Exodus 1:21 - Printer Friendly

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.

In addition to the three positives mentioned in verse 21, this verse adds one more blessing. This is the result of the attitude we are once again reminded of: "the midwives feared God." This verse is parallel with the same phrase in verse 17. Because of their obedience, God blessed these evil-defying midwives with "families." The Hebrew word is literally "houses" or "households," referring to families. For women of this era, there was no greater blessing than the security provided by a large number of children. Those who obeyed God by protecting families were themselves blessed with families.

This verse is also the final mention of midwives in Exodus or elsewhere in the Bible. Despite their brief appearances in Scripture, midwives played an important role in ancient society. In this particular 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, leaving a great legacy for these brave women.

Exodus 1:15–22 describes the Egyptian king's third, most drastic attempt to curb Israeli population growth. After enslavement and brutality, the Hebrews are still growing. Out of political fears and racial disgust, 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.