Exodus 1:20 tells us that God rewarded the midwives who refused Pharaoh’s order to kill Hebrew baby boys, and that because of His favor the Israelite people kept growing in number and strength. The verse is a summary statement from the narrator of Exodus, who is traditionally identified as Moses, and it looks back on the courage of two named midwives, Shiphrah and Puah. It is written for the Israelites, the people living under Egyptian oppression, to show them that God was at work even when the king of Egypt seemed to hold all the power.
God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied, and grew very mighty.
Exodus 1:20 (WEB)
What Exodus 1:20 Means
The phrase “God dealt well with the midwives” means that God treated them kindly and blessed them. The Hebrew idea behind “dealt well” is about doing good to someone, showing favor, and it sits right beside the earlier statement that the midwives “feared God” rather than the king. Their reverence for God shaped their choice to protect the children, and the verse says God answered that choice with His own goodness.
The second half of the verse says “the people multiplied, and grew very mighty.” This is not a promise that every faithful person will see their family or community grow in numbers. It describes what happened to the Israelites in that particular historical moment, and it shows God’s faithfulness to His promise that Abraham’s descendants would become a great nation. The verse celebrates God’s care without turning it into a formula for success.
The Context of Exodus 1:20
Exodus opens with Pharaoh’s fear of the growing Hebrew population and his harsh attempts to control it through forced labor. When those measures fail to slow the people’s growth, he orders the midwives to kill every newborn boy. The midwives’ refusal in verses 15 through 19 sets up verse 20, so the reward described there is a direct response to their courage in the face of a royal command.
The verses that follow, including verse 21 where God gives the midwives families of their own, and verse 22 where Pharaoh escalates his order to the whole Egyptian population, show that the story is building toward the birth of Moses. Reading verse 20 in this sequence reminds you that God’s favor on the midwives was part of a larger plan to rescue His people, not an isolated kindness.
Key Phrases in Exodus 1:20
Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and don’t lean on your own understanding. 6 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
(WEB)
This passage invites you to trust the Lord with all your heart rather than leaning on your own understanding. Like the midwives, you are asked to place your confidence in God’s wisdom when the path ahead seems risky or unclear, and the promise is that He will guide your steps.
Acts 5:29
But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.
(WEB)
Peter and the apostles speak these words when ordered to stop preaching, and they echo the midwives’ decision to obey God rather than human decrees. Both passages show that fearing God sometimes means refusing a command that conflicts with His clear will.
A Short Prayer From Exodus 1:20
Lord, you saw the midwives who chose to protect life when the powerful demanded otherwise, and you blessed them for fearing you above all. Give me that same courage when I face pressure to compromise what I know is right. Help me trust that you notice faithful choices, even the quiet ones that no one else sees.
Thank you that your people grew even under the weight of oppression, and that your promises were not stopped by the plans of any ruler. Strengthen my faith in the places where I feel small or stuck, and remind me that you are working for good in ways I cannot yet see. Amen.
