Every transgression against God's holiness or against a commandment of His law was subject to a physical punishment, even death. This explains the examples given above. In the case of the conquered towns, the law of the ban expressed the obligation to uproot idolatry and affirm the holiness and oneness of God.

As for the relation between violence and justice, we find the use of vengeance as a first stage in the establishment of justice between individuals and people. Vengeance consisted in responding to an evil with a greater evil. In the book of Genesis we read concerning Cain: "If anyone kills Cain, sevenfold vengeance shall be taken for him" (Gen 4:15), and in verse 24: "Sevenfold vengeance is taken for Cain, but seventy-sevenfold for Lamesh".

In a second stage, in spite of its harshness, the "lex talionis" is a sign of progress in relation to the first stage. The excessive use of revenge is limited to an equal demand: one for one, and no longer sevenfold or seventy- sevenfold: "Life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot" (cf 19:21).

The book of Tobit reveals more progress in the way of dealing with one another: "Do to no one what you would not want done to you" (Tob 4:15)