What is the meaning of Exodus 1:16? When you help the Hebrew women give birth Pharaoh is addressing the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah (Exodus 1:15). His command reveals a calculated political strategy: target the covenant people at their most vulnerable moment—childbirth. Earlier verses describe Israel’s rapid growth (Exodus 1:7, 12), a fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham (Genesis 22:17). Pharaoh’s fear-driven policy stands in direct opposition to God’s blessing, yet God’s purpose remains unstoppable (Isaiah 14:27). The same pattern of opposition appears later when Herod seeks to destroy Jesus by ordering the death of Bethlehem’s infant boys (Matthew 2:16–18). observe them on the birthstools Midwives were to watch closely during labor, poised to carry out Pharaoh’s order. The “birthstool” scene emphasizes the intimate, sacred setting of new life—now threatened by state-sponsored violence. Throughout Scripture, the womb is portrayed as a place of God’s creative involvement (Psalm 139:13–16; Job 10:8–12). Pharaoh’s intrusion here underscores human rebellion against the Creator’s design. Yet even inside an oppressive system, God positions His people—these two midwives—to choose obedience to Him over allegiance to human authority (Acts 5:29). If the child is a son, kill him Pharaoh targets the males to cripple Israel’s future strength and eliminate potential warriors or deliverers. This echoes Satan’s long-standing enmity with the promised Seed (Genesis 3:15). The attack on boys prefigures later assaults on godly leadership, such as Athaliah’s slaughter of the royal heirs (2 Kings 11:1). Still, Scripture affirms the sanctity of every life (Exodus 20:13) and the particular value God places on children (Mark 10:14). Shiphrah and Puah fear God more than Pharaoh, choosing civil disobedience to preserve life (Exodus 1:17). Their courageous stand demonstrates that righteous action is possible, even under tyrannical commands (Hebrews 11:23). but if it is a daughter, let her live Allowing the girls to live appears, on the surface, merciful, yet it reveals Pharaoh’s utilitarian mindset: females could be assimilated through forced marriages or servitude, diluting Israel’s identity. God, however, often works through the very daughters Pharaoh spared—Jochebed, Miriam, and Pharaoh’s own daughter play vital roles in Moses’ deliverance (Exodus 2:1–10). Later, women such as Deborah (Judges 4–5) and Esther (Esther 4:14) further testify that God elevates those the world underestimates (1 Corinthians 1:27–29). summary Exodus 1:16 exposes the clash between a death-driven kingdom and the life-giving purposes of God. Pharaoh’s decree attacks God’s covenant family at the point of promised multiplication, yet two ordinary midwives choose faithful resistance. Their obedience preserves life, sets the stage for Moses’ birth, and advances God’s redemptive plan. The passage affirms the value of every child, calls believers to honor God above human authority, and demonstrates that no scheme of man can thwart the Lord’s sovereign purposes (Job 42:2; Romans 8:31). |
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