Exodus 1:17 tells us that two Hebrew midwives chose to fear God rather than obey the king of Egypt, so they let the baby boys live even though Pharaoh had ordered otherwise. The verse shows that when a human command clearly contradicts God’s will, faithfulness means refusing that command. The sentence is spoken by the narrator of Exodus, who records the actions of the midwives Shiphrah and Puah and sets their courage against the cruelty of the king.
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 the midwives’ inner reason, “they feared God.” In the Bible, fear of God means reverence and a settled awareness that God is the one whose judgment matters most. Their fear is not panic before Pharaoh but a deeper allegiance that puts God first when the two loyalties pull apart.
The second part describes what that fear produced: they “didn’t do what the king of Egypt commanded.” The verb is plain and direct. They did not carry out the order to kill the sons, and they did not pretend to carry it out while secretly doing otherwise. The narrator then adds that they “saved the baby boys alive,” so their refusal was active protection, not just quiet avoidance.
The verse does not promise that obedience to God will always end in safety or reward for the one who obeys. The midwives are not given a miracle here, and the story goes on to show Pharaoh’s oppression continuing. What the verse does affirm is that these women acted rightly, and that God’s favor rests on their courage, as the next verses make clear.
The Context of Exodus 1:17
Exodus is traditionally attributed to Moses and tells how the descendants of Jacob, grown into a large people in Egypt, came under harsh forced labor and then a decree to kill their newborn sons. The book was written to a community that had known slavery and looked to God to deliver them, so the story of the midwives gives them an early example of resistance under pressure. Verse 14 describes the bitter labor, and verse 16 gives Pharaoh’s order, which Exodus 1:17 directly answers.
Verse 20 closes the scene by saying that God dealt well with the midwives and that the people multiplied and grew mighty. Read in that frame, the verse is not an isolated lesson about personal bravery. It is a turning point in the larger account, where God’s care for the Hebrews begins to act through ordinary people who refuse to take part in evil.
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 the same principle in a new setting: when human authority demands what God forbids, they must obey God. The later church applied the logic of the midwives in the same way, which shows that Exodus 1:17 is an early instance of a pattern found across Scripture.
Proverbs 1:7
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; but the foolish despise wisdom and instruction.
(WEB)
This verse links the fear of the Lord with the beginning of knowledge and wisdom. It helps explain why the midwives’ reverence for God produced practical wisdom and courage rather than paralysis, since fear of God ordered their priorities correctly.
A Short Prayer From Exodus 1:17
Lord, you are the one whose word I must fear most, above every voice that pressures me to do wrong. Give me the same clarity the midwives had to see when a command contradicts your goodness. Strengthen my hands to refuse what harms the vulnerable, and help me choose protection over comfort. Teach me to trust you with the outcome, even when I cannot see how things will turn out. Amen.
