What you&#x27;ve stated in your first sentence is a perfect interpretation IMHO.<p>Providing kindness in response to evil diffuses the problem.<p>Some translations adjust that verse contextually to read &quot;Heaping hot coals of shame&quot;.  The resultant behavior of said evil person, however, can go either way, making &quot;Heaping hot coals&quot; an apt description of a very common (in my life, majority) outcome to that behavior.  As in the story, the customer becomes exasperated as the author continues to respond with kindness.  Some people like to treat others like crap (especially others who have a job that involves &quot;serving them, the customer&quot;) because it allows them to assert power over the other person.  I&#x27;m not talking about the occasional bad day &quot;taking it out on someone else&quot; and enjoying it, but the kind of person who has to do this <i>all the time</i> to feel good.  Those people positively lose their <i>shit</i> when you respond with kindness.  In that scenario, you&#x27;ve accidentally put them in a spot of having to admit that you might just be &quot;the better person&quot;, so they escalate in hopes that you&#x27;ll crack.<p>I find the bible most interesting for that latter bit, though.  I was brought up in a church that regularly told us what to do but gave only &quot;Because God says so&quot; as the reason.  I grew up and left the church entirely as a result.  Later in life I was frustrated when I discovered that the advice is usually followed up with &quot;and here&#x27;s the earthly outcome you can expect if you do this&quot; along with &quot;the Lord will reward you (because He said so)&quot;.