ἐκδῐκ-ησις G1557
Vengeance, retribution; vindication or justice for the wronged; judicial punishment by authorities.
A noun denoting the execution of justice, whether divine, communal, or governmental. When God declares 'vengeance is mine' (Rom 12:19), ekdikesis points to sovereign retribution against wrongdoing--Spanish 'venganza' and German 'Rache' capture the severity. Yet when the persistent widow cries out for justice (Luke 18:7-8), the same word pivots toward vindication of the oppressed, and Spanish shifts tellingly to 'justicia.' In civic contexts like 1 Peter 2:14, it describes the punishment governors administer against evildoers, rendered 'castigo' in Spanish--a judicial rather than personal or divine act.
Senses
1. vengeance, retribution — Divine retribution or vengeance executed by God against wrongdoers. Paul quotes Deuteronomy: 'Vengeance is mine, I will repay' (Rom 12:19); Luke 21:22 speaks of 'days of vengeance' as eschatological reckoning. Spanish 'venganza/vindicacion' and French 'vengeance' underscore the punitive, God-ward orientation. The 2 Thessalonians 1:8 use ties this to final judgment. 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 — Vindication or securing of justice for the oppressed party, with focus on the victim rather than the offender. In the parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18:7-8), God promises to 'bring about justice' for his elect. Spanish notably shifts from 'venganza' to 'justicia' here, revealing a semantic distinction the original Greek leaves to context--the cry is for deliverance, not destruction. 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 civil governing authorities as instruments of divine order. At 1 Peter 2:14, governors are sent 'for the punishment of evildoers' (eis ekdikesin kakopoion). Spanish 'castigo' and English 'punishment' mark this as institutional and corrective rather than personal vengeance or victim-centered vindication. 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"]
Related Senses
H2896a 1. good (quality or moral) (305×)H7563 1. wicked person (259×)H7451c 1. moral evil or wickedness (234×)H5771 1. iniquity, sin, wrongdoing (222×)H6662 1. righteous person (substantive) (195×)G0266 1. sin, failure, transgression (173×)H2403b 1. sin, transgression (170×)H2617a 1. Covenant faithfulness, steadfast love (167×)H2398 1. Qal: to sin, commit sin (165×)H6666 1. righteousness, moral uprightness (145×)G5485 1. grace, divine favor (141×)H4941 1. justice, righteousness (134×)H7451a 1. morally evil, wicked (129×)H2403b 2. sin-offering, sacrifice for sin (120×)H4941 2. judgment, judicial decision (119×)H4941 3. ordinances, statutes (plural) (110×)G2570 1. good, right, excellent (98×)H8199 1. to judge, adjudicate (98×)H6588 1. transgression, offense against God (88×)G0018 1. good (moral quality) (85×)
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