New English Translation
Exodus 1:19
19The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women – for the Hebrew women are vigorous; they give birth before the midwife gets to them!”
Exodus 1:19 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.
- New International Version (NIV)The midwives answered Pharaoh, “Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive.”
- English Standard Version (ESV)The 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."
- New King James Version (NKJV)And the midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are lively and give birth before the midwives come to them.”
Context of Exodus 1:19
17But the midwives feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live. 18Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this and let the boys live?” The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women – for the Hebrew women are vigorous; they give birth before the midwife gets to them!” 20So God treated the midwives well, and the people multiplied and became very strong. 21And because the midwives feared God, he made households for them.
Read all of Exodus 1Exodus 1:19 word by word
וַתֹּאמַ֤רְןָ הַֽמְיַלְּדֹת֙ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֔ה כִּ֣י לֹ֧א כַנָּשִׁ֛ים הַמִּצְרִיֹּ֖ת הָֽעִבְרִיֹּ֑ת כִּֽי־חָי֣וֹת הֵ֔נָּה בְּטֶ֨רֶם תָּב֧וֹא אֲלֵהֶ֛ן הַמְיַלֶּ֖דֶת וְיָלָֽדוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- And the midwivesיָלַדyâlad · to begetH3205
- saidאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- unto Pharaohפַּרְעֹהpar‛ôh · PharaohH6547
- Because the Hebrewעִבְרִי‛ibrîy · HebrewH5680
- womenאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
- not as the Egyptian womenמִצְרִיmitsrîy · EgyptianH4713
- livelyחָיֶהchâyeh · vigorousH2422
- ereטֶ֫רֶםţerem · beforeH2962
- come inבּוֹאbô' · to come (in): comeH935
Cross-references for Exodus 1:19
- Joshua 2:4But the woman hid the two men and replied, “Yes, these men were clients of mine, but I didn’t know where they came from.
- 1 Samuel 21:2David replied to Ahimelech the priest, “The king instructed me to do something, but he said to me, ‘Don’t let anyone know the reason I am sending you or the instructions I have given you.’ I have told my soldiers to wait at a certain place.
- 2 Samuel 17:19His wife then took the covering and spread it over the top of the well and scattered some grain over it. No one was aware of what she had done.
Commentaries on Exodus 1:19
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 19The Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women - This is a simple statement of what general experience shows to be a fact, viz., that women, who during the whole of their pregnancy are accustomed to hard labor, especially in the open air, have comparatively little pain in parturition. At this time the whole Hebrew nation, men and women, were in a state of slavery, and were obliged to work in mortar and brick, and all manner of service In The Field, Exodus…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. 19Some people may feel concerned that the midwives did not speak openly about their main reason for keeping the baby boys alive. However, this passage shows an important principle. Complete openness in every situation is not presented as more important than faithful loyalty to God and to his people. The midwives chose to protect life and to remain loyal to the Lord.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-22Commentary by Robert Jamieson 1. Now these are the names--(See Ge 46:8-26).Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 1:19
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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