(16) If a man appears against another to testify maliciously and gives false testimony against him, (17) the two parties to the dispute shall appear before the LORD, before the priests or magistrates in authority at the time, (18) and the magistrates shall make a thorough investigation. If the man who testified is a false witness, if he has testified falsely against his fellow, (19) you shall do to him as he schemed to do to his fellow. Thus you will sweep out evil from your midst; (20) others will hear and be afraid, and such evil things will not again be done in your midst. (21) Nor must you show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
Abraham ben Meir Ibn Ezra (אַבְרָהָם אִבְּן עֶזְרָא or ראב"ע) 1089–c.1167 Spain, was one of the most distinguished Jewish Biblical commentators and philosophers of the Middle Ages.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_ibn_Ezra
(ג) מְעִידִין אָנוּ בְאִישׁ פְּלוֹנִי שֶׁהוּא חַיָּב מַלְקוּת אַרְבָּעִים, וְנִמְצְאוּ זוֹמְמִין, לוֹקִין שְׁמֹנִים, מִשּׁוּם לֹא תַעֲנֶה בְרֵעֲךָ עֵד שָׁקֶר (שמות כ), וּמִשּׁוּם וַעֲשִׂיתֶם לוֹ כַּאֲשֶׁר זָמַם (דברים יט), דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, אֵינָן לוֹקִין אֶלָּא אַרְבָּעִים. מְשַׁלְּשִׁין בְּמָמוֹן וְאֵין מְשַׁלְּשִׁין בְּמַכּוֹת. כֵּיצַד, הֱעִידוּהוּ שֶׁהוּא חַיָּב לַחֲבֵרוֹ מָאתַיִם זוּז, וְנִמְצְאוּ זוֹמְמִין, מְשַׁלְּשִׁין בֵּינֵיהֶם. אֲבָל אִם הֱעִידוּהוּ שֶׁהוּא חַיָּב מַלְקוּת אַרְבָּעִים, וְנִמְצְאוּ זוֹמְמִין, כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד לוֹקֶה אַרְבָּעִים:
(3) [Witnesses who say,] "We testify that such and such a man is liable [for a prohibition incurred] forty lashes" and are found to be zomemin, receive eighty lashes, [forty] on account of [the verse,] "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor," (Exodus 20:12), and [forty] on account of "Then shall you do unto him, as he had purposed to do." (Deuteronomy 19:19) [This is] the view of Rabbi Meir. And the Sages say, they only receive forty lashes. Monetary [compensation] may be divided up, but lashes cannot be divided up. How so? If they testified that one owed his fellow two hundred zuz and were found to be zomemin, they may divide between themselves [the sum they owe to the one they conspired against]. But if they testified that he was liable [for a prohibition incurring] forty lashes and were found to be zomemin, each one of them incurres forty lashes.
(ג) ואין משלשין במכות. שאין כל אחד מהעדים לוקה שליש מלקות, אלא כל אחד לוקה ארבעים. דבעינן ועשיתם לו כאשר זמם, וכל אחד מהם מבקש להלקות הנדון מלקות שלם. וממון מצטרף, כשיתן כל אחד מהם שליש הרי קיבל מה שרצו להפסידו בין כולם, אבל מכות לא מצטרפין:
(3) Lashes are not divided. It's not that each of the witnesses are lashed a portion of the [total number of] lashes, rather each one is lashed 40 [times]. This is because we need "do to them as they planned", and each one sought to have the accused lashed a full amount. [However] money is combined [after being divided], when each of the witnesses gives their portion, behold he [the accused] receives what they sought to make him lose, however lashes are not combined.
Ovadiah ben Abraham of Bertinoro (Hebrew: עובדיה בן אברהם מברטנורא) (c. 1445 – c.1515) was a 15th-century Italian rabbi best known for his popular commentary on the Mishnah, commonly known as "The Bartenura". In his later years, he rejuvenated the Jewish community of Jerusalem and became recognised as the spiritual leader of the Jews of his generation.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obadiah_ben_Abraham_Bartenura
(ג) ויחמול שאול והעם על אגג. אמר בר קפרא זה דואג שהיה שקול כנגד כל ישראל. א"ר יהושע בן לוי כל שהוא רחמן על אכזרים לסוף נעשה אכזר על רחמנים להלן כתיב ואת נוב עיר הכהנים הכה לפי חרב:
And Saul and the people rejoiced over Agag. [1 Samuel 15] Bar Kefra said that he was concerned that he was equal to all of Israel. Rabbi Joshua ben Levi: who is merciful to the cruel in the end, becomes cruel to the merciful. The following is written, "and Nov, the city of the priests, struck by the sword:" [1 Sam 19:22]
The Yalkut Shimoni (Hebrew: ילקוט שמעוני) or simply Yalkut is an aggadic compilation on the books of the Hebrew Bible. From such older aggadot as were accessible to him, the author collected various interpretations and explanations of Biblical passages, and arranged these according to the sequence of those portions of the Bible to which they referred. 13th c. Author uncertain.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yalkut_Shimoni
For justice to exist, compassion must be balanced with punishm that is relevant to the wrong done. Punishment without relevance rooted in compassion is vengeance; compassion without relevant consequences leads to cruelty towards the innocent.
How can we work towards a just balance of compassion and consequences in our own lives and in society?