Beth-El Baptist Church

07/20/2008

Greg Tomlinson


Does the Bible teach that abortion is acceptable?


Our current culture, even among professing Christians, is split on the issue of abortion. There are those who state claims that abortion is wrong because scripture is clear about when live beginning at conception. There are others that identify scriptures as being unclear on the subject of when life begins.


  1. What passages seem to indicate abortion is acceptable?

Exodus 21:22-25 Ecclesiastes 6:3-5


The understanding of the Exodus verses in English depends on which version you read. The NAS indicates that the woman miscarries (the child dies). If this is a miscarriage and the punishment is based upon problems after the miscarriage, then it should be clear that a miscarriage caused by an external force from others is not considered to be harmful by itself.


The second passage indicates that death by miscarriage is preferable to a long life of misery. This should make it clear that a death before birth can have some merit.


From these descriptions and the conditions surrounding the concept of miscarriage found here, the first is a closer proximity to our current understanding of abortion in that the “miscarriage” occurred due to some external influence.


  1. What does the King James mean by 'with child' (NAS “with child”)?

Genesis 16:11-12; 38:24-27 Judges 13:5-7

1 Samuel 4:19-20 2 Samuel 11:5

2 Kings 8:12-13; 15:16 Isaiah 7:14; 26:17-18

Jeremiah 20:11-18; 31:8-9 Hosea 13:16

Amos 1:13


The Hebrew word is 'hareh'. Clearly the scriptures indicate that to be 'with child' is to be pregnant. Notice that in most passages associated with being pregnant was the full expectation of bearing or bring forth. The indication is that the normal result of pregnancy is the birth of a child. There are also passages in which pregnant women are 'ripped up'. In every case the act is condemned and it is treated as an act worse then killing other people who are not pregnant. The method of killing the woman and here child are used to indicate that the crime is far more heinous than killing others. In particular Amos states that the ripping of of pregnant women is the worst of transgressions (from the for three .. and for four structure). It should be clear that the killing of a child in the womb of the mother is an exceptionally heinous crime.


  1. What does the King James mean by 'fruit' (NAS hidden in 'miscarriage')?

Genesis 4:23; 21:7-8, 14-18; 30:35-26 Genesis 32:22-23; 42:22; 44:20

Exodus 1:16-18; 2:3-10 Ruth 1:1-5; 4:14-17

1 Samuel 1:2 2 Samuel 12:13-23

1 Kings 17:20-24 2 Kings 4:18-20, 33-35

Job 38:41 Isaiah 11:6-8; 29:22-24


The Hebrew word is 'yeled'. It is a basic term for offspring. It can be used for people or for animals (rare). The understanding then is that it was her offspring that departed from her.


  1. What does the King James mean by 'depart' (NAS hidden in 'miscarriage')?

Genesis 1:12, 24; 2:10; 4:16; 8:7, 16-19; 10:14 Genesis 15:4-7, 14; 19:15-17; 24:48-51; 25:25-26

Genesis 35:11; 35:18; 38:28-30; 44:27-29 Exodus 17:6; 19:17; 21:2-5; 22:6; 23:16


The Hebrew word is 'yatsa'. The basic meaning of 'depart' is to leave or exit from something or someplace. The majority of the usages refers to leaving one place for another. The word is used of birth in which the child departs from the mother and remains alive, on every case associated with birth. Departing is associated with death in a couple of instance. The soul of someone 'departing' from them. Although 'yatsa' could indicate that someone has died, the general usage is that the person departed or left one place for another. To use the word to indicate a miscarriage would not be considered very good interpretation of scripture.


  1. What does the King James mean by 'no mischief follow' (NAS 'no further injury')?

Genesis 42:3-4, 36-38; 44:25-31


The Hebrew is 'ason'. It simply means harm or injury.



Summary:


This key passage if it is reassembled simply states that when men fight and they strike a pregnant woman so that the child(ren) depart from her but there is no harm, then the punishment shall be a fine. From the use of the various key Hebrew words in the text, a pregnant woman is carrying her offspring so that if it is brought to term then she will give birth to one that is like her. The most likely scenario in this situation is that she encountered a premature birth and not a miscarriage. There is a different Hebrew word used for a miscarriage or 'untimely birth' which is 'nephel' which is derived from 'naphal' meaning to fall. If the writer of Exodus 21:22-25 wanted to indicated a miscarriage or still birth, there is ample words to make it clearer. In other passages related to birth and 'departing' the context leaves it clear that the 'departing' child(ren) survived. There is no reason to see this text as any different.