An Expert Breakdown of Exodus 1:17-21: Fear God, Not Kings

Context of the Midwives' Defiance

To understand the bravery of the midwives in Exodus 1:17-21, we need to see how their story fits into Pharaoh’s growing fear of the Hebrew people and his cruel plan to control them.

Earlier, a new king who didn’t know Joseph rose to power in Egypt and saw the growing Hebrew population as a threat, so he enslaved them and then ordered the midwives to kill all newborn Hebrew boys during delivery, but Shiphrah and Puah refused because they feared God more than Pharaoh. When questioned, they explained that Hebrew women gave birth too quickly for the midwives to arrive, so the babies were already born and alive by the time they got there. This act of quiet resistance protected innocent lives and showed that their loyalty to God outweighed their fear of human authority.

God honored their courage by blessing them with families of their own, showing that when we stand for life and justice in obedience to Him, He sees us and provides.

The Midwives' Fear of God and Their Deception

The midwives’ decision to disobey Pharaoh was rooted in their fear of God, a biblical theme that signifies reverent awe and a commitment to do what is right rather than what is safe.

They told Pharaoh that Hebrew women gave birth too quickly for them to intervene, which may have been a partial truth or even a strategic deception to protect lives. While lying is generally wrong in the Bible, their overall act of preserving life aligned with God’s values, much like how Rahab later protected Israelite spies with deception in Joshua 2:4-6 and was still commended for her faith.

Their fear of God was not terror, but deep respect and loyalty that shaped their choices.

In ancient Egypt, midwives were respected figures, and Pharaoh expected obedience, but the midwives chose loyalty to God over human authority. The phrase 'feared God' appears throughout Scripture as a motive for righteous action, such as in Proverbs 3:7. It says, 'Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil.' Their quiet courage shows that ordinary people can take extraordinary stands when they live with a deep reverence for God. This sets the stage for understanding how God raises up deliverers, even in the most unlikely circumstances.

Trusting God When It's Dangerous

The midwives’ story shows that fearing God gives us the strength to resist injustice, even when powerful people demand otherwise.

Their faith wasn’t perfect or loud, but it was real - like when Peter and John later told religious leaders, 'We must obey God rather than men' in Acts 5:29. This moment in Exodus begins to show how God uses ordinary courage to carry out His plan to rescue His people.

When you fear God more than people, you can do what’s right even when it’s risky.

Their quiet faithfulness reminds us that standing for life and truth matters to God, and He notices and blesses those who choose His ways, setting the stage for how He will deliver Israel through Moses.

How the Midwives' Courage Points to God's Greater Rescue

The midwives' act of preserving Hebrew boys foreshadows how God would later deliver His people through Moses - and ultimately through Jesus, the greatest Deliverer.

The midwives defied a king to save babies from death, and Jesus defied the powers of sin and death to rescue us. Like the midwives who were blessed with families, God gives spiritual families to those saved by Jesus, as seen when John the Baptist says in John 1:12, 'But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.' This story echoes God’s heart for life and His pattern of using unlikely people to bring salvation.

God blessed the midwives for protecting life, just as He would later send His Son to rescue all of us from spiritual death.

The courage of Shiphrah and Puah previews the gospel: God sees the oppressed, raises deliverers, and blesses those who fear Him, preparing the way for Christ, who frees us from slavery and from death itself.

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