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The power of the desire for vengeance can be inferred from the very existence of the Law of Talion. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. The law of Talion is stated in the book of Exodus (21:24), among a number of other prescriptions that God gave to Moses, and which were to serve to regulate interactions within the tribe. The law of Talion represented a major advance in lawfulness. It served to hem in blind vengeance. For an eye, no more than an eye; for a tooth no more than a tooth; that is the significance of the law of Talion (Hirzel, 1907-10; Jacoby, 1983). Evidently a need existed for such regulation, then as now. Were it not so, no law of the kind would have been needed. Desire for revenge itself is immoderate.
Nico H. Frijda (Sat,) studied this question.