What God Meant by “Vengeance Is Mine”

Let’s take a closer look at this phrase. It first shows up in Deuteronomy 32:35, and Paul later echoes it in Romans 12:19. 

In Deuteronomy, the people of Israel are on the brink of the Promised Land, but they’re also about to go through a lot: wars, betrayal, exile, etc. To all of this, God says, in essence: I see it all. I’ll deal with it. You don’t have to. It’s both a warning to the wicked and a lifeline to the wounded.

Fast forward to Romans, and Paul is writing to a mixed group of believers (Jews and Gentiles), trying to survive under Roman oppression. The temptation to retaliate is sky-high. But Paul urges them not to take justice into their own hands, not because justice doesn’t matter, but because God is already on it.

Here’s what this verse isn’t saying:

• That your pain doesn’t matter.
• That you should just “let it go” and move on.
• That injustice is okay.

Here’s what it is saying:

• Justice belongs to God because only He can see the full picture.
• He knows what was done, why it was done, what it cost you, and what it broke in you.
• And He promises: I will repay.

That “I will” is key. It’s guaranteed. And that’s why it matters. It just reminds us: we’re not the judge. He is.

That’s frustrating when you want an immediate resolution. But it’s also the only kind of justice that isn’t tainted by ego, anger, or guesswork.

Person relying on the wisdom of the Bible in the face of adversity (image generated with Midjourney)

The Cross: Where Justice and Mercy Collide

When Paul quotes “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord” in Romans 12:19, he’s building an argument that leads to the cross. And to understand how justice and mercy intersect there, we have to trace the logic of Romans itself.

In Romans 1–3, Paul lays it out bluntly: everyone is guilty before God. No one escapes the weight of sin. Then in Romans 5:8 NKJV, he makes a shocking turn: 

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

So justice isn’t ignored, it’s absorbed. The cross is where God repays evil, not by destroying the evildoer, but by stepping into the penalty Himself.

If you read Romans 12 in context, Paul’s ethics for believers flow directly from this idea. Because Christ took the blow, we are now free to live differently:

• “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.” (Rom. 12:14 NKJV)
• “Repay no one evil for evil.” (12:17 NKJV)
• “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (12:21 NKJV)

In other words: “Don’t take justice into your own hands, because justice has already been redefined by the cross.”

This same pattern shows up elsewhere:

• In 1 Peter 2:23 NKJV, Peter writes that when Jesus “Who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously.”
• Isaiah 53 NKJV paints the suffering servant not as a victim of injustice, but as someone carrying judgment on behalf of others—“The chastisement for our peace was upon Him.”

These texts aren’t just devotional, they’re instructional. They show how Jesus handled injustice in real time, and they explain why God can say, “Vengeance is mine”: because He’s the only one who’s ever borne it perfectly.

Jesus on Justice in the Sermon on the Mount

When Jesus says, “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person,” (Matthew 5:38–39 NKJV), it sounds, at first glance, like He's telling us to just let people walk all over us.

But that’s not what’s happening. To understand this passage, we need to look at what Jesus is responding to and what He’s redefining.

The “eye for an eye” principle (Exodus 21:24, Leviticus 24:20) was never about personal revenge. It was a legal guideline meant to limit retaliation in the ancient justice system. In other words, it said: Don’t escalate. If someone knocks out a tooth, you don’t get to burn down their house.

But by the time of Jesus, that principle had leaked into personal ethics. People were using “eye for an eye” to justify payback. Jesus pushes back, not by dismissing justice, but by removing it from the hands of the individual. 

What He offers instead is radical non-retaliation:

• Turn the other cheek (v.39): Not passive acceptance, but a public act of dignity and self-restraint.
• Go the extra mile (v.41): In Roman law, soldiers could force civilians to carry their gear for one mile. Jesus says, shock them with grace and go two.
• Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (v.44): Not because they deserve it, but because you belong to a different kind of kingdom.

This is a refusal to let evil set the rules. Jesus isn't saying, "Forget what they did." He’s saying, "Don’t let what they did make you forget who you are."

Later in the same Gospel, Jesus speaks out against hypocrisy, drives money changers out of the temple, and calls out injustice openly. So clearly, this isn’t about silence or avoidance. It’s about surrendering personal revenge so that we can still stand for truth without becoming consumed by bitterness.

