I think you got it right robomatic , on the OT eye for an eye . It was intended to be limiting vengeance.   Though I do not favour capital punishment myself , neither could I say there was any injustice in executing a murderer convicted beyond a shadow of a doubt. But neither do I think anyone is beyond redemption either . But it always strikes me strange that a society that daily takes innocent human life , should agonise so much about taking the life of a murderer .