Who Knew ‘An Eye for an Eye’ Was About a Pregnant Woman?

Exodus chapter 21, verse 22:

When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman so that her child or 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.

So there we go. That’s the law. Who would have ever known that this was talking about hitting a pregnant woman so that her children were hurt or harmed? It says if the woman is hit but there is no harm, you shall fine the person who hit the pregnant lady, causing her to go into premature labor. If the children come out but they are okay, then the person who hit the pregnant lady shall be fined.

But if the woman is made to go into labor prematurely and her children do not survive, then you shall pay life for life. 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.

That’s pretty serious. If a person causes a woman who is pregnant to miscarry her children, and they do not survive, then that person who hit that pregnant woman should die as well. That is strict.

God bless, Shirah Chante,your relationship coach and artist

P.S. This is just one powerful moment from the episode. To hear the full teaching and how this connects to Jesus’ words in Matthew 5, listen to the entire Perfect Body podcast Mishpatim: An Eye for An Eyeepisode.