In the Old Testament, we know the names of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, or Noah, Moses, and David. Yet, few sermons are preached about a Babylonian king who would set a course for international law that would last millennia.
King Hammurabi (1810-1750 BC) wrote what became the rubric of justice: "An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." The biblical phrase "An eye for an eye" emphasizes proportionality in punishment, evolving from Hammurabi's code to Mosaic Law, which reflects God's balance of justice with love and grace under a new covenant through Christ.
Just past 1792 BC, this unsung Amorite king conquered Mesopotamia and established Babylon as the center of the known world. As this small city-state became a grand territory of commerce and navigation, there was a dire need for law and order, consistency and humanity.
Although he was king, Hammurabi was an egalitarian of sorts because he knew everyone should abide by the same set of rules. No one was beyond the law's reach because everyone could break it. And so, he got to work in 1771 BC.
This Babylonian legal writ would do much more than establish his dynasty. No one knew it then, but it made sense and explained how punishment should be implemented. While he only reigned for 43 years as Babylon's king (1792-1750 BC), Hammurabi's keen insight is still alive today.
It would be 150 years later when the Hittites sacked Mesopotamia, but they kept Hammurabi's code of governance. Another 150 years later, around 1440 BC, a nomadic leader with a speech impediment named Moses would glean from its structure and write a codified law we know as the Book of Exodus in the Bible.
What did King Hammurabi mean by "an eye for an eye" to become, and why would Moses be inspired to use it for the Mosaic Law?
The Hacking of the Code
There are stark differences between the Mosaic Law and the Hammurabian Code. The Law was dedicated to God and our necessity to serve Him, whereas the Code was a stern layout of standards to serve Mesopotamia and its king. One was vertical, and the other was horizontal. The former was laid at the feet of the Almighty to bless and sanctify; the latter was given to Shamash, the Babylonian god of equity and justice and the ruler of other gods and men.
When Egyptologist Gustav Jequier discovered the seven-foot-tall basalt stone slab in AD 1901 in Khuzestan, Iran (called a "stele"), he knew it was something special. Once deciphered from the ancient cuneiform script, translators found the Hammurabian Code in 12 sections spanning 282 laws. It is one of the best-preserved and most comprehensive collections of thought ever found in modern history.
These laws can be aligned with Mosaic Law as they both cover laws of administration, crime, civics, economics, family, and labor. Yet, God's direction with the Law provided justice, consideration, holiness, and an embracing of human life, so, as some historians attest, they are not the same document.
Nonetheless, one of the stark similarities is the section for which King Hammurabi's code is noteworthy, "an eye for an eye." These 282 laws influenced Roman emperors, British monarchs, African tribal leaders, Asian dynasties, American law officials, and even Jewish travelers seeking a Promised Land.
The Defining of the Code
The code was written in an ancient tongue of Babylon called Akkadian, which integrated Semitic and Sumerian traditions, which is why Mosaic Law inspired many laws. A globally accepted translation of the code pinpoints the notable section like this:
"If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be put out." (Law 196)
"If he breaks another man's bone, his bone shall be broken." (Law 197)
"If he put out the eye of a freed man, or break the bone of a freed man, he shall pay one gold mina." (Law 198)
"If he put out the eye of a man's slave, or break the bone of a man's slave, he shall pay one-half of its value." (Law 199)
"If a man knock out the teeth of his equal, his teeth shall be knocked out." (Law 200)
"If he knew out the teeth of a freed man, he should pay one-third of a gold mina." (Law 201)
"If any one strike the body of a man higher in rank than he, he shall receive sixty blows with an ox-whip in public." (Law 202) "If a free-born man strikes the body of another free-born man or equal rank, he shall pay one gold mina." (Law 203)
The simplicity of the code is known in Latin as "Lex Talionis," the legal principle of "exact retaliation." Scholars of sociopolitical and legal truth noted King Hammurabi suggested some retaliation should merit based on higher and lower caste systems. Today that is "equal justice," which is one way the Mosaic Law is written differently.
"He that smitheth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death. And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee." (Exodus 21:12-13 KJV)
"Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe." (Exodus 21:24-25 KJV)
Much like sin veiled in the Blood of Jesus, Moses wanted to examine the cause of any crime. Focusing on the effect blurred the purpose of the law, which is an allusion to the work of Jesus on the cross. Understanding the "why" of our "what" is "how" we can apply God's Word to our criminal lives and be freed from the penance of sin.
The Understanding of the Code
The code establishes obedience to King Hammurabi and his wishes to keep his kingdom. There is no sensical thought to crime. Some break the law, and punishment will be harsh and swift–but first, how much money does he have, and where does he live?
The Law establishes an allegiance to the King of the Universe and his desire that all know His peace and order, which He intended everyone to experience in love.
Both codify standards for society and provide citizens with boundaries and expectations. The letter of the code and the spirit of the law have permanent ideas, but only the Mosaic Law embodies the spirit of the Lord.
So, what inspired the king to establish these rules? That answer to Hammurabi's actions could be found in the words of another king, Solomon.
"A good name [earned by honorable behavior, godly wisdom, moral courage, and personal integrity] is more desirable than great riches; And favor is better than silver and gold." (Proverbs 22:1 AMP)
In ancient and biblical times, the power of a name was never underestimated. To Egyptians, Persians, Greeks and Romans, a person's name was symbolic, often connected to the family legacy, embodied a desired destiny, and became a calling card of someone's identity. Much can be said of King Hammurabi as well.
The Amorites, Hammurabi's lineage, believed in the prophetic link between someone's name and the essence of someone's life. In Akkadian, "Hammu" means family and "Rapi" or "Rabi" means great. Back then, "great" didn't mean awesome or huge. It was deeper than that. In Latin, the root word for "great" is magn and where we get the words magnificent and magnitude. It also gave us magnify.
A "great family" is not only one in size, ranging from a mother's children to an entire civilization or kingdom but also in strength and worthy of study through the years. King Hammurabi's code has done everything–guided civilizations, established power, and filled many books with insight (like the Bible, for instance).
That code inspired many laws and can be loosely connected to verses in the Bible we live by now.
"Do not be deceived: God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap…And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season, we shall reap, if we do not lose heart." (Galatians 6:7-9 NKJV)
"Therefore, whatever you want to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 7:12 NKJV) "Since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes." (Proverbs 1:30-31 NIV)
The Difference of the Code
When King Hammurabi created the Babylonian law, there was no concern for how people would live; there was only a belief in how they should live. The most significant difference between the Mosaic Law and how God's people knew it was unlike "an eye for an eye" is that Moses provided these tenets because God knew how they could live.
They're out of Egypt and accustomed to bondage, but they still need direction and a path to become better. We still need direction but require love to guide us. We are no longer under that law, but the spirit in which it was received should still help us understand what Jesus requires from us in a world of amazing grace.
Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. Or is He the God of the Jews only? Is He not also the God of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also, since there is one God who will justify the circumcised by faith and the uncircumcised through faith. Do we then void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law. (Romans 3:28-31 NKJV)
And that's what God aimed for through the Mosaic Law. He knew people lived under Hammurabi's code. He knew, in his supreme wisdom, that children need structure. Yet, when His children enter a new covenant, they will "establish the law." Our lives should reflect His Word, and our hearts should overflow with His love.
Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. The commandments, "You shall not commit adultery, you shall not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not covet," and any other commandment, are summed up in this sentence, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law. (Romans 13:8-10 NKJV)
Through Jesus Christ, we can fulfill the law, live by grace through faith, and show the love of God through our code, one only the Holy Spirit can decipher for the world.
