Gouging

Gouging was the painful practice of forcibly removing a person's eyes. This was commonly done by the Philistines, Amorites, Babylonians, and other nations that surrounded Israel (Judges 16:21; 2 Kings 25:7). People would gouge out eyes not only to disable their enemies or prisoners but also to bring extreme shame and disgrace upon them (1 Samuel 11:2).

The Israelites seem to have known about gouging from their time in Egypt (Numbers 16:14). But there is no evidence that it was a common practice in Israel.

See also Criminal Law and Punishment.