New English Translation
Exodus 1:21
21And because the midwives feared God, he made households for them.
Exodus 1:21 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.
- New International Version (NIV)And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.
- English Standard Version (ESV)And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And so it was, because the midwives feared God, that He provided households for them.
Context of Exodus 1:21
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!” 20So God treated the midwives well, and the people multiplied and became very strong. And because the midwives feared God, he made households for them. 22Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “All sons that are born you must throw into the river, but all daughters you may let live.”
Read all of Exodus 1Exodus 1:21 word by word
וַיְהִ֕י כִּֽי־יָֽרְא֥וּ הַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֖ת אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים וַיַּ֥עַשׂ לָהֶ֖ם בָּתִּֽים׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Exodus 1:21
- 1 Samuel 2:35Then I will raise up for myself a faithful priest. He will do what is in my heart and soul. I will build for him a secure dynasty and he will serve my chosen one for all time.
- 1 Samuel 25:28Please forgive the sin of your servant, for the Lord will certainly establish the house of my lord, because my lord fights the battles of the Lord. May no evil be found in you all your days!
- 2 Samuel 7:11and during the time when I appointed judges to lead my people Israel. Instead, I will give you relief from all your enemies. The Lord declares to you that he himself will build a dynastic house for you.
- 1 Kings 2:24Now, as certainly as the Lord lives (he who made me secure, allowed me to sit on my father David’s throne, and established a dynasty for me as he promised), Adonijah will be executed today!”
- 1 Kings 11:38You must obey all I command you to do, follow my instructions, do what I approve, and keep my rules and commandments, like my servant David did. Then I will be with you and establish for you a lasting dynasty, as I did for David; I will give you Israel.
- Psalms 37:3Trust in the Lord and do what is right! Settle in the land and maintain your integrity!
- Psalms 127:1If the Lord does not build a house, then those who build it work in vain. If the Lord does not guard a city, then the watchman stands guard in vain.
- Proverbs 24:3By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established;
- Ecclesiastes 8:12Even though a sinner might commit a hundred crimes and still live a long time, yet I know that it will go well with God-fearing people – for they stand in fear before him.
- Jeremiah 35:2“Go to the Rechabite community. Invite them to come into one of the side rooms of the Lord’s temple and offer them some wine to drink.”
Commentaries on Exodus 1:21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21He made them houses - Dr. Shuckford thinks that there is something wrong both in the punctuation and translation of this place, and reads the passage thus, adding the 21st to the 20th verse: "And they multiplied and waxed mighty; and this happened (ויהי vayehi ) because the midwives feared God; and he (Pharaoh) made (להם lahem, masc.). them (the Israelites) houses; and commanded all his people, saying, Every son that is born, etc." The doctor supposes…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21Made them houses - i. e. they married Hebrews and became mothers in Israel. The expression is proverbial. See the margin reference.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 1:21
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
New English Translation — © 1996-2016 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.
Commentaries