Exodus 1:15-22 Meaning: Shiphrah and Puah
15The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah,
16and he said, “When you perform the duty of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birth stool, if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.”
17But the midwives feared God, and didn’t do what the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the baby boys alive.
18The king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, “Why have you done this thing and saved the boys alive?”
19The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women aren’t like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.”
20God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied, and grew very mighty.
21Because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.
22Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “You shall cast every son who is born into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.”
15And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:
16And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.
17But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.
18And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?
19And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.
20Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.
21And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.
22And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.
15And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:
16and he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the birth-stool; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him; but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.
17But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men-children alive.
18And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men-children alive?
19And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwife come unto them.
20And God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.
21And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them households.
22And Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive.
15And the king of Egypt speaketh to the midwives, the Hebrewesses, (of whom the name of the one is Shiphrah, and the name of the second Puah),
16and saith, `When ye cause the Hebrew women to bear, and have looked on the children; if it is a son--then ye have put him to death; and if it is a daughter--then she hath lived.'
17And the midwives fear God, and have not done as the king of Egypt hath spoken unto them, and keep the lads alive;
18and the king of Egypt calleth for the midwives, and saith to them, `Wherefore have ye done this thing, and keep the lads alive?'
19And the midwives say unto Pharaoh, `Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women, for they are lively; before the midwife cometh in unto them--they have borne!'
20And God doth good to the midwives, and the people multiply, and are very mighty;
21and it cometh to pass, because the midwives have feared God, that He maketh for them households;
22and Pharaoh layeth a charge on all his people, saying, `Every son who is born--into the River ye do cast him, and every daughter ye do keep alive.'
15And the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives — of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other was Puah —
16and he said, When ye help the Hebrew women in bearing, and see [them] on the stool, if it be a son, then ye shall kill him, but if a daughter, then she shall live.
17But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt had said to them, but saved the male children alive.
18And the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, Why have ye done this, and saved the male children alive?
19And the midwives said to Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian; for they are strong, and they have borne before the midwife comes to them.
20And God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and became very strong.
21And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.
22Then Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river, but every daughter ye shall save alive.
Meaning in one sentence
Why did the midwives Shiphrah and Puah disobey Pharaoh? Their fear of God led them to save Hebrew boys, and God blessed their courage.
Context
Exodus 1 sets the stage for the whole story of liberation. The Israelites have multiplied in Egypt, and a new Pharaoh who does not remember Joseph grows afraid of them. First he tries harsh labor to break their spirit, but the people keep growing. So he turns to a darker plan. He summons the two women who lead the Hebrew midwives and gives them a direct order: kill every baby boy born to the Hebrew women, but let the girls live. The midwives face a choice between obeying the most powerful ruler on earth and obeying the God they know forbids murder. Their decision sets off a chain of events that leads to the birth of Moses and the exodus. This short passage introduces the quiet heroism that runs through the whole Bible: ordinary people who fear God more than they fear a throne.
Key Words
The Hebrew verb behind feared (יָרֵא, yare) appears twice in this passage, uniting the midwives' motive with God's response. Yare means more than being scared. It carries the sense of reverent awe that shapes how you live. The midwives did not just feel nervous about Pharaoh; they held God in such high regard that his commands outweighed the king's. That is the fear that Proverbs 8:13 says makes you hate evil.
The word for midwives (מְיַלְּדֹת, meyalledot) comes from the root yalad, to give birth. These women were helpers of life, not death. Pharaoh asked them to turn their calling upside down. Their names, Shiphrah (“fair” or “beauty”) and Puah (“splendid”), are recorded and remembered. In a culture that often left women unnamed, God makes sure we know who they were.
When the text says God made them houses (בָּתִּים, batim), the image is of building a family line. The same phrase appears for David’s dynasty in 2 Samuel 7:11. These two women, by their quiet defiance, received the very gift they helped protect: children, a future, a name that lasts.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have differed on two questions in this passage. First, were Shiphrah and Puah Hebrew women or Egyptians? Some commentators point to their Egyptian names and argue they were Egyptians serving Hebrew mothers. Others think they were Hebrews, since they are called “Hebrew midwives” and show knowledge of the true God. Both views find support in the text, and both agree on the central fact: these women feared the living God, not Pharaoh.
Second, what about the midwives’ explanation to Pharaoh, that the Hebrew women gave birth before they arrived? Many Christian readers see this as a half-truth, a human weakness alongside genuine faith. Others suggest it was simply true, given the strength of Hebrew women under hard labor. Historic Christian teaching has generally agreed that while we may not have all the details, the text clearly praises the midwives for their fear of God, not for the specifics of their answer. Their hands were clean of blood, and God honoured that.
A common misunderstanding
A common misreading is that God blessed the midwives because they lied to Pharaoh. But the text does not say that. Look closely: “God dealt well with the midwives” appears right after we are told they feared God and did not kill the boys. The lie is recorded, but it is never praised or blamed. What God blessed was their courage to protect the children. The story invites us to celebrate their life-saving faith, not to debate the ethics of their excuse.
Living This Out
This week you might face a moment where doing what is right costs something. It may not be as dramatic as a king's command, maybe a small pressure to cut a corner at work, to stay silent when someone is being treated unfairly, to go along with something that leaves the vulnerable unprotected. Shiphrah and Puah show us that fear of God can look very ordinary. They did not lead a revolt. They simply did not do what they were told, and they kept helping mothers bring life into the world. Ask yourself: where is God asking me to quietly disobey a wrong order, even if no one else will ever know my name?
Main takeaway: Fear of God can give ordinary people extraordinary courage to protect the vulnerable, even against a king's command.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
There were two helpers named Shiphrah and Puah. A mean king told them to hurt the baby boys, but they loved God more than the king, so they kept the babies safe. God was happy with them and gave them their own families.
For ages 9, 12
Pharaoh was the most powerful man in Egypt, and he commanded the midwives to kill every Hebrew baby boy. But Shiphrah and Puah knew that God says not to murder. They chose to obey God instead of the king, even though it was dangerous. They made up a story to protect themselves, and God blessed them for saving the children. This story shows that God sees when we stand up for what is right, even if we have to do it quietly.
Questions People Ask
Were Shiphrah and Puah Hebrew or Egyptian?
Commentators disagree. Their names are Egyptian, and some think they were Egyptian women serving Hebrew mothers. Others read ‘Hebrew midwives’ as meaning they were Israelites. Both views have supporters. Either way, they clearly believed in the God of Israel and risked their lives to obey him.
Did God approve of the midwives' lie to Pharaoh?
The Bible does not say. It records their lie without praising or condemning it. What it praises is their fear of God and their refusal to kill the babies. Christians have debated this for centuries; the text leaves room for both recognizing human imperfection and celebrating the life-saving outcome.
What does it mean that God ‘made them houses’?
This is a Hebrew idiom for giving them families and establishing their family lines. It is the same phrase used for God building David’s dynasty in 2 Samuel 7:11. The midwives, who saved children, were blessed with children of their own.
Why does the Bible record their names but not other details about them?
It is striking that the text names two ordinary women while the Pharaoh remains unnamed. This honors their courage and ensures their story is remembered. God values those who quietly do the right thing, even when the powerful of the world are forgotten.
How does this story connect to the birth of Moses?
Because the midwives refused to kill the boys, the next chapter shows another Hebrew mother hiding her baby. That baby is Moses, who will lead Israel out of Egypt. The faithful defiance of these two women set the stage for the whole exodus.
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