Tree of Life Version
Exodus 1:21
21Because the midwives feared God, He gave them families of their own.
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 told Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women. They are like animals, and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” 20So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied, growing very numerous. Because the midwives feared God, He gave them families of their own. 22But Pharaoh charged all his people saying, “You are to cast every son that is born into the river, but let every daughter 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 2:35“Yet I will raise up for Myself a faithful kohen who will do according to what is in My heart and My mind. Then I will build him an enduring house, and he will walk before My anointed one all the time.
- 1 Samuel 25:28Please, forgive the trespass of your maidservant. For Adonai will certainly make an enduring house for my lord, because my lord is fighting the battles of Adonai. So let no wrongdoing be found in you all your days.
- 2 Samuel 7:11since the day that I commanded judges to be over My people Israel. So I will give you rest from all your enemies. “Moreover, Adonai declares to you that Adonai will make a house for you.
- 1 Kings 2:24Now therefore, as Adonai lives who has established me and set me on the throne of my father David, and who has made me a house as He promised, surely Adonijah shall be put to death this day.”
- 1 Kings 11:38Then it will be, if you obey everything I command you and walk in My ways, and do what is right in My eyes, keeping My statutes and My mitzvot as My servant David did, then I will be with you, and will establish for you a lasting dynasty, as I did for David—I will give Israel to you.
- Psalms 37:3Trust in Adonai and do good. Dwell in the land, feed on faithfulness.
- Psalms 127:1A Song of Ascents. Of Solomon. Unless Adonai builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless Adonai watches over the city, the watchman stands guard in vain.
- Proverbs 24:3By wisdom a house is built, by understanding it is prepared,
- Ecclesiastes 8:12Even though a sinner might commit a hundred crimes and prolong his days, yet I know that it will be well for those who fear God, for those who revere Him.
- Jeremiah 35:2“Go to the house of the Rechabites, speak to them, and bring them into one of the chambers of the House of Adonai, and give them 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
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