Forgiveness in Jesus' teaching isn’t about erasing memory. It's about releasing control. You can remember the wrong. You can name the injustice. But you’re called to trust God with the outcome.

Why We Don’t Make Good Judges

Most people relish the idea of justice, but we’re terrible at delivering it. Not because we’re bad people, but because we’re people. We’re limited, we act out of pain. We assume motives. We react. 

When someone wrongs you, your version of justice might include a bit of humiliation for them. Maybe you want them to feel what you felt. That’s not justice. That’s revenge dressed up as closure.

The Bible warns us about this instinct, not because God wants us to be passive, but because He knows we’re not built to carry the weight of judgment. We get it wrong. A lot.

Even the most righteous person can’t see the whole story. We don’t know what led someone to act the way they did. We don’t know their wounds, their baggage, their blind spots. And even when we do, our emotions can still twist reality.

That’s why God says, “Leave it to me.” He sees the heart. He sees the patterns. He sees what you can’t, and, just as importantly, He sees you. He knows what it costs you to stay silent. He knows what was taken, what was broken, and what you’re still trying to rebuild.

And if you need proof that we don’t make good judges, just look at the Psalms. David, the man after God’s own heart, spends half his prayers asking for his enemies to be crushed. And God still called him beloved, but He didn’t always do what David asked. 

Person praying to God in difficult times (image generated with Midjourney)

Final Thoughts: The Real Power Is Letting Go

Throughout this article, we’ve seen that “Vengeance is mine” isn’t just a call to passive forgiveness or spiritual detachment. It’s a hard-won trust in a God who sees everything, judges justly, and (through the cross) has already dealt with sin in a way we never could.

And if you’re still carrying the weight of injustice, if you’re still asking “how long?”, that’s okay. The Bible never demands blind faith. It invites honest struggle, and it offers a better way through it.

If you want to keep exploring how Scripture speaks to your real-life questions about justice, forgiveness, and letting go, the Bible Chat App is a great place to keep that conversation going. 

Because maybe, just maybe, the peace you’re looking for isn’t on the other side of revenge, but on the other side of trust.

FAQs: What the Bible Says About Revenge

Where in the Bible does it say “Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord”?

This line comes from two places. The original is in Deuteronomy 32:35, where God says, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” Paul quotes it directly in Romans 12:19 to remind believers not to take justice into their own hands. In both cases, the point is the same: God sees, God knows, and God will act.

What does the Bible say about revenge?

Over and over, Scripture teaches that revenge is not our job. Proverbs 20:22 NKJV says, “Do not say, ‘I will recompense evil’; Wait for the Lord, and He will save you.” The Bible acknowledges how real the desire for revenge is, but consistently pushes us toward patience, trust, and restraint.

What does God say about revenge?

God doesn’t pretend injustice is okay. He promises justice, but He keeps it in His own hands. That’s what “Vengeance is mine” means. God doesn’t want us pretending everything’s fine. He wants us to hand Him what we can’t carry. And He promises to repay in His way, at the right time.

What does Romans 12:19 mean?

Romans 12:19 is part of a bigger section where Paul lays out how Christians should live in response to the gospel. When he says, “Do not take revenge… but leave room for God’s wrath,” he’s telling them not to turn into their own judge and jury. Instead, they’re to trust that God’s justice will come, even if it’s not immediate.

What are some other verses on revenge in the Bible?

There are quite a few. Here are some key ones:

• Proverbs 24:29 NKJV– “Do not say, ‘I will do to him just as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work..’”
• Leviticus 19:18 NKJV – “You shall not take vengeance, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
• 1 Peter 3:9 NKJV – “Not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing...”
• Matthew 5:39–44– Jesus’ call to turn the other cheek and love your enemies.

Will God take revenge for me?

God’s version of “revenge” is better called justice, and He promises to bring it. But the hard truth is that it may not look the way we imagined. Sometimes it’s discipline. Sometimes it’s grace that changes the other person’s heart. But justice always comes, because God is just by nature. The real question is: Are we willing to trust Him with the outcome?

References

• Wright, N.T. Paul and the Faithfulness of God. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2013.
• Stott, John. The Message of Romans: God’s Good News for the World. Leicester: InterVarsity Press, 1994.
• Brueggemann, Walter. The Prophetic Imagination. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2001..
• Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of Discipleship. New York: Macmillan, 1963.
• Carson, D.A. Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and His Confrontation with the World: A Study of Matthew 5–10. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1987.