ἐκδῐκ-ησις G1557
vengeance, retribution; vindication, justice for the oppressed; punishment (civil/judicial)
Senses
1. vengeance, retribution — The act of divine retribution or vengeance executed by God against wrongdoers. Used of God's retributive justice in Rom 12:19 (ἐμοὶ ἐκδίκησις), eschatological vengeance in 2 Thess 1:8 (ἐκδίκησιν τοῖς μὴ εἰδόσιν θεόν), the warning of Heb 10:30, the 'days of vengeance' in Luke 21:22 (ἡμέραι ἐκδικήσεως), and zeal for avenging in 2 Cor 7:11. Arabic انتقام, German Rache, Hebrew נקמה, Hindi बदला, Korean 복수/보복, Spanish venganza — all confirm retributive justice as the core semantic. 6×
AR["الانْتِقَامُ","الاِنتِقامِ","الاِنْتِقَام","انتِقامًا","انْتِقاماً","انْتِقَامًا"]·ben["প্রতিশোধ","প্রতিশোধ!","প্রতিশোধ।","প্রতিশোধের"]·DE["Rache","ἐκδίκησιν","ἐκδικήσεως"]·EN["avenging","of-vengeance","vengeance"]·FR["vengeance"]·heb["נְקָמָה"]·HI["प्रतिकअर","बदला","बदला;","बदले-के"]·ID["pembalasan","pembalasan;"]·IT["ekdikeseos","ekdikēsin","ekdikēsis","vendetta"]·jav["males","pangukuman","pemalesan.","piwales"]·KO["보복을","보복의","복수-를","복수가","복수라","복수를"]·PT["de-vingança","vingança","vingança.","é-a-vingança"]·RU["воздам","отмщение","отмщения"]·ES["de-venganza","venganza","vindicación"]·SW["kisasi","kisasi!","kisasi.","za-kisasi"]·TR["ama-","ceza","intikam","intikamı","öç","öç-almanın"]·urd["انتقام","انتقام-کے","بدلہ"]
2. vindication, justice for the oppressed — The act of securing justice or vindication for the wronged party, especially the righteous who cry out to God. Distinguished from punitive vengeance by its focus on the victim rather than the offender. Used in the Parable of the Persistent Widow (Luke 18:7-8), where God vindicates his elect who cry day and night. Hindi renders as न्याय 'justice', Spanish as justicia, Korean as 신원 'vindication/appeal' — contrasting with the बदला/venganza of the retributive sense. 2×
AR["الاِنتِقامَ"]·ben["বিচার"]·DE["ἐκδίκησιν"]·EN["vindication"]·FR["vengeance"]·heb["נְקָמָה"]·HI["न्याय"]·ID["keadilan"]·IT["ekdikesin"]·jav["kaadilan"]·KO["신원을"]·RU["защиту"]·ES["justicia"]·SW["haki"]·TR["hak-arama"]·urd["انصاف"]
3. punishment (civil/judicial) — Judicial punishment administered through governing authorities as agents of God's order. Used in 1 Peter 2:14 of governors sent εἰς ἐκδίκησιν κακοποιῶν ('for the punishment of evildoers'). The context is civil governance rather than direct divine action. Arabic عقاب, German Rache, Hindi दण्ड 'penalty', Korean 응보 'retribution', Spanish castigo 'punishment' — the shift from Hindi बदला to दण्ड and Spanish venganza to castigo marks the judicial rather than personal-retribution nuance. 1×
AR["عِقابِ"]·ben["শাস্তির"]·DE["Rache"]·EN["punishment"]·FR["vengeance"]·heb["נְקַמַת"]·HI["दण्ड"]·ID["pembalasan"]·IT["ekdikēsin"]·jav["piwales"]·KO["응보"]·PT["castigo"]·RU["наказания"]·ES["castigo"]·SW["kuadhibu"]·TR["cezalandırmaya"]·urd["سزا"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἐκδῐκ-ησις, εως, ἡ, avenging, ἐ. ποιεῖσθαι to give satisfaction, Refs 2nd c.BC+; ἐ. ποιεῖσθαί τινος obtain it from.., Refs; legal remedy, Refs 6th c.AD+; ἐ. ποιεῖν τινι avenge him, NT