Text: Deuteronomy 19:18
OT Text Referred to: Exodus 21:24
Subject: measure-for-measure punishment
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Reference Type: Direct Quotation
Connection Method(s): Longitudinal Theme
Significance: Exodus 21:24 articulates the lex talionis—proportional punishment for bodily harm—and Deuteronomy 19:18 applies this principle to the judicial process for false witnesses. Both texts share the key preposition תַּחַת (tachat, "in place of/instead of"), establishing the substitutionary logic of Israelite justice: the punishment must correspond precisely to the intended or actual harm. Deuteronomy's application to false testimony extends the lex talionis from physical altercations to courtroom proceedings, recognizing that perjury inflicts harm as real as a physical blow and deserves proportional requital.