How does Exodus 21:22 emphasize the value of unborn life in God's eyes? Reading the Text: Exodus 21:22 in Context “If men who are fighting strike a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely, but there is no injury, the offender must be fined as the woman’s husband demands and as the court allows.” (Exodus 21:22) “But if a serious injury results, then you must require a life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” (Exodus 21:23-25) Key Observations About Unborn Life • The unborn child is called “child” (Hebrew yeled—same word used for already-born children), not tissue or property. • The phrase “gives birth prematurely” (literally, “her children come out”) assumes a living child emerges unless otherwise stated. • Harm to either mother or baby is treated as real injury; the text never hints the unborn are less than human. • The scale of penalties runs from a compensatory fine (when no injury) to “life for life” (when death occurs), treating mother and baby with identical legal weight. How the Penalties Reveal God’s Heart • Proportional justice—“life for life”—places the unborn in the same moral category as every other image-bearer (Genesis 1:26-27). • The fine, set by both husband and court, underscores community responsibility for protecting pregnancy. • The escalating penalties discourage violence that might risk even accidental harm to the unborn, showing preventive concern rather than mere punishment after the fact. Supporting Witnesses from the Rest of Scripture • Psalm 139:13-16—God “knit” and “saw” David in the womb, recording his days before one began. • Jeremiah 1:5—“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” Divine relationship precedes birth. • Luke 1:41—John the Baptist “leaped in her womb,” demonstrating personhood and spiritual awareness pre-birth. • Job 31:13-15—Job grounds justice toward others in the truth that the same God “formed us in the womb.” • Proverbs 6:16-17—God hates “hands that shed innocent blood,” an axiom that naturally extends to the defenseless unborn. Implications for How We View the Unborn Today • Scripture’s legal code treats unborn life with full human dignity; modern believers are called to mirror that value. • Protecting pregnant women and their babies is a societal duty, not merely a private preference. • Advocacy for the unborn flows from God’s consistent revelation: He knows, forms, calls, and claims children before their first breath. |
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