The single word that changes everything

There is some question as to who is being referred to when Exodus 21:22 speaks of "further harm". Whether the one pointed to as being further harmed is the fetus or the woman changes the entire concept of when life begins. After researching this subject, I found the controversy stems from a difference in the Greek and Hebrew texts. I should say here, also, that there seems to be controversy over how to phrase the verse in English, as well, in the Torah versions that can be found online.

In the Greek text, the word used to translate the Hebrew term carried with it the connotation of the fetus experiencing a live birth. In most of the available Hebrew texts, however, no such baggage is carried, specifying "miscarry", which means the fetus was dead before birth.

This one mistranslated word into the Greek texts means all the difference in the world. You can see the modern effect by examining the various Bible translations available on the market today. Some used the original Hebrew text, others used the later Greek. Some used, for a time, the Hebrew text and then shifted to the Greek. Such a shift could have been made for many reasons, pushing a pro-life agenda chief among them.

Since 'further harm' refers to the woman according to the Hebrew text and Talmud discussions, it is fairly clear that God never intended for man to think life begins at conception. Nor is abortion considered a sin by God, since there is not yet a Life inside that husk. A perfect analogy for a fetus is a car whose motor is running, but there's no driver -- yet. (Apologies for not knowing the speaker's name but that analogy came from a guest on "Make It Plain" with Mark Thompson (XM/Sirius Progress channel).) This usage also gives continuity to all the Old Testament examples of how God sees the value of human life. The same cannot be said for the notion that one's life would be forfeit for the termination of a fetus. There is no biblical support at all beyond a single mistranslated word in Exodus.