Anyone Know the Old Testament Well?

[NakaNaka]

I'm looking for stories from the Hebrew Bible about revenge. Whether it is good or bad. I know the Old Testament as a whole says those who forgo retaliation will have their sins forgiven, but I'm having trouble finding specific stories saying this. Google is being of no help because so many of the sites that turn up are crazy religious sites. Infidels.org - lovely huh.

Yes, this is for a class. I have a couple good journal articles but still need to find actual Hebrew Bible stories.

Thanks
-Phil

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Look into the story of Achen.

Also, what you need is a concordance....not google.

 

[AreaCode707]

Revenge by God upon men or revenge of men upon men?

 

[NakaNaka]

Originally posted by: HotChic
Revenge by God upon men or revenge of men upon men?

Man against man is my focus but God against Man would show a nice contrast as well.

 

[AreaCode707]

Bible word search on revenge (New International Version)

biblegateway.com has lots of versions and is a good quick search.

You may need to define revenge. For example, the story of Sodom and Gomorrah (sp?) could be considered God's "revenge" on the two towns, but because he's "revenging" their sins and gave them ample warning and a good out, it could as easily be considered just punishment.

 

[AreaCode707]

Originally posted by: NakaNaka

Originally posted by: HotChic
Revenge by God upon men or revenge of men upon men?

Man against man is my focus but God against Man would show a nice contrast as well.

There's definitely some revenge elements to the Samson story. (Judges 13 on)
Kings 1 & 2 is mostly about the various Israelite factions warring and taking revenge on each other

Oh! The Esther/Haman/Mordecai story has a very clear cut picture of revenge (book of Esther)

How many do you need?

[edit] Shoot, I just noticed this is for a class. Are you writing a paper or something? I have a strict don't-help-people-cheat rule on AT. If you're writing a paper I guess it's just help, but I'm not giving you any answers, am I?

 

[Atomicus]

Do not confused revenge with vengeance.

God does not take revenge.

 

[tami]

Originally posted by: NakaNaka
I'm looking for stories from the Hebrew Bible about revenge. Whether it is good or bad. I know the Old Testament as a whole says those who forgo retaliation will have their sins forgiven, but I'm having trouble finding specific stories saying this. Google is being of no help because so many of the sites that turn up are crazy religious sites. Infidels.org - lovely huh.

Yes, this is for a class. I have a couple good journal articles but still need to find actual Hebrew Bible stories.

Thanks
-Phil

i can't think of many stories, but the hebrew term -- the "law," if you will -- is "lo tikom v'lo titor" which means "do not take revenge and do not bear a grudge."

i think you'd probably want to look at stories where people specifically got punished for taking revenge rather than finding stories of people who didn't get punished since they didn't take revenge.

 

[HN]

Originally posted by: Atomicus
Do not confused revenge with vengeance.

God does not take revenge.

There's no confusion:

From dictionary.com

vengeance

n : the act of taking revenge (harming someone in retaliation for something harmful that they have done) especially in the next life; "Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord"--Romans 12:19; "For vengeance I would do nothing. This nation is too great to look for mere revenge"--James Garfield; "he swore vengeance on the man who betrayed him"; "the swiftness of divine retribution"

OP - search for "revenge" or "vengeance" at the Skeptic's Annotated Bible http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/ for some more ideas.

 

[NakaNaka]

Originally posted by: HotChic

Originally posted by: NakaNaka

Originally posted by: HotChic
Revenge by God upon men or revenge of men upon men?

Man against man is my focus but God against Man would show a nice contrast as well.

There's definitely some revenge elements to the Samson story. (Judges 13 on)
Kings 1 & 2 is mostly about the various Israelite factions warring and taking revenge on each other

Oh! The Esther/Haman/Mordecai story has a very clear cut picture of revenge (book of Esther)

How many do you need?

[edit] Shoot, I just noticed this is for a class. Are you writing a paper or something? I have a strict don't-help-people-cheat rule on AT. If you're writing a paper I guess it's just help, but I'm not giving you any answers, am I?

No it isn't, thanks for your help. I am writing a paper talking about revenge in two stories we read and I want some background info on Jewish teachings of revenge. Outside research is encouraged, I am just having trouble finding stuff on Google.

 

[Davegod75]

Originally posted by: HotChic
Bible word search on revenge (New International Version)

biblegateway.com has lots of versions and is a good quick search.

You may need to define revenge. For example, the story of Sodom and Gomorrah (sp?) could be considered God's "revenge" on the two towns, but because he's "revenging" their sins and gave them ample warning and a good out, it could as easily be considered just punishment.

great site...biblegateway.com that is

 

[KLin]

Look into the story about Amnon, Tamar and Absalom.


EDIT: 2nd Samuel, chapter 13.

 

[Gravity]

There was a boy that was asked to work for 7 years for a man to gain his daughter in marriage.

On the wedding night, the father gave him the younger sister (leah) instead of Racheal, the chosen one.

The man agreed to work 7 more years for Rachael instead of taking revenge.

I guess that's forgiveness when revenge would have been expected.

Also, Elijah on Mt. Horab when he challenged the prophets of baal and had them all put to death when God answered the challenge by fire. Great rambo-like story.

 

[tami]

Originally posted by: Gravity
There was a boy that was asked to work for 7 years for a man to gain his daughter in marriage.

On the wedding night, the father gave him the younger sister (leah) instead of Racheal, the chosen one.

The man agreed to work 7 more years for Rachael instead of taking revenge.

I guess that's forgiveness when revenge would have been expected.

Also, Elijah on Mt. Horab when he challenged the prophets of baal and had them all put to death when God answered the challenge by fire. Great rambo-like story.

i've learned about the story of Jacob and Rachel and Leah many times in school, but i never saw it as an issue of revenge. it was more of a story of love, that he wanted to be with her and was willing to do anything -- even if it meant to work for another 7 years -- to take her hand in marriage.

 

[NakaNaka]

Anyone else before I do my outline? Thanks.

 

[AreaCode707]

Saul and David? Saul was king, the prophet Samuel annointed David as the next king, Saul was jealous and tried to get revenge on David by killing him (it's an interesting story because he cycles through having David as a close personal member of the court and then trying to hunt him down.)

 

[thecoolnessrune]

www.crosswalk.com has a good concordance.

 

[uhohs]

Originally posted by: Gravity
There was a boy that was asked to work for 7 years for a man to gain his daughter in marriage.

On the wedding night, the father gave him the younger sister (leah) instead of Racheal, the chosen one.

The man agreed to work 7 more years for Rachael instead of taking revenge.

I guess that's forgiveness when revenge would have been expected.

Also, Elijah on Mt. Horab when he challenged the prophets of baal and had them all put to death when God answered the challenge by fire. Great rambo-like story.

elijah and his fiery chariot kicks ass too. :thumbsup: