Rom 12:19: "Vengeance is Mine" (Deut 32:35) and "Do not seek revenge" (Lev 19:18) in the MT and LXX
Says Rom 12:19 has γέγραπται γάρ· Ἐμοὶ ἐκδίκησις, ἐγὼ ἀνταποδώσω, λέγει κύριος. Deut 32:35 opens לִי נָקָם וְשִׁלֵּם (li naqam veshillem, "Mine are vengeance and recompense," literal; BDB pp. 668, 1024); Swete has ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἐκδικήσεως ἀνταποδώσω.
Compared in full (with Heb 10:30): note.cross-reference.Deut.32.35.rom-12-19-form; note.cross-reference.Deut.32.35-Deut.32.36.heb-10-30-form; note.language.Deut.32.35-Deut.32.36.lxx-hemera-ekdikeseos; var.Deut.32.35.mine-vengeance.
Says λέγει κύριος is in neither text of 32:35, but there the Lord speaks in the first person: עִמָּדִי ('immadi, "with me," 32:34) and לִי ("mine").
Implies The formula names the speaker the Hebrew already has. Paul's quotations at Rom 14:11 and 1 Cor 14:21 also carry λέγει κύριος.
Says Lev 19:18 has the verb of the same root as נָקָם: לֹא־תִקֹּם (lo-tiqqom, "Do not seek revenge," BSB; BDB p. 667). Swete has καὶ οὐκ ἐκδικᾶταί σου ἡ χείρ ("your hand shall not avenge"), with the ἐκδικ- stem of Paul's μὴ ἑαυτοὺς ἐκδικοῦντες.
Uncertain Whether Lev 19:18 stands behind 12:19a. Paul quotes its love command at 13:9 (Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν), but nothing marks an allusion here.
On "the wrath," see the Greek note.
Claims
- SaysRom 12:19 has γέγραπται γάρ· Ἐμοὶ ἐκδίκησις, ἐγὼ ἀνταποδώσω, λέγει κύριος; MT Deut 32:35 לִי נָקָם וְשִׁלֵּם; Swete ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἐκδικήσεως ἀνταποδώσω.
- Saysλέγει κύριος is in neither text of Deut 32:35; there the Lord speaks in the first person (עִמָּדִי, לִי).
- ImpliesThe formula names the speaker the Hebrew already has; Rom 14:11 and 1 Cor 14:21 also carry λέγει κύριος.
- SaysLev 19:18 MT לֹא־תִקֹּם uses the root of נָקָם; Swete καὶ οὐκ ἐκδικᾶταί σου ἡ χείρ has the ἐκδικ- stem of Paul's μὴ ἑαυτοὺς ἐκδικοῦντες.
- UncertainWhether Lev 19:18 stands behind Rom 12:19a; Paul quotes its love command at 13:9 (Ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου ὡς σεαυτόν), but no allusion is marked.
Citations
- OSHB CC BY 4.0 Deut 32:34–35 (עִמָּדִי morph HR/Sp1cs; וְשִׁלֵּם morph HC/Ncmsa); Lev 19:18 (תִקֹּם morph HVqi2ms)
- BDB CC BY 4.0 נָקָם (H5359), p. 668, entry n.ff.ab; שִׁלֵּם (H8005), p. 1024, entry v.ds.ag; נָקַם (H5358), p. 667, entry n.ff.aa
- LXX (Swete) CC BY-SA 4.0 Deut 32:35 (vol. 1 p. 413; apparatus: "οταν] pr εν καιρω AF", nothing at the quoted words); Lev 19:18 (p. 229; apparatus: nothing at the quoted words). LXX read on the Swete page image, vol. 1 (1909), pp. 229, 413.
- SBLGNT CC BY 4.0 Rom 12:19; 13:9; 14:11; 1 Cor 14:21
- BSB public domain Lev 19:18
Quotations from LXX (Swete) are used under CC BY-SA 4.0 · Credits
2026-11-05
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