Ex 21,22-25 – If men struggle with each other and strike a woman with child so that she gives birth prematurely, yet there is no injury, he shall surely be fined as the woman's husband may demand of him, and he shall pay as the judges decide. "But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.
Abortion, this is pretty clear-cut. The old NASB (uses the word miscarriage) and the King James Version of the Bible uses the phrase “fruit departs from her,” which speak as if the fetus dies. Hebrew OT translates this verse using the words “yatsa' (yaw-tsaw')” meaning to depart, to go, bring out. Most other translations speak about the woman giving birth prematurely, which back in those days was extremely unlikely that the baby was born alive. Do a study on “Innocent blood” Scriptures of the Old Testament. Of course, no one is more innocent than the pre-born baby! Notice, that the man who struck the woman did not have to die as a result of the injury to the woman’s fetus. This passage clearly states that it was an accident, while we know abortion is by no means an accident. Therefore on the one hand, in this case the man who caused the miscarriage will not forfeit his life, because it was an accident. In contrast, it says about the mother, if any further injury occurs to her, you are to prosecute, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, life for life. This suggests that the fetus doesn’t have the same rights as a person in the eyes of God. On the other hand, people cross a forbidden line when they intentionally destroy a healthy living fetus. When we combine the limited rights of the fetus with intentional abortion, we can see why God views it as murder, giving us good reason to interpret the word-study on “Innocent Blood” as the sin of abortion. What can we say about pro-life advocates? They are doing well to advocate for the unborn, particularly when their rivals in the pro-choice camp are sacrificing these potential babies by the millions to the god of convenience and to their hedonistic lifestyles. Pro-lifers attribute full rights to the unborn fetus, which the Bible does not corroborate, while pro-choicers give them no rights at all, so the truth is in the middle again where we usually find it.
From: www.jeansbiblestudy.com
