Exodus 1:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this, and let the male children live?"

NIV: Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, "Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?"

NASB: So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, 'Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?'

CSB: So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, "Why have you done this and let the boys live?"

NLT: So the king of Egypt called for the midwives. 'Why have you done this?' he demanded. 'Why have you allowed the boys to live?'

KJV: And 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?

NKJV: So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and saved the male children alive?”

The midwives refused to put newborn males to death (Exodus 1:16). Pharaoh confronted Shiphrah and Puah (Exodus 1:15) regarding his orders to commit infanticide. It would seem to him that they've disobeyed—which they have (Exodus 1:17). Their response (Exodus 1:19) is an overt lie: claiming that Hebrew women were birthing children before the midwives arrive. Verse 17 is clear that these midwives refused to kill the children. God, apparently, approved of their difficult and risky decision (Exodus 1:20).

This is a rare situation where deception led to saving innocent lives. A similar situation is found when Rahab protects two Jewish spies visiting Jericho. She lied to the soldiers and helped the two spies escape. God honored Rahab as a result. Her action was considered an act of faith rather than sin (Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25). Though lying is sin (Exodus 20:16; Ephesians 4:25), these two examples reveal times when God honored someone who lied to protect innocent lives. As challenging as they may be, incidents such as these are still part of God's inspired Word and must be considered when discussing ethical issues.

One might also consider the way these incidents draw out the theme of the woman and the serpent in the biblical narrative. In Genesis 3, Satan used deception to trick Eve. God declares, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel" (Genesis 3:15). This is known as the protoevangelium, or first gospel. It is a promise of Messiah. In these instances, we see the unfolding plan of salvation as God preserves Israel, from whom the Messiah would come. The midwives' and Rahab's use of deception turned the enemy's tactic against him. The enemy's deception led to death; these women used deception against the enemy and it led to life and deliverance for God's people.

Exodus 1:15–22 describes the most drastic attempt to curb Israeli population growth. After enslavement and brutality, the Hebrews are still growing. Out of fear, the Egyptians seek other ways of reducing Israeli power. Here, Pharaoh will enact a program of infanticide: ordering Hebrew midwives to murder male Jewish babies. When they resist, Egypt's king extends this command to the Egyptian people in general. This backdrop of murder sets the scene for the rise of Moses, the eventual leader of the nation of Israel.

The children of Abraham and Jacob grow rapidly, forming a prosperous nation made up of twelve tribes, one for each son of Jacob. This inspires fear and hate from the Egyptians. Their king first tries to slow down the Hebrews' growth by enslaving them. Next, he increases the brutality of their work. Then, he tries to command Jewish midwives to kill their own people's newborn baby boys. When these all fail, he openly orders the murder of all Jewish infant boys. Inadvertently, this creates the very situation which leads to the rise of Israel's eventual leader, Moses.

Exodus chapter 1 establishes the difficult reality faced by the nation of Israel. At the end of Genesis, Abraham's descendants were finally safe. In this passage, they become prosperous and expand rapidly. This, however, results in fear and hatred from the native Egyptians, who enact a program of slavery and infanticide against the Hebrews. This sets the scene for the arrival of Israel's greatest leader, the prophet Moses, who will speak for God during this time of Israel's rescue. The next chapter explains Moses' dangerous childhood and exile in the desert.

The book of Exodus establishes God's covenant relationship with the full-fledged nation of Israel. The descendants of Abraham prosper after settling in Egypt, only to be enslaved by a fearful, hateful Egyptian Pharaoh. God appoints Moses to lead the people out of this bondage. Moses serves as God's spokesman, as the Lord brings plagues and judgments on Egypt, leading to the release of Israel.