The debate over abortion is one of the most contentious issues of our time, and the Bible is often at the center of the conversation. Many believe that the Bible explicitly forbids abortion, citing the sanctity of life as a core principle. However, a closer look at religious texts reveals a more complex and nuanced picture. The Bible does not directly mention abortion, which has led to centuries of scholarly and theological debate. To understand what the Bible says—or doesn’t say—about abortion, we must examine the texts within their historical and cultural context.
One of the most cited passages in the anti-abortion argument is Exodus 21:22–25, which deals with a situation where a man injures a pregnant woman and causes her to miscarry. The text says that if the woman suffers a miscarriage but is otherwise unharmed, the perpetrator must pay a fine. However, if the woman is seriously injured, the law of “an eye for an eye” applies. The interpretation of this passage is debated, but many biblical scholars argue that the text places a higher value on the life of the mother than on the life of the fetus, as the penalty for causing a miscarriage is less severe than the penalty for harming the mother.
Another key passage is Numbers 5:11–31, which describes a ritual to determine if a wife has been unfaithful. The ritual involves a priest giving the woman a bitter drink, which, if she is guilty, will cause her stomach to swell and her “thigh to waste away.” Some biblical scholars interpret this passage as a divine test that could lead to a miscarriage, a form of spiritual or ritualistic abortion. While the context is very specific, the passage is often used to show that a ritual that could result in a miscarriage was present in biblical times, though not necessarily approved.
Other biblical passages, such as Psalm 139:13–16, are often cited in the anti-abortion argument. This passage speaks of God “knitting” a person in their mother’s womb and knowing them before they were born. While this passage is a beautiful and poetic expression of God’s love and knowledge of individuals, it is not a legal or moral prohibition against abortion. It is a theological reflection on the sanctity and mystery of creation, not a legislative text.
The New Testament is also silent on the issue of abortion. Jesus’ teachings focus on compassion, love, and the protection of the vulnerable. While many interpret these teachings as a call to protect the unborn, there is no direct reference to abortion in the Gospels or the Epistles. The absence of a clear prohibition has led to a diversity of views among Christians, with some interpreting Jesus’ teachings as a call to protect the unborn and others emphasizing the importance of compassion for women facing difficult decisions.
The historical context of the Bible is also important. In ancient times, the concept of a fetus as a person with legal rights was not as developed as it is today. Life was often considered to begin at birth, or at the first breath. This is not to say that life in the womb was not valued, but it was not legally and morally equivalent to the life of a born person.
Ultimately, the Bible does not have a single, clear answer on the issue of abortion. It provides a number of passages that can be interpreted in different ways, and its silence on the matter has left the door open for a wide range of theological and ethical views. The debate is a reflection of a deeper tension between a literal interpretation of the Bible and a more contextual and compassionate approach.