Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What does Exodus Chapter 1 mean?

Exodus 1 consists of four main sections. The first section describes the context of the children of Israel after the death of Joseph. The twelve sons become twelve tribes, expanding from seventy people and Joseph’s family already in Egypt to becoming “fruitful and increased greatly” (Exodus 1:7). The land was “filled” with the Jewish people. The Lord had blessed Abraham’s line with many descendants just as He had promised (Genesis 12:1–3).

This time period is approximately 400 years after the events at the end of Genesis. During this time, Egypt would have been perhaps the most powerful world kingdom, especially in the area of Middle East and North Africa. Pharaoh and his people lived with great wealth, power, and military strength compared to the surrounding nations.

In the second section, covering verses 8 through 14, the new Pharaoh of Egypt seeks to oppress the strengthening Jewish nation. This king of Egypt is contrasted with the earlier Pharaoh in Genesis who knew Joseph and had appointed him to leadership in Egypt. This new Pharaoh feared the large population of Jews would rebel against them in war, taking over the land of Egypt. He sets taskmasters over them and treats them as chattel slaves. They are given “heavy burdens” (Exodus 1:11). The Jews are noted as building the cities of Pithom and Raamses. Their work included brickmaking and all kinds of fieldwork (Exodus 1:14). Yet the more they are oppressed, the more the people multiply.

The third section consists of Exodus 1:15–21. Here, the Jewish midwives Shiphrah and Puah are commanded to throw every newborn Jewish son into the Nile. Pharaoh’s goal was to stop the rapid population growth of the Jews that threatened the Egyptians. However, the midwives fear God and refuse to obey his command.

When Pharaoh confronts the two women, they lie, claiming the Jewish women gave birth to the children before their arrival. Therefore, they did not know about many of the males that had been born. God would bless their desire to protect the Jewish children and provide the midwives with families of their own (Exodus 1:20–21).

The final section of the chapter is really only the last verse (Exodus 1:22). Pharaoh repeats his command, not only to the midwives, but also to all of his people, to cast every newborn Jewish male into the Nile River. He no longer relied on the midwives to carry out his command, but required all of his subjects to enforce this evil law. The entire Jewish nation was in turmoil. How would they survive this wicked ruler? This fearsome context prepares the reader for the next chapter in which Moses will be born, facing death from the start of his life.

Chapter Context
Exodus chapter 1 establishes the difficult reality faced by the nation of Israel. At the end of Genesis, Abraham’s descendants were finally safe. In this passage, they become prosperous and expand rapidly. This, however, results in fear and hatred from the native Egyptians, who enact a program of slavery and infanticide against the Hebrews. This sets the scene for the arrival of Israel’s greatest leader, the prophet Moses, who will speak for God during this time of Israel’s rescue. The next chapter explains Moses’ dangerous childhood and exile in the desert.

Verse by Verse

Verse 1. These are the names of the sons of Israel who came to Egypt with Jacob, each with his household:

The first seven verses of Exodus describe the rapid growth of the sons of Jacob during their time in Egypt. It begins with a review of Jacob’s twelve sons. These “sons of Israel” were mentioned four times in Genesis prior to this verse (Genesis 42:5; 45:21; 46:5; 50:25), each time in reference to Jacob’s sons. In Exodus, the phrase “sons of Israel” will expand to encompass the entire nation of Israel. As explained in the book of Genesis, these men went to Egypt to buy food during a famine at the request of their aged father Jacob. On their second journey to Egypt, Joseph, the younger brother whom they had sold into slavery and who was now second only to Pharaoh, revealed himself. At Pharaoh’s request, Jacob and his sons and their households moved to Egypt and settled in the land of Goshen.

The next verses describe the eleven sons of Jacob who moved to Egypt (Exodus 1:2–4), Joseph’s family (Exodus 1:5), and the death of that generation (Exodus 1:6). Yet their death will not be the end of Israel. Instead, it will become the start of an entire nation (Exodus 1:7). God fulfills His promise to Abraham to turn his descendants into a nation of people He would bless (Genesis 12:1–3).

Context Summary
Exodus 1:1–14 describes the explosive growth of the nation of Israel and the erosion of their relationship to Egypt. Joseph’s efforts in the past saved Egypt from ruin, and his family was welcomed into the land. Generations later, the drastic increase in their population is seen as a threat to the Egyptian people. Motivated by a combination of fear and disgust, the king of Egypt brutally enslaves the people of Israel in an attempt to reduce their numbers. This effort fails, and the following passage shows Pharaoh resorting to infanticide in an effort to control the Hebrews.

Verse 2. Reuben, Simeon, Levi, and Judah,

Four of Jacob’s twelve sons are mentioned in this verse, starting with Reuben. Reuben was the firstborn son of Jacob through Leah (Genesis 29:32; 35:23; 49:3). Yet Reuben later had sex with his father’s concubine Bilhah (Genesis 35:22). This act caused him to lose his preeminence or role as leader (Genesis 49:3–4). On the positive side, Reuben helped protect the life of Joseph from his brothers (Genesis 37:21–22).

Simeon, Levi, and Judah are the other three sons noted in this verse. Simeon and Levi were considered violent and angry (Genesis 49:5–7). They had attacked many people (Genesis 34:30). Simeon was the second son of Jacob and Leah (Genesis 29:33). Joseph imprisoned Simeon on the first trip Jacob’s sons took to Egypt (Genesis 42:24). Levi was the third son of Jacob and Leah (Genesis 29:34). Judah was their fourth son whose name sounds like the Hebrew word for “praise” (Genesis 29:35). Judah was considered powerful among Jacob’s sons (Genesis 49:8–12).

Verse 3. Issachar, Zebulun, and Benjamin,

The fifth through seventh sons of Jacob are noted in this verse. Issachar was Jacob and Leah’s fifth son together (Genesis 30:17–18). He had four sons of his own named Tola, Puvah, Yob, and Shimron (Genesis 46:13). He was considered a “strong donkey” (Genesis 49:14). Zebulun was the sixth son of Jacob and Leah (Genesis 30:20). He had three sons named Sered, Elon, and Jahleel (Genesis 46:14). Jacob predicted he would “dwell at the shore of the sea; he shall become a haven for ships, and his border shall be at Sidon” (Genesis 49:13).

Benjamin was the second son of Jacob and Rachel following Joseph. Rachel died while giving birth to Benajmin (Genesis 35:16–19). He was the youngest of Jacob’s twelve sons and was carefully guarded by his father (Genesis 42:4). In fact, Benjamin means “son of my right hand.” Benjamin did not travel to Egypt with his brothers during their first trip. Instead, Benjamin came on the second trip when Joseph revