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.
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"]
▼ 2 more senses below
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"]
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