Exodus 21:22-25
“An eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, hand for a hand, foot for a foot.” Many of us have heard this saying in pop culture in movies, tv shows, music, etc. This saying originated from the book of Exodus in the Bible regarding pregnant woman. In a time where women were seen as property, the Lord saw them as human beings:
“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.” (Exodus 21:22-25).
Even if the mother and child were unharmed, the court was required to fine the man who caused this for his aggressive actions. It was God’s law that the fee would be set by the woman’s husband to seek justice for her and their child. Then it would have to be approved and decided upon by the court. However, if there was any harm that followed, such as the mother and/or the child dies, then the court would enforce lex talionis. I believe William Wiersbe explains it best when he says, “Lex Talionis…says ‘The punishment must fit the
crime.’ This principle has been severely criticized by some as being “barbaric,” but it’s just the opposite. In an age when the legal system was developing, this law made sure that the punishment meted out by the judges was equal to the seriousness and severity of the crime, not more and not less. If the guilty aggressor blinded his enemy’s eye, then his own eye was blinded. Nothing could be fairer. If you broke your enemy’s finger and the court ordered you to be blinded, that wouldn’t be fair at all, because the sentence must fit the crime. The only time this principle was not enforced was when a master injured a slave, and the slave’s compensation was his or her freedom (vv. 26–27).”
This law shows how God cares about women because He provides restitution for His daughters!
