Politics According to the Bible-Exodus 21:22 is discussed between Dennis Prager and Wayne Grudem

Religio-Poltical Talk ^ | 11-6-2010 | Papa Girogio

[SeanG200]

For the question of abortion, perhaps the most significant passage of all is found in the specific laws God gave Moses for the people of Israel during the time of the Mosaic covenant. One particular law spoke of the penalties to be imposed in case the life or health of a pregnant woman or her preborn child was endangered or harmed:

"When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman’s husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if there is harm, then you shall pay life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe..." (Exod. 21:22-25). [footnote A]

[SeanG200]

Dennis Prager interviews author of the book, "Politics According to the Bible," in which I isolate a small portion of this interview about Exodus 22. There is also an excerpt from Wayne Grudem's book which I (and Prager) highly recommend.

[grame]

Some of these abortionist would need to literally ‘die a thousand deaths’ then wouldn't they. Or more.

I hope they begin to realize and understand the magnitude of what they do before they are called before the Throne and the Judgment seat.

God have mercy.

[ScottfromNJ]

King James Version:

“If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.”

[rhema]

[from Norman Geisler's When Critics Ask]

The renowned Hebrew scholar Umberto Cassuto correctly translates the verse as follows:

""When men strive together and they hurt unintentionally a woman with child, and her children come forth but no mischief happens -- that is, the woman and children do not die -- the one who hurts her shall surely be punished by a fine. But if any mischief happens, that is, if the woman dies or the children, then you shall give life for life." (Commentary on the Book of Exodus, 1967)

Further commentary by Geisler on the Hebrew words in the Exodus passage:

The Hebrew word "yatsa" (mistranslated "miscarriage") actually means to "come forth" or "give birth". It is the Hebrew word regularly used for live birth in the Old Testament. In fact, it is never used for a miscarriage, though it is used of a still birth. In this passage, as in virtually all OT texts, it refers to a live, though premature, birth.

There is another Hebrew word for miscarriage -- "shakol" -- and it is not used in this Exodus passage. Since this word for miscarriage was available and was not used, but the word for live birth was used, there is no reason to suppose it means anything else than a live birth of a fully human being.

The word used for the mother's offspring in this passage is "yeled;," which means "child." It is the same word used of babies and young children in the Bible (Genesis 21:8; Exodus 2:3). Hence, the unborn is considered just as much a human as a young child.(God says, in one of many such OT verses, "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you." Jeremiah 1:5)

If any harm happened to either the mother or the child, the same punishment was given, "life for life" (v. 23). The unborn was considered of equal value with the mother.