The Progenitors of Tolstoi's Epigraph for Anna Karenina
Lev Tolstoi (via his son-in-law V. S. Sukhotin’s letter to
V. V. Veresaev, 1907):
“I must repeat that I chose the epigraph simply, as I already said,
in order to explain the idea that the bad things man does have as their
consequence all the bitter things, which come not from people, but from
God, and that is what Anna Karenina herself experienced. Yes, that is
exactly what I meant to express.”
Lev Tolstoi (final draft of Anna Karenina):
“Мне отмщение, и Аз воздам”
“Vengeance is mine [to me], and I will repay”
Lev Tolstoi (1873 draft of Anna Karenina):
“Отмщением мое”
“Vengeance is mine”
Arthur Schopenhauer (The World as Will and Idea, Book 4; 1818):
“No man is entitled to act in the role of a purely moral judge and
retributor and to punish the actions of another man by the pain which
he causes him; consequently, to mete out penance to him for it. That would
be extremely excessive self-confidence. Hence the biblical ‘Vengeance
is mine, I shall repay’ [‘Meine ist die Rache,’ spricht
der Herr, ‘und ich will vergelten’].”
Hebrews 10 (Anonymous author addressing the Hebrews):
30“For we know the one who said, ‘Vengeance is mine [to me],
I will repay.’ And again, ‘The Lord will judge his people.’
31It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
Romans 12 (St. Paul addressing the Romans):
19“Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave room for the wrath
of God; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine [to me], I will repay,
says the Lord.’”
Deuteronomy 32 (Moses, in “The Song of Moses,” addressing
“the whole assembly of Israel” and inveighing against Israel’s
enemies):
32“Their vine comes from the vinestock of Sodom, from the vineyards
of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of poison, their clusters are bitter;
33their wine is the poison of serpents, the cruel venom of asps. 34Is
not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up in my treasuries? 35Vengeance
is mine [to me], and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip;
because the day of their calamity is at hand, their doom comes swiftly.
36Indeed the Lord will vindicate his people, have compassion on his servants,
when he sees that their power is gone, neither bond nor free remaining.”