His statement, “If one of those remaining is absent, a minor, or insane, then his return, maturity, or recovery of reason must be awaited”: in rhetoric, this is called ordered grouping and distribution. If he had said, “Maturity, recovery of reason, and return must be awaited,” this would be called unordered, or confused, grouping and distribution.

Thus, if one of the heirs entitled to retaliation is a minor, the adult heirs are not entitled to proceed with retaliation on their own. Rather, the offender must be detained until the minor reaches maturity. Then, if the minor chooses retaliation, it is carried out; but if he chooses blood money, retaliation is waived.

His statement, “Third,” means: the third condition.

His statement, “That it must be ensured, when carrying it out, that the offender is not exceeded against,” means: that the carrying out of retaliation must not entail excess.

His statement, “the offender,” is an accusative direct object.

His statement, “Thus, if retaliation becomes due against a pregnant woman, or against a non-pregnant woman who subsequently becomes pregnant, she is not executed until she gives birth and nurses the child with the first milk”: if retaliation becomes due against a pregnant woman and we were to carry it out against her, we would kill both her and what is in her womb, whereas the fetus is innocent. Therefore, it must be awaited, and she is not executed until she gives birth and nurses the child with the first milk.

The apparent meaning of the author’s words is that this applies whether it is at the beginning of the pregnancy or after the soul has been breathed into it, because at the beginning of pregnancy it will take form and develop from a drop of fluid, to a clinging clot, to a morsel of flesh, and then into a human being; and because its father has a right in