Exodus 1:17 means that Shiphrah and Puah, two Hebrew midwives in Egypt, chose to fear God rather than obey Pharaoh’s order to kill newborn Hebrew boys, so they let the babies live. The verse is narrated by the book’s author, and it describes what these women did in response to a direct royal command given to them.
But the midwives feared God, and didn’t do what the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the baby boys alive.
Exodus 1:17 (WEB)
What Exodus 1:17 Means
The verse begins with “But,” which marks a sharp turn. Pharaoh has just given an instruction that would have made these women agents of murder, and the text sets their response against it. The phrase “feared God” does not describe a cowering terror. In the Hebrew Scriptures, fear of God means reverence, a deep recognition that God is the true authority over life and death, which shapes what a person will and will not do.
The verse then names two actions: they did not carry out the king’s command, and they kept the boys alive. Notice that the text does not say the midwives led a rebellion or made a speech. They simply refused to do the thing they were ordered to do. The verse does not promise that obedience to God will always end in safety, and the story that follows includes Pharaoh questioning them and the midwives offering an explanation. What the verse does show is that a quiet, faithful refusal can be a real act of courage.
The Context of Exodus 1:17
Exodus is the second book of the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, and it is traditionally attributed to Moses. Its opening chapter sets the scene after Joseph’s death, when a new king arose over Egypt who did not remember him. The Israelites, now numerous, are placed under harsh forced labor, and Pharaoh’s plan escalates from hard service to infanticide. The original audience was the people of Israel, who needed to remember how God preserved their line even under oppression.
Read in context, verse 17 is the hinge of the passage. Verses 15 and 16 record the king’s command, and verses 18 through 20 show Pharaoh confronting the midwives and them answering him. Verse 20 then says that God dealt well with the midwives and the people multiplied. The verse therefore reads less as an isolated moral example and more as the first act in a longer account of God protecting his people through ordinary people who choose faithfulness.
Key Phrases in Exodus 1:17
Acts 5:29
But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.
(WEB)
Peter and the apostles state that they must obey God rather than men when the two conflict. Like the midwives, they face an earthly authority demanding what God forbids, and their answer rests on the same priority of God’s command over human orders.
Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
(WEB)
This verse teaches that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. It helps explain why the midwives’ reverence for God produced practical, courageous wisdom rather than mere passivity, shaping how they saw the situation in front of them.
A Short Prayer From Exodus 1:17
Lord, you are the one true authority over life and death. Give me a reverence for you that is larger than my fear of people, my desire for comfort, or my wish to avoid conflict. When I am pressed to do what I know is wrong, remind me of the midwives who chose you over the king. Help me to refuse what must be refused, with clarity and humility, and to protect the lives and dignity you have placed in my care. Make my faithfulness quiet and steady, and trust you with the outcome. Amen.
