Exodus 21:22

IzzAtheist@AOL.COM
Fri, 11 Apr 1997 23:31:19 -0400 (EDT)

> yoel-
>
> vekhi yinatsu anashim venagfu ishah harah
> and when will quarrel men and they will hit a woman
> preganant
>
> veyatsu yeladeyhah velo yihiyeh ason
> and will exit her children and not will be a disaster
>
> anosh yeanesh kaasher yashit alav
> He will surely be punished as will determine against him
>
> baal haishah benatan biflilim
> the husband of the woman as the giving of judges
>
> Veim ason yihiyeh venatatah nefesh tahat
nefesh
> and if a disaster there be you will give soul for soul
>
> ayin tahat ayin shen tahat shen yad tahat yad regel tahat regel
> eye for eye tooth for tooth hand for hand leg for leg
>
> Kaviyah tahat kaviyah petsa tahat petsa haburah tahat haburah
> scorch for scorch wound for wound bruise for bruise
>
> (tahat literally means under)
>
> I think it is talking about a premature birth, since no disaster occurs,
> but I could be wrong. I am judging it by modern secular values which would
> take into consideration both mother and child. Again- the text is not
> clear. It is much less clear than the cities of Amon issue.
>
> The meaning would depend on what these primitive people's idea of disaster
> is. It's sort of like the obscentity issue: "I'll know it when I see it."
> Well, what exactly constitutes a disaster?
>
> Was it up to the father to decide? The courts? Was it the killing of the
> mother? The child? It is extrememly vague.
>
>
> yoel
>
Exodus 21:22 in the NIV Bible:
"If men who are fighting hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely
but
there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman's
husband
demands and the court allows."

Izz asks:
Yoel, based on the Hebrew, is Ex 21:22 saying if no serious injury comes to
the mother, a fine shall be paid, or is it saying that if no serious injury
comes to the child, a fine shall be paid? In short, who does "serious injury"
refer to?

A question for Till:
With your command of English grammar, would you answer the same question,
based on the NIV text?

Thanks, both of you.

Izz