“You will heap burning coals on his head”
On the contrary, 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.' (Romans 12:20 BSB)
What it sounds like today
Kindness as a secret weapon: be nice to your enemy and God will burn him.
The cultural key
Paul is quoting Proverbs 25:21–22, and the coals are the puzzle. The revenge reading collides head-on with the context (the verse sits between 'bless those who persecute you' and 'overcome evil with good'). The leading proposals: an Egyptian repentance ritual in which a penitent carried a pan of burning coals on his head, making the coals a picture of your enemy's remorse being kindled; or simply the burn of shame that unexpected kindness produces, the first heat of a conscience waking up. No consensus, hence the tag; every serious reading agrees the fire works toward repentance, not punishment.
Recovered meaning
Feed the man who wronged you and let the kindness scald: the goal is an enemy whose hostility cannot survive being treated as a brother. The coals belong to the same arsenal as the second mile and the other cheek.