An Eye for an Eye

Mrs. Heathcliff tells Ellen Dean, in chapter 17, “On only one condition can I hope to forgive him [her husband]. It is, if I may take an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth; for every wrench of agony return a wrench: reduce him to my level.” The law of Moses demanded, for various offenses, punishment that matched the crime, with EXODUS 21:23-25 requiring that, “you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” The same system can be found described in LEVITICUS 24:17-22 and DEUTERONOMY 19:21. MATTHEW 5:38-42 records Jesus’ words as He refers to this part of the Mosaic law.