Does the Bible even speak about abortion?

Strictly speaking, abortion is not addressed in the Old or New Testaments. However, several passages have a bearing on the issue of abortion.

• Exodus 20:13 and Deuteronomy 5:17 - As noted above, the prohibition against murder precludes a person from removing a human obstacle. In God’s kingdom, such an act is both immoral and unnecessary as God’s benevolence and provision preclude the need to murder another image-bearer.
• Exodus 21:22-25 - Often cited as a text that seems to fly in the face of those who claim that a fetus bears God’s image and, thus, should not be murdered, Exodus 21:22-25 actually illustrates the opposite. The issue is one of translation as the Hebrew word often translated “come out” in birthing contexts (Gen 25:25; 38:28) is, at times, rendered as “miscarriage” in this context. There is a Hebrew word that seems to refer to miscarriage more specifically in other contexts in the Old Testament (Gen 31:38; Exodus 23:26; Hos 9:14). In Exodus 21:22-25, however, it seems that there is no capital punishment if the woman who is hit goes into birth early and neither the woman or child are harmed (21:22). If the child, or presumably the woman, is harmed beyond the early labor, capital punishment would come into effect (21:23-25).
• Psalm 139:13 - While we should not view this passage as a scientific text, it does suggest that the Israelites knew God was active in forming individuals before birth.
• Jeremiah 1:5 - This text is probably one of the more well-known texts used to demonstrate that life begins at conception. Despite its poetic nature, the assertions in this text seem to assume a common understanding about children in the womb.

There are some other texts that are more suggestive. Note, for instance, the references to babies in the womb in Genesis 25:22 and Luke 1:41. These references point to life in the womb that acts and, in the case of Luke 1:41, responds to external stimuli.