Exodus 1:17

King James Version:

(The Lord speaking is red text)

But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.

Complete Jewish Bible:

However, the midwives were God-fearing women, so they didn't do as the king of Egypt ordered but let the boys live.

Berean Standard Bible:

The midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had instructed; they let the boys live.

American Standard Version:

But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men-children alive.

KJV with Strong’s Numbers:

But the midwives^{H3205} feared^{H3372} God^{H430}, and did^{H6213} not as the king^{H4428} of Egypt^{H4714} commanded^{H1696} them, but saved^{H2421} the men children^{H3206} alive^{H2421}.

Cross-References (KJV):

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Commentary for Exodus 1:17

Exodus 1:17 is set within the historical context of the Israelites' sojourn in Egypt, where they had settled and multiplied greatly, becoming so numerous that the new Pharaoh, who did not know Joseph, saw them as a potential threat. In response to this perceived threat, Pharaoh ordered the Hebrew midwives, identified as Shiphrah and Puah, to kill all newborn Hebrew boys, effectively attempting to control the population growth of the Israelites through infanticide.

The verse speaks to several significant themes:

1. **Divine Authority Over Human Authority**: The midwives' decision to disobey Pharaoh's direct order because they "feared God" underscores the principle that human laws and commands must be subordinate to the moral law of God. This reflects a foundational biblical theme that ultimate allegiance is owed to the divine, not to human rulers, especially when human commands contradict divine principles.

2. **Moral Courage and Civil Disobedience**: The midwives exemplify moral courage by defying an unjust decree. Their actions are an early biblical example of civil disobedience, where individuals refuse to comply with certain laws or commands of the state due to a conflict with their moral or religious beliefs.

3. **The Sanctity of Life**: By saving the Hebrew boys, the midwives uphold the sanctity of life, a principle that runs throughout the Bible. This act of preserving life is in direct opposition to Pharaoh's decree of death and reflects the value placed on human life in the biblical tradition.

4. **God's Protection of the Vulnerable**: The verse also highlights God's concern for the vulnerable and oppressed. The midwives' actions align with God's own protective stance towards the Israelites, which is a recurring theme in the Exodus narrative.

5. **Providential Care**: The outcome of the midwives' disobedience, as described in the surrounding verses, is that God blesses them with families of their own. This providential care for those who fear God and act righteously is a theme that recurs throughout the Bible.

In summary, Exodus 1:17 captures a moment of moral and religious conviction, where the Hebrew midwives choose to honor God's law over human decree, thus embodying the themes of divine authority, moral courage, the sanctity of life, and the protection of the vulnerable, all within the broader narrative of God's providential care for His people.

*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model

Strong's Numbers and Definitions:

Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)

1. Strong's Number: H3205
   There are 403 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יָלַד
   Transliteration: yâlad
   Pronunciation: yaw-lad'
   Description: a primitive root; to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineage; bear, beget, birth(-day), born, (make to) bring forth (children, young), bring up, calve, child, come, be delivered (of a child), time of delivery, gender, hatch, labour, (do the office of a) midwife, declare pedigrees, be the son of, (woman in, woman that) travail(-eth, -ing woman).
   
2. Strong's Number: H3372
   There are 305 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יָרֵא
   Transliteration: yârêʼ
   Pronunciation: yaw-ray'
   Description: a primitive root; to fear; morally, to revere; caus. to frighten; affright, be (make) afraid, dread(-ful), (put in) fear(-ful, -fully, -ing), (be had in) reverence(-end), [idiom] see, terrible (act, -ness, thing).
   
3. Strong's Number: H430
   There are 2334 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: אֱלֹהִים
   Transliteration: ʼĕlôhîym
   Pronunciation: el-o-heem'
   Description: plural of אֱלוֹהַּ; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative; angels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.
   
4. Strong's Number: H6213
   There are 2286 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: עָשָׂה
   Transliteration: ʻâsâh
   Pronunciation: aw-saw'
   Description: a primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application; accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, [idiom] certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, [phrase] displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, [phrase] feast, (fight-) ing man, [phrase] finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great, [phrase] hinder, hold (a feast), [idiom] indeed, [phrase] be industrious, [phrase] journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, [phrase] officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite, [idiom] sacrifice, serve, set, shew, [idiom] sin, spend, [idiom] surely, take, [idiom] thoroughly, trim, [idiom] very, [phrase] vex, be (warr-) ior, work(-man), yield, use.
   
5. Strong's Number: H4428
   There are 1922 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: מֶלֶךְ
   Transliteration: melek
   Pronunciation: meh'-lek
   Description: from מָלַךְ; a king; king, royal.
   
6. Strong's Number: H4714
   There are 602 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: מִצְרַיִם
   Transliteration: Mitsrayim
   Pronunciation: mits-rah'-yim
   Description: dual of מָצוֹר; Mitsrajim, i.e. Upper and Lower Egypt; Egypt, Egyptians, Mizraim.
   
7. Strong's Number: H1696
   There are 1050 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: דָבַר
   Transliteration: dâbar
   Pronunciation: daw-bar'
   Description: a primitive root; perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdue; answer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work.
   
8. Strong's Number: H2421
   There are 235 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: חָיָה
   Transliteration: châyâh
   Pronunciation: khaw-yaw'
   Description: a primitive root (compare חָוָה, חָיָה); to live, whether literally or figuratively; causatively, to revive; keep (leave, make) alive, [idiom] certainly, give (promise) life, (let, suffer to) live, nourish up, preserve (alive), quicken, recover, repair, restore (to life), revive, ([idiom] God) save (alive, life, lives), [idiom] surely, be whole.
   
9. Strong's Number: H3206
   There are 76 instances of this translation in the Bible
   Lemma: יֶלֶד
   Transliteration: yeled
   Pronunciation: yeh'-led
   Description: from יָלַד; something born, i.e. a lad or offspring; boy, child, fruit, son, young man (one).