Taberî explains the term 'life' in the verse on retribution as a deterrent and restricting function of retaliation within society: through the ruling of retribution, people refrain from killing one another, which provides society with a 'life'. To support this view, he presents transmissions from early Quranic scholars (tabiîn) such as Mujahid, Katadah, Rabi', and Ibn Zayd; he also conveys that some of them interpreted 'life' as 'the survival of others' in retribution, meaning that in retribution only the original murderer is killed and not, as was done in pre-Islamic times, a woman instead of a man or a slave instead of a free person.

جعل الله هذا القصاص حياة ونكالا وعظة لأهل السفه والجهل من الناس. وكم من رجل قد هم بداهية لولا مخافة القصاص لوقع بها، ولكن الله حجز بالقصاص بعضهم عن بعض

According to Kurtubî, the expression 'there is life in retribution for you' in the verse explains that when the ruling of retribution is implemented, a person who desires to kill someone will refrain out of fear that retribution will be taken against him as well, thus both the killer and the killed would have 'lived'. He also points out that among the Arabs, when a person was killed, conflicts arising between tribes led to the death of many people, and that the legalization of retribution ended these conflicts, and therefore there is a second meaning of life in this. In this context, as a legal matter, he conveys that the jurisprudential imams agreed that retribution can only be carried out by the sultan or someone designated by him, and that individuals cannot carry out retribution on their own authority.

والمعنى : أن القصاص إذا أقيم وتحقق الحكم فيه إزدجر من يريد قتل آخر مخافة أن يقتص منه فحييا بذلك معا وكانت العرب إذا قتل الرجل الآخر حمى قبيلاهما وتقاتلوا وكان ذلك داعيا إلى قتل العدد الكثير فلما شرع الله القصاص قنع الكل به وتركوا الاقتتال فلهم في ذلك حياة الثانية اتفق أئمة الفتوى على أنه لا يجوز لأحد أن يقتص من أحد حقه دون السلطان

According to Ibn Kesîr, there is great wisdom in retribution (the killing of the murderer) regarding the protection of souls and the continuation of life; because when the murderer knows he will be killed, he refrains from the crime, which ensures the protection of life in society. While previous scriptures contained an expression meaning 'killing prevents killing more', the expression in the Quran is noted to be more eloquent, more concise, and more clear. The address in the verse is directed at those possessing intellect so that through retribution they refrain from the things Allah has forbidden and from sins.

وفي شرع القصاص لكم وهو قتل القاتل حكمة عظيمة وهي بقاء المهج وصونها لأنه إذا علم القاتل أنه يقتل انكف عن صنيعه فكان في ذلك حياة للنفوس

According to Beydâwî, the expression 'in retribution there is life' is extremely eloquent and rhetorical in terms of substituting a thing with its opposite. The knowledge of retribution deters the killer from killing, thus causing the life of two souls to be preserved; furthermore, because in pre-Islamic times the killing of someone other than the murderer or a group instead of the murderer led to turmoil, taking retribution only from the murderer caused the survival of the rest. According to one view, the life mentioned here is the life of the hereafter; for a person upon whom retribution is carried out in this world is not held accountable for this crime in the hereafter. Finally, through the expression 'those possessing understanding', those endowed with intellect are called upon to contemplate the wisdom of retribution in protecting life.

وعرف القصاص ونكر الحياة، ليدل على أن في هذا الجنس من الحكم نوعا من الحياة عظيما، وذلك لأن العلم به يردع القاتل عن القتل، فيكون سبب حياة نفسين.