an eye for an eye

The now commonly-used English idiom “eye for an eye” (meaning revenge or retribution) was first coined in 1526 in the English New Testament translation of William Tyndale. (Source: Crystal 2010, p. 285)

Likewise in Mandarin Chinese, the phrasing that was coined to translate “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth” — yǐyǎn huányǎn, yǐyá huányá (以眼还眼，以牙还牙 / 以眼還眼，以牙還牙) — has also become a Chinese proverb (see here ).

Other languages that have idioms based on the Hebrew that is translated “an eye for an eye” in English include:

In Alekano it is translated as “if someone gouges out your eye, gouge out his eye,” since in that language body parts need to have an obligatory possessive designator attached. (Source: Larson 1998, p. 42)

complete verse (Deuteronomy 19:21)

Following are a number of back-translations as well as a sample translation for translators of Deuteronomy 19:21:

  • Kupsabiny: “Do not show pity to such people. A life must be paid for a life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand and a leg is to be paid for a leg.’” (Source: Kupsabiny Back Translation)
  • Newari: “Have no compassion on such a person. You must take life in place of life, eye in place of eye, tooth in place of tooth, hand in place of hand, and foot in place of foot.” (Source: Newari Back Translation)
  • Hiligaynon: “You (plur.) must not show your (plur.) mercy. If a man killed his fellowman, he should also be-put-to-death. If he blinded him, he should also be-blinded. If he knocked-out-the-tooth of him, he should be-knocked-out-of- his -tooth also. If he broke his hand or foot, his hand or foot should- also -be-broken.” (Source: Hiligaynon Back Translation)
  • English: “You must not pity people who are punished like that. The rule should be that a person who has murdered someone else must be executed; one of a person’s eyes must be gouged out if he has gouged out someone else’s eye, one tooth of a person who has knocked out the tooth of another person must be knocked out; one hand of a person who has cut off the hand of another person must likewise be cut off; one foot of a person who has cut off the foot of another person must also be cut off.’” (Source: Translation for Translators)

Translation commentary on Deuteronomy 19:21

Your eye shall not pity: see verse 13, and 13.8.

Life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot: this should be expressed as concisely as possible, but the meaning should be quite clear. It should be stated generally and impersonally, in the manner of laws; for example, “One life shall be taken to pay for another life, one eye for another eye…,” and so forth. This legislation appears also in Exo 21.23-25; Lev 24.19-20.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on Deuteronomy. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2000. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .