“But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.”
My Notes
What Does Exodus 1:17 Mean?
The Hebrew midwives—Shiphrah and Puah—disobey Pharaoh's direct command to kill all male Hebrew babies because they "feared God." The fear of God overrode the fear of Pharaoh. Two women, operating at the bottom of the social hierarchy (midwives in a slave community), defied the most powerful ruler on earth because their allegiance to God was stronger than their fear of the king.
The text names them: Shiphrah and Puah. In a narrative where Pharaoh isn't named, the midwives are. The anonymous king is less important to God's record than the named midwives. The powerful ruler who commanded the killing is unnamed. The powerless women who resisted are recorded by name forever. God's historical record inverts the power hierarchy.
The phrase "saved the men children alive" describes an act of civil disobedience rooted in moral conviction. The midwives didn't organize a protest. They didn't file a complaint. They simply did their job faithfully—delivering babies alive—when the state commanded them to do it unfaithfully. Their resistance was quiet, practical, and effective. They saved lives by doing what they were trained to do and refusing to corrupt it.
Reflection Questions
- 1.When authority demands something that contradicts your conscience, do you fear God more than the authority?
- 2.The midwives are named. Pharaoh isn't. What does that tell you about how God evaluates power versus courage?
- 3.Shiphrah and Puah resisted by doing their job faithfully. What does quiet, practical moral resistance look like in your context?
- 4.Have you ever disobeyed a human authority because you feared God more? What happened?
Devotional
Pharaoh said: kill the babies. The midwives said: no. The most powerful ruler in the world gave a direct command. Two women at the bottom of the social hierarchy disobeyed it—because they feared God more than they feared Pharaoh. And the babies lived.
Shiphrah and Puah are named. Pharaoh isn't. God's record names the midwives and leaves the king anonymous. In the divine accounting, the women who saved lives matter more than the man who ordered their deaths. The unnamed Pharaoh is a footnote. The named midwives are heroes. Power doesn't determine significance. Courage does.
Their resistance wasn't dramatic. They didn't lead a revolution. They didn't organize a movement. They delivered babies—alive. They did their job the way it was supposed to be done and refused to corrupt it when the state told them to. The most effective act of moral resistance was simply doing their work faithfully when unfaithful work was demanded.
If you're in a position where the powers above you are commanding something that contradicts what you know is right—if the system demands corruption of your work, your conscience, or your integrity—Shiphrah and Puah show the path. Fear God more than Pharaoh. Do your job faithfully. Save the lives you can save. And know that God names the people who resist evil quietly—even when the world doesn't notice, and even when the powerful king who gave the order is forgotten by history.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
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Cross References
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