lost in the translations
I had a little fun comparing translations of that passage. A lot of the translations are like this one (Names of God Bible) in trying to clarify that point:
11 This is what you must do when two men are fighting and the wife of one of them comes to rescue her husband from the man who is beating him. If she tries to stop the fight by grabbing the other man’s genitals, 12 cut off her hand. Have no pity on her.
What was even more fun was seeing all the euphemisms for That Which is Grabbed: "his secrets", "his secret parts", "his privates", "sex organs", "genitals", "privities" (1599), "sex part", "privy members".
Not to mention the verbs: "seize", "seizing", "grabbing", "grabbing hold", "take hold", "laid hold".
But the meaning of one thing was never unclear, though the words varied: "show her no mercy; cut off her hand" (Good News Translation [ironic, isn't it?]).
I just can't wait for the restoration of a America as a Christian Nation!