Dictionary