An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth
Other phrases about:
What's the meaning of the phrase 'An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth'?
The notion that for every wrong done there should be a compensating measure of justice.
What's the origin of the phrase 'An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth'?
From the Code of Hammurabi. Hammurabi was King of Babylon, 1792-1750BC. The code survives today in the Akkadian language. Used in the Bible, Matthew 5:38 (King James Version):
Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth.