Christian Standard Bible
Exodus 1:20
20So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied and became very numerous.
Exodus 1:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty.
- New International Version (NIV)So God was kind to the midwives and the people increased and became even more numerous.
- English Standard Version (ESV)So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty.
Context of Exodus 1:20
18So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this and let the boys live?” 19The midwives said to Pharaoh, “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife can get to them.” So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied and became very numerous. 21Since the midwives feared God, he gave them families. 22Pharaoh then commanded all his people, “You must throw every son born to the Hebrews into the Nile, but let every daughter live.”
Read all of Exodus 1Exodus 1:20 word by word
וַיֵּ֥יטֶב אֱלֹהִ֖ים לַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֑ת וַיִּ֧רֶב הָעָ֛ם וַיַּֽעַצְמ֖וּ מְאֹֽד׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Exodus 1:20
- Psalms 41:1Happy is one who is considerate of the poor; the Lord will save him in a day of adversity.
- Psalms 61:5God, you have heard my vows; you have given a heritage to those who fear your name.
- Psalms 85:9His salvation is very near those who fear him, so that glory may dwell in our land.
- Psalms 103:11For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his faithful love toward those who fear him.
- Psalms 111:5He has provided food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever.
- Psalms 145:19He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry for help and saves them.
- Proverbs 11:18The wicked person earns an empty wage, but the one who sows righteousness, a true reward.
- Proverbs 19:17Kindness to the poor is a loan to the Lord, and he will give a reward to the lender.
- Ecclesiastes 8:12Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, I also know that it will go well with God-fearing people, for they are reverent before him.
- Isaiah 3:10Tell the righteous that it will go well for them, for they will eat the fruit of their labor.
- Matthew 10:42And whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is a disciple, truly I tell you, he will never lose his reward.”
- Matthew 25:40“And the King will answer them, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
- Luke 1:50His mercy is from generation to generation on those who fear him.
- Hebrews 6:10For God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you demonstrated for his name by serving the saints — and by continuing to serve them.
- Exodus 1:7But the Israelites were fruitful, increased rapidly, multiplied, and became extremely numerous so that the land was filled with them.
Commentaries on Exodus 1:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty - This shows an especial providence and blessing of God; for though in all cases where females are kept to hard labor they have comparatively easy and safe travail, yet in a state of slavery the increase is generally very small, as the children die for want of proper nursing, the women, through their labor, being obliged to neglect their offspring; so that in the…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-22Verses 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…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20-21He gave them families: For most of history, children have had the worthy goal of growing up to raise a family. God graciously granted the universal wish of these women who served him courageously and faithfully.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 20-2120-21. God dealt well with the midwives--This represents God as rewarding them for telling a lie. This difficulty is wholly removed by a more correct translation. To "make" or "build up a house" in Hebrew idiom, means to have a numerous progeny. The passage then should be rendered thus: "God protected the midwives, and the people waxed very mighty; and because the midwives feared, the Hebrews grew and prospered."Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 1:20
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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