There is a lot in the bible about caring, giving, selflessness, goodness, righteousness and helping the poor. But when Donald Trump was asked today what bible verse has “most impacted his character and thinking” he didn’t mention any of that.
“Look, an eye for an eye,” said Trump, who has called the bible his favorite book. “That’s not a particularly nice thing. But you know, if you look at what’s happening to our country, I mean, when you see what’s going on with our country, how people are taking advantage of us, and how they scoff at us and laugh at us.”
Trump is referring to Exodus 21-24 in the Old Testament: “If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows. But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.”
In the New Testament, of course, Jesus repudiates the notion of an eye for an eye in Matthew (5:38-42): “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.”
In this case, it appears Trump is going with the Old rather than the New.
Earlier this year Trump was laughed at during a speech at Liberty University when he quoted “Two Corinthians, 3:17, that’s the whole ballgame!”
The evangelical students knew Trump was attempting to refer to “Second Corinthians.”