Exodus 21:18-27

Exodus 21:18 E. Injuries. If one man injures another in a quarrel (Exodus 21:18), he must, on the recovery of the other, compensate him for the loss of time and pay his doctor's bill (Exodus 21:19). He who beat a slave to death must pay a penalty (Exodus 21:20), no doubt fixed at the judge's discretion; but only if death was immediate (Exodus 21:21). If two men quarrelling injured the wife of one of them intervening and brought on a miscarriage without permanent injury, her husband could levy a fine (Exodus 21:22, read shall pay it for the untimely birth, changing one letter). Further injury was to be punished (Exodus 21:23) acording to the lex talionis, like for like, as in the old Bab. and Roman law, and among many races still. A slave whose eye or tooth was knocked out could claim freedom (Exodus 21:26 f.).