English Standard Version
Exodus 1:20
20So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong.
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.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty.
- New Living Translation (NLT)So God was good to the midwives, and the Israelites continued to multiply, growing more and more powerful.
Context of Exodus 1:20
18So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this, and let the male children live?" 19The midwives said to Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them." So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. 21And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. 22Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, "Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall 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 41:1Blessed is the one who considers the poor! In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him;
- Psalms 61:5For you, O God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
- Psalms 85:9Surely his salvation is near to those who fear him, that glory may dwell in our land.
- Psalms 103:11For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
- Psalms 111:5He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever.
- Psalms 145:19He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them.
- Proverbs 11:18The wicked earns deceptive wages, but one who sows righteousness gets a sure reward.
- Proverbs 19:17Whoever is generous to the poor lends to the Lord, and he will repay him for his deed.
- Ecclesiastes 8:12Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him.
- Isaiah 3:10Tell the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds.
- Matthew 10:42And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."
- Matthew 25:40And the King will answer them, 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'
- Luke 1:50And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.
- Hebrews 6:10For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.
- Exodus 1:7But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, 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
English Standard Version — © 2001 Crossway Bibles
Commentaries