We often fail to consider the gradual, cumulative effect of sin in our lives. In Saint Louis in 1984, an unemployed cleaning woman noticed a few bees buzzing around the attic of her home. Since there were only a few, she made no effort to deal with them. Over the summer the bees … More
Neglect
In this passage we continue with regulations that dealt with civil violations due to neglect:
Woman with child injured (vv. 22-23). If a pregnant woman delivered her child prematurely because of injury the guilty party was to pay compensation which was to be determined by the woman’s husband and the court.
Physical loss by injury (vv. 24-25) - Punishment was to be a similar loss to the offender.
Permanent maiming of a slave (vv. 26-27) - The master must let the slave go free.
Injuries inflicted by animals (vv. 28-36) - Personal injury caused by an animal was chargeable to its owner. However, if the animal had killed repeatedly both the animal and its owner was to be put to death. Injury to other animals resulted in fining the offending animals owner or in his replacing the injured or dead animal.
Some find a biblical argument against abortion in verses 22-25. However this seems to be in the context of a fight between two men and the woman is an innocent bystander, so its relevance for abortion is questionable. The remaining law in this section (vv. 26-27) concerns personal injury to a servant. Then we move from injuries inflicted between human beings to injuries involving animals.
Application
I may not allow bees to build a nest in my attic but it is very easy to let the things of this world to creep into my life and the quickest way is to let wrong thoughts build a nest in my mind. The best way to keep this from happening is to keep my mind saturated with the Word of God.
Exodus 21:22-36 (English Standard Version)
"When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that 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. "When a man strikes the eye of his slave, male or female, and destroys it, he shall let the slave go free because of his eye. If he knocks out the tooth of his slave, male or female, he shall let the slave go free because of his tooth. "When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the ox shall not be liable. But if the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has been warned but has not kept it in, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death. If a ransom is imposed on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is imposed on him. If it gores a man's son or daughter, he shall be dealt with according to this same rule. If the ox gores a slave, male or female, the owner shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned. "When a man opens a pit, or when a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, the owner of the pit shall make restoration. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead beast shall be his. "When one man's ox butts another's, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and share its price, and the dead beast also they shall share. Or if it is known that the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has not kept it in, he shall repay ox for ox, and the dead beast shall be his."
Exodus 21:22–36
» View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway)
We often fail to consider the gradual, cumulative effect of sin in our lives. In Saint Louis in 1984, an unemployed cleaning woman noticed a few bees buzzing around the attic of her home. Since there were only a few, she made no effort to deal with them. Over the summer the bees … More
In this passage we continue with regulations that dealt with civil violations due to neglect:
Some find a biblical argument against abortion in verses 22-25. However this seems to be in the context of a fight between two men and the woman is an innocent bystander, so its relevance for abortion is questionable. The remaining law in this section (vv. 26-27) concerns personal injury to a servant. Then we move from injuries inflicted between human beings to injuries involving animals.
Application
I may not allow bees to build a nest in my attic but it is very easy to let the things of this world to creep into my life and the quickest way is to let wrong thoughts build a nest in my mind. The best way to keep this from happening is to keep my mind saturated with the Word of God.
Exodus 21:22-36 (English Standard Version)
"When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that 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. "When a man strikes the eye of his slave, male or female, and destroys it, he shall let the slave go free because of his eye. If he knocks out the tooth of his slave, male or female, he shall let the slave go free because of his tooth. "When an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten, but the owner of the ox shall not be liable. But if the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has been warned but has not kept it in, and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned, and its owner also shall be put to death. If a ransom is imposed on him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is imposed on him. If it gores a man's son or daughter, he shall be dealt with according to this same rule. If the ox gores a slave, male or female, the owner shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned. "When a man opens a pit, or when a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls into it, the owner of the pit shall make restoration. He shall give money to its owner, and the dead beast shall be his. "When one man's ox butts another's, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and share its price, and the dead beast also they shall share. Or if it is known that the ox has been accustomed to gore in the past, and its owner has not kept it in, he shall repay ox for ox, and the dead beast shall be his."
View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway) »
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