Exodus 1:15

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:

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
king	מֶ֣לֶךְ Me.lekh	H4428	a king · noun, common masculine singular construct
Egypt	מִצְרַ֔יִם mitz.Ra.yim	H4714	Mitsrajim · proper noun, a place name
spake	וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ vai.Yo.mer	H559	to say (used with great latitude) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential imperfect, 3rd person masculine singular
Hebrew	הָֽעִבְרִיֹּ֑ת ha.'iv.ri.Yot	H5680	an Eberite (i.e. Hebrew) or descendant of Eber · definite article + noun, gentilic feminine plural absolute
midwives	לַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֖ת lam.ya.le.Dot	H3205	to bear young · preposition with the article + verb, piel active participle, feminine plural absolute
name	שֵׁ֤ם shem	H8034	an appellation · noun, common masculine singular construct
one	הָֽאַחַת֙ ha.'a.Chat	H259	properly · definite article + cardinal number, feminine singular absolute
Shiphrah	שִׁפְרָ֔ה shif.Rah	H8236	Shiphrah · proper noun, a woman's name
name	וְשֵׁ֥ם ve.Shem	H8034	an appellation · conjunction + noun, common masculine singular construct
other	הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית ha.she.Nit	H8145	properly · definite article + ordinal number, feminine singular absolute
Puah	פּוּעָֽה pu.'Ah	H6326	Puah · proper noun, a woman's name

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Exodus 1:15–end

The Egyptians' indignation at Israel's increase, notwithstanding the many hardships they put upon them, drove them at length to the most barbarous and inhuman methods of suppressing them, by the murder of their children. It was strange that they did not rather pick quarrels with the grown men, against whom they might perhaps find some occasion: to be thus bloody towards the infants, whom all must own to be innocents, was a sin which they had to cloak for. Note, 1. There is more cruelty in the corrupt heart of man than one would imagine, Rom 3:15, Rom 3:16. The enmity that is in the seed of the serpent against the seed of the woman divests men of humanity itself, and makes them forget all pit…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Exodus 1:15

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].

Adam Clarke on Exodus 1:15

Hebrew 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 Exo 1:19 (note).

John Gill on Exodus 1:15

And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives,.... It is difficult to say who these midwives were, whether Egyptian or Hebrew women. Josephus is of opinion that they were Egyptians, and indeed those the king was most likely to succeed with; and it may seem improbable that he should offer such a thing to Hebrew women, who he could never think would ever comply with it, through promises or threatenings; and the answer they afterwards gave him, that the Hebrew women were not as the Egyptian women, looks as if they were of the latter: and yet, after all, it is more likely that these midwives were Hebrew women, their names are Hebrew; and besides, they are not said to be the midwives of Hebr…

Dictionary and topics

Exodus — The great deliverance wrought for the children of Isreal when they were brought out of the land of Egypt with “a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm” (Ex 12:51; Deut. 26:8; Ps 114; 136), about…
Hebrew — A name applied to the Israelites in Scripture only by one who is a foreigner (Gen. 39:14, 17; 41:12, etc.), or by the Israelites when they speak of themselves to foreigners (40:15; Ex. 1:19), or when…
Law of Moses — Is the whole body of the Mosaic legislation (1 Kings 2:3; 2 Kings 23:25; Ezra 3:2). It is called by way of eminence simply “the Law” (Heb. Torah, Deut. 1:5; 4:8, 44; 17:18, 19; 27:3, 8). As a written…
Lie — An intentional violation of the truth. Lies are emphatically condemned in Scripture (John 8:44; 1 Tim. 1:9, 10; Rev. 21:27; 22:15). Mention is made of the lies told by good men, as by Abraham (Gen.…
Midwife — The two midwives mentioned in Ex. 1:15 were probably the superintendents of the whole class.
Pharaoh — The official title borne by the Egyptian kings down to the time when that country was conquered by the Greeks. (See EGYPT.) The name is a compound, as some think, of the words Ra, the “sun” or…
Puah — Splendid. (1.) One of the two midwives who feared God, and refused to kill the Hebrew male children at their birth (Ex. 1:15-21). (2.) A descendant of Issachar (Judg. 10:1).
Shiphrah — Beauty, one of the Egyptian midwives (Ex. 1:15).
Egypt · History of Israel in: Male children destroyed — History of Israel in: Male children destroyed
Infanticide · General scriptures concerning — General scriptures concerning
Israel · .Al — .Al
Midwifery

Exodus 1:15

Word by word — the Hebrew

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Exodus 1:15–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Exodus 1:15

Adam Clarke on Exodus 1:15

John Gill on Exodus 1:15

Dictionary and topics

Exodus 1:15

Word by word — the Hebrew

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Exodus 1:15–end

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Exodus 1:15

Adam Clarke on Exodus 1:15

John Gill on Exodus 1:15

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Exodus 1:15–end

Keil & Delitzsch on Exodus 1:15-16

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Exodus 1:15

Rashi on Exodus 1:15