Exodus 1:15

_AND 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:_ The king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives. It appears from the monumental sculptures that female accoucheurs were employed in ancient as in modern Egypt (Wilkinson, in Rawlinson's 'Herodotus,' b. 2:, ch. 85). Two only were spoken to by the king; whence it may be inferred, either that they were the heads of a large corporation (Rosenmuller, 'A. und. N. Morgenl.,' 1:, p. 255; Laborde, 'Commentaire Geographique'); or that, by tampering with these, he designed to intimidate the other practitioners, so as to secure the secret compliance of all of them with his wishes (Calvin). A third hypothesis is, that it was only the midwives who practiced in and around the capital (see the close of the chapter). Opinions are divided as to whether the two accoucheurs menti...

15._And the king of Egypt spake. _The tyrant now descends from the open violence and cruelty which had availed nothing, to secret plots and deceit. He desires the infants to be killed at their birth; and commands the midwives to be the instruments of this dreadful barbarity. We read of no such detestable example of inhumanity since the world began. I admit it has occasionally happened, that, upon the capture of a city, the conquerors have not spared even children and infants; that is to say, either in the heat of battle, or because the defense had been too obstinate, and they had lost many of their men, whose death they would avenge. It has happened, too, that an uncle, or brother, or guardian, has been impelled by the ambition of reigning to put children to death. It has happened, again, that in the detestation of a tyrant, and to destroy the very memory of his family, his whole offspri...

15-22 The Egyptians tried to destroy Israel by the murder of their children. The enmity that is in the seed of the serpent, against the Seed of the woman, makes men forget all pity. It is plain that the Hebrews were now under an uncommon blessing. And we see that the services done for God's Israel are often repaid in kind. Pharaoh gave orders to drown all the male children of the Hebrews. The enemy who, by Pharaoh, attempted to destroy the church in this its infant state, is busy to stifle the rise of serious reflections in the heart of man. Let those who would escape, be afraid of sinning, and cry directly and fervently to the Lord for assistance....

Verse Exodus 1:15. _HEBREW MIDWIVES_] _Shiphrah_ and _Puah_, who are here mentioned, were probably certain _chiefs_, under whom all the rest acted, and by whom they were instructed in the _obstetric_ art. _Aben_ _Ezra_ supposes there could not have been fewer than five hundred midwives among the Hebrew women at this time, but that very few were requisite see proved on Exodus 1:19. _See Clark on "_Exodus 1:19_"_....

HEBREW MIDWIFES - Or “midwives of the Hebrew women.” This measure at once attested the inefficacy of the former measures, and was the direct cause of the event which issued in the deliverance of Israel, namely, the exposure of Moses. The women bear Egyptian names, and were probably Egyptians....

EXPOSITION EXODUS 1:15-2 Some time—say five or six years—having elapsed and the Pharaoh's first plan having manifestly failed, it was necessary for him either to give up his purpose, or to devise something else. Persevering and tenacious, he preferred the latter course. He bethought himself that a stop might be put to the multiplication of the Israelites by means of infanticide on a large scale. Infanticide was no doubt a crime in Egypt, as in most countries except Rome; but the royal command would legitimate almost any action, since the king was recognised as a god; and the wrongs of a foreign and subject race would not sensibly move the Egyptian people, or be likely to provoke remonstrance. On looking about for suitable instruments to carry out his design, it struck the monarch that something, at any rate, might be done by means of the midwives who at

AND THE KING OF EGYPT SPAKE TO THE HEBREW MIDWIVES,.... It is difficult to say who these midwives were, whether Egyptian or Hebrew women. Josephus is of opinion that they were Egyptians, and indeed those the king was most likely to succeed with; and it may seem improbable that he should offer such a thing to Hebrew women, who he could never think would ever comply with it, through promises or threatenings; and the answer they afterwards gave him, that the Hebrew women were not as the Egyptian women, looks as if they were of the latter: and yet, after all, it is more likely that these midwives were Hebrew women, their names are Hebrew; and besides, they are not said to be the midwives of Hebrew women, but Hebrew midwives; nor does it seem probable that the Hebrew women should have Egyptian midwives, and not those of their own nation; and they were such as feared the Lord; and the Targums...

ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATIONS I. ISRAEL'S DELIVERANCE OUT OF THE HANDS OF THE EGYPTIANS 1. The House of Bondage CHAPTER 1 _ 1. The names of the children of Israel; their increase (Exodus 1:1)_ 2. The new king and his policy (Exodus 1:8) 3. The continued increase (Exodus 1:12) 4. Their hard bondage (Exodus 1:13) 5. The midwives commanded (Exodus 1:15) 6. Their disobedience and God's reward (Exodus 1:17) 7. Pharaoh's charg

EXODUS 1:15 E ( EXODUS 1:20 B J). ATTEMPT TO DESTROY MALE CHILDREN. From another source we learn of two more ineffectual measures to restrict population. The two midwives, whose names tradition loved to recall for their heroism (while careless about the Pharaoh's name!), were, according to Josephus, Egyptian. Though commentators differ, the tone of the passage confirms that view, which requires the rendering, the midwives of the Hebrew women (lit. those women who help the Hebrew women to bring forth). Humanity and natural religion (they feared God, _cf._ Genesis 20:11; Genesis 42:18) outweighed the royal command. The proce

AND THE KING OF EGYPT, &C.— Pharaoh finding, by the experience of at least ten years, that neither the hardships he laid upon the Hebrews, nor all the cruelties which his officers and people used towards them, could prevent their multiplying, he devised another more cruel scheme, and sent for two of the principal Hebrew midwives, to _enjoin them_ the execution of it. Though, Moses mentions but two midwives, yet we must not suppose that they could suffice to such a vast number of women. It is therefore most probable that these two were the chief, who had the charge and direction of the rest. That there was such a superiority among midwives appears probable, at least, from what Plutarch tells us, that among the Grecians there were some to whom the care of this business was committed; and that public schools were kept for that purpose....