Adam Taylor

The consensus view in biblical scholarship is that Exodus 21:22-25 describes the death of a fetus from an induced miscarriage caused by the accidental strike of an assailant, and that this event was only punished with a fine. But many Internet webpages and even a few scholars assert a minority position—that the verse actually describes an induced premature birth in which the fetus lives. In this article Adam Taylor presents a summary of the reasons why this position is untenable. In order to sharpen the discussion, Taylor addresses the arguments of John Piper, an advocate of this minority view whose claims are frequently disseminated online by amateurs and laypersons. After a careful exegesis of Scripture, combined with considerations of various extent commentaries and the background context of the ancient Near East, Taylor establishes that Piper's claims are false and that the consensus view is indeed correct. Taylor concludes with an exploration of possible interpretations of the verse and its potential relevance to the current abortion debate.