NINTH JUDGEMENT
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NINE 22 =B6 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=92s husband will lay upon him; and he
shall pay as the judges determine.
23 And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,
24 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.
My comments:
A pregnant woman who is injured during any kind of fighting going on
around her, and loses her child, is entitled to financial compensation
for the loss of the fetus.
If she is not hurt seriously herself, whoever caused the miscarriage
is liable for damage as determined by the woman`s husband and the
method of payment determined by the judges.
If the troublemaker goes on to inflict injury to the woman herself,
the maximum penalties of the law are as stated. His cruel deed to the
woman can be inflicted back on himself.
Some think that the =93life for life, tooth for tooth, etc=85=94 applies
to
damage done to the fetus. But that would be nearly impossible (except
perhaps for a bullet wound) for a fetus to be damaged in this way
while it was inside its mother.
How could an external injury to the mother result in damage to a
fetus` eye, or tooth (and very few would have any teeth). How could a
fetus in the womb be burnt?
So this refers to injury to the mother. We can notice here that the
loss of the fetus results in a financial penalty =96 it is not murder or
manslaughter. But the loss of the woman`s life is murder.
A body being prepared in the womb is not a complete human being until
it is born and takes its first breath.
Here`s the passage from =93the Bible in Basic English=94:
Ex 21:22 =B6 If men, while fighting, do damage to a woman with child,
causing the loss of the child, but no other evil comes to her, the man
will have to make payment up to the amount fixed by her husband, in
agreement with the decision of the judges.
23 But if damage comes to her, let life be given in payment for life,
24 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
25 Burning for burning, wound for wound, blow for blow.
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