Exodus 1:15

Exodus 1:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)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:
• New International Version (NIV)The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah,
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah,
• New King James Version (NKJV)Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah;

Context of Exodus 1:15

13So the Egyptians worked the people of Israel without mercy. 14They made their lives bitter, forcing them to mix mortar and make bricks and do all the work in the fields. They were ruthless in all their demands. Then Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, gave this order to the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah: 16“When you help the Hebrew women as they give birth, watch as they deliver. If the baby is a boy, kill him; if it is a girl, let her live.” 17But because the midwives feared God, they refused to obey the king’s orders. They allowed the boys to live, too.

Exodus 1:15 word by word

וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם לַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֖ת הָֽעִבְרִיֹּ֑ת אֲשֶׁ֨ר שֵׁ֤ם הָֽאַחַת֙ שִׁפְרָ֔ה וְשֵׁ֥ם הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית פּוּעָֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the kingמֶ֫לֶךְmelek · kingH4428
• of Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
• spakeאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• to the Hebrewעִבְרִי‛ibrîy · HebrewH5680
• midwivesיָלַדyâlad · to begetH3205
• of which the nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
• of the oneאֶחָד'echâd · oneH259
• Shiphrahשִׁפְרָהshiphrâh · ShiphrahH8236
• of the otherשֵׁנִיshênîy · secondH8145
• Puahפּוּעָהpû‛âh · PuahH6326

Commentaries on Exodus 1:15

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 15Hebrew 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; (note).Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15Hebrew 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.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. 15Pharaoh is a title for the Egyptian ruler, not a personal name. The origin of the word Hebrew is not clear. When Egyptians and Philistines used this word for the Israelites, it may have been an insult. It likely described a low social class that other people considered unimportant or inferior. Whatever the number of Hebrew people, there were clearly more than two midwives for the whole nation (see study note on 12:37). Shiphrah and Puah probably represent…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1515. the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives--Two only were spoken to--either they were the heads of a large corporation [Laborde], or, by tampering with these two, the king designed to terrify the rest into secret compliance with his wishes [Calvin].Read the comment

Topics related to Exodus 1:15

• Infanticide
• Israel
• Midwifery
• Oppression
• Puah
• Servant
• Shiphrah
• Usurpation

In the dictionaries

• Egypt
• Egypt, Egyptian
• Pharaoh, king of Egypt
• Arise
• Bitter
• Exodus
• Hard
• Hebrew
• Lie
• Midwife

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