Divine retribution or divine punishment is the supernatural punishment of a single person, a group of people, or everyone, by a deity in response to the invocation of their anger. Myths and folklore detailing how a deity imposed punishment on previous inhabitants of a land, causing widespread death and misfortune, can be found across many cultures.
An example of divine retribution is the story, found in many religions, about a great flood that destroys all of humanity, as described in the Epic of Gilgamesh, the Hindu Vedas, or the Hebrew Book of Genesis (6:9–8:22), but leaves one 'chosen' survivor. In the Tanakh, as well as the Old Testament and the Quran, a man named Nuh (Noah) was commanded by God to build an ark in order to survive a great flood; meanwhile, in the Epic of Gilgamesh, the survivor of this flood is Utnapishtim, and in the Hindu Vedas, it is Manu. This suggests that one man and his followers were saved in a great flood.
Other examples in biblical history include the dispersion of the builders of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1–9), the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18:20–21, 19:23–28) (Quran 7:80–84), and the Ten Plagues visited upon the ancient Egyptians for persecuting the Jewish children of Israel, and to get the Egyptians to free their Hebrew slaves (Exodus, Chapters 7–12). The Bible refers to divine retribution as, in most cases, being delayed or "treasured up" to a future time.Luke 3:7; Romans 2:5 Sight of God's supernatural works and retribution would militate against faith in God's Word.For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope...(Romans 8:24)
In Greek mythology, the goddess Hera often became enraged when her husband, Zeus, would impregnate mortal women, and would exact divine retribution on the children born of such affairs. In Greek versions of the myth, Medusa was turned into her monstrous form as divine retribution for her vanity; in Roman myths it was a punishment from Minerva for being raped by Neptune in Minerva's temple, which Minerva saw as a violation of her sacred place.
Some religious positions have no concept of divine retribution, nor posit a deity being capable of (or willing to express) such human sentiments as jealousy, vengeance, or wrath. For example, in Deism and Pandeism, the creator deity does not intervene in the universe at all; not for good or for bad, and therefore exhibits no such behavior. In Pantheism (as reflected in Pandeism as well), God is the universe and encompasses everything within it, and has no need for retribution, as all things against which retribution might be taken are simply within God. This view is reflected in some pantheistic or pandeistic forms of Hinduism, as well.
Buddhism The concept of divine retribution is resolutely denied in Buddhism. Gautama Buddha did not endorse belief in a creator deity,Approaching the Dhamma: Buddhist Texts and Practices in South and Southeast Asia by Anne M. Blackburn (editor), Jeffrey Samuels (editor). Pariyatti Publishing: 2003 p. 129 refused to express any views on creation, and stated that questions on the origin of the world are worthless. The non-adherence to the notion of an omnipotent creator deity or a prime mover is seen by many as a key distinction between Buddhism and other religions, though precise beliefs vary widely from sect to sect and "Buddhism" must not be taken as a single, holistic religious concept.
Buddhists accept the existence of beings in higher realms (see Buddhist cosmology), known as devas, which, however, are said like humans to be suffering in samsara, and are not necessarily wiser than humans on earth. The Buddha is often portrayed as a teacher of the gods, and superior to them. However, there are believed to be enlightened devas, but since there may also be unenlightened devas, there also may be godlike beings who engage in retributive acts, and if they do so, they do so out of their own ignorance of the greater truth.
Despite its nontheism, Buddhism fully accepts the theory of karma, which posits punishment-like effects, such as rebirths in realms of torment, as an invariable consequence of wrongful actions. Unlike in most Abrahamic monotheistic religions, the effects are not eternal though they can last for a very long time. Even theistic religions do not necessarily see such effects as "punishment" imposed by a higher authority, rather than natural consequences of wrongful action.
Abrahamic Religions "The wrath of God", an anthropomorphic expression for the attitude which some believe God has towards sin,Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church (Oxford University Press 2005 ), article wrath of God, the is mentioned many times in the Bible.
Hebrew Bible
Divine retribution is often portrayed in the Tanakh or Old Testament. Genesis 3:14–24 – the curse imposed on Adam and Eve and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden on account of their disobedience Genesis 4:9–15 – the curse imposed on Cain after his slaying of his brother, Abel Genesis 6–7 – The Great Flood; rampant evil and Nephilim Genesis 11:1–9 – The confusion of languages at the Tower of Babel; to scatter them over the Earth Genesis 19:23–29 – the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, the plains around them, the area's vegetation and its population, with only Lot and his immediate family being saved Genesis 38:6–10 – Destruction of Er and Onan; wickedness in the Lord's sight Exodus 7–14 – Plagues of Egypt; to establish his power over that of the gods of Egypt Exodus 19:10–25 – Divine threats at Mount Sinai; warn that the mountain is off limits and holy Exodus 32 – Plagues at the incident of the golden calf; disowning the people for breaking his covenant with them Leviticus 10:1–2 – Nadab and Abihu are burned; offering unauthorized fire in their censers Leviticus 26:14–39 – Curses upon the disobedient; divine warning Numbers 11 – A plague accompanies the giving of manna in the wilderness; rejecting his gracious gift of heavenly food and failing his test of obedience Numbers 16 – The rebellion of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram – their supernatural deaths and the plague that followed; insolence and attempting self-promotion to roles they were unworthy of holding Numbers 20:9–13 – Reprimand of Moses at the water of Meribah; disobeying the Lord's instruction, showing distrust and indifference in God's presence Numbers 21 – Murmuring of the people and the plague of fiery flying serpent; spurning God's grace Numbers 25 – Whoredom with the Moabites and resulting plague; breaching God's covenant through sexual immorality and worshipping other gods Deuteronomy 28 – Curses pronounced upon the disobedient; another divine warning 1 Samuel 6:19 – some/many men of Beth Shemesh killed; looking into the Ark of the Covenant 2 Samuel 6:1–7 – Uzzah struck dead; touching the Ark of the Covenant 1 Kings 11 – God promises to tear King Solomon's kingdom from his son except for a single tribe; building altars to other gods for his wives – sending trials to the just man Job
New Testament and Christian thought
The New Testament associates the wrath of God particularly with imagery of the Last Day, described allegorically in as the "day of wrath". The wrath of God is mentioned in at least twenty verses of the New Testament. Examples are: – John the Baptist declares that whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son, or in some English translations, does not believe the Son,: NKJV shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.: English Standard Version – Ananias and his wife Sapphira are struck dead for holding back some of the proceeds after selling a piece of property – For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. – Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. – Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord". – Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. – For the great day of his wrath has come, and who is able to withstand? – So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. – Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous: seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God was finished. – From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.
Eusebius suggests that the final illness and death of Herod the Great were examples of divine punishment for his slaughter of the innocents after the birth of Jesus. Matthew's gospel mentions Herod's death in passing. Josephus gives a more vivid portrayal of his condition and demise.Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, 17.6.5, edited by William Whiston, accessed on 25 June 2024.
Heinrich Meyer observes in his consideration of John 3:36 that the wrath of God "remains" on anyone who rejects belief in the Son. That means that the rejection of faith is not the trigger for God's wrath but is there already. Their refusal to believe amounts to a refusal to allow the wrath of God to be lifted from them.Meyer, H. A. W. (1880), Meyer's NT Commentary on John 3, translated from the German sixth edition, accessed 8 January 2024.
Quran In Islam, the concept of divine retribution is fundamentally the principle of Jaza (recompense), affirming that Allah (God) justly and perfectly recompenses all human actions. The comprehensive system of accountability manifests through both reward for good deeds and punishment for wrongdoing. While consequences may be experienced in worldly life as trials or natural repercussions, the full measure of Jaza is delivered in the Hereafter. The doctrine’s ultimate goal is to establish absolute justice, which compels believers toward righteousness by balancing the fear of divine wrath with the hope for divine mercy.
40:17 This Day every soul will be recompensed for what it earned. No injustice today! Indeed, Allāh is swift in account. : People of Nuh (Noah) who were drowned in the flood and : Ād (people of Hud) who God sent a stormy cold wind against them for seven nights and eight Days successively, which killed them all : Thamud (people of Salih), who killed the miraculous she-camel, so God sent against them several natural disasters, such as a storm and a powerful earthquake, thereby destroying them and : Sodom and Gomorrah, who because of homosexuality, God turned the town upside down and rained on them stones. Previously when they asked Lut to leave his guests to them in order to commit the shameful act, God blinded their eyes. : People of Ibrahim (Abraham) that had divine retribution after denying Ibrahim and : Dwellers of the Cities of Median and Aikah, who denied prophet Shuaib (Jethro) and in selling did notgive full measure and weight with justice, so an earthquake and blast hit them and killed them all. : Pharaoh's people were punished by Years of drought and shortage of crops. Also God sent upon them all sorts of calamities: a flood, locusts, lice, frogs and blood, a succession of signs representing Allah's wrath. Pharaoh and his people, which God drowned in the sea, because they belied his signs and miracles and were heedless about them : Korah was punished due to his extreme arrogance by being swallowed by earth along with all his great material wealth. and : 70 chosen Israelites who asked for visiting God, and were seized with a thunderbolt, and then were raised to life after death and : Companions of the Sabbath who became apes, because of breaking the rule of Sabbath and fishing on that day