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Exodus 1:21
ESV And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.
NIV And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.
NASB And because the midwives feared God, He established households for them.
CSB Since the midwives feared God, he gave them families.
NLT And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.
KJV And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.
NKJV And so it was, because the midwives feared God, that He provided households for them.

What does Exodus 1:21 mean?

In addition to the positive results already mentioned (Exodus 1:20), this verse adds one more blessing. This is the result of the attitude of "fearing" the Lord God (Exodus 1:17). Because of their obedience to Him, God blessed these evil-defying midwives (Acts 5:29) with families. The Hebrew word is literally "houses" or "households." For women of this era, there was no greater blessing than the security provided by many offspring. Those who obeyed God by protecting Israeli families were themselves blessed with families.

This is the final mention of midwives in Scripture. Despite their rare mention in the Bible, midwives played an important role in ancient society. In this account, their work was complicated by the evil command of the pharaoh. These women showed great courage to oppose his decree and protect newborn children. In this case, their courage led to God blessing them with their own families: a treasure worth more than any amount of money and an enduring legacy.
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