"An eye for an eye"?

Question

What's that phrase suppose to mean?

Answer 1

In Mosaic Law (the time of Moses),  the law was that there was same punishment for the same crime . " An eye for and eye, a tooth for a tooth. "  This means you get the punishment that is the same for the crime you committed. So if you punched a guy in the stomach wrongly, you got punched in the stomach as punishment. If you    plucked someones eye out, you got your eye plucked out and so forth.  In the New Testament, Jesus rescinds this and tells the Disciples  that he wants people to turn the other cheek, and forgive for things people do against you. To love other people as you love yourself. The Golden Rule thing "Do unto others as you would have them to unto you."  It is all Biblical. One is  Old Testament thought, the other is New Testament thought.  

Answer 2

Your punishment is the loss of whatever your crime took form the other person.

Example, if someone beats you with a bat, you wait until you catch them alone and beat THEM with a bat.

It comes from Hammurabies ancient laws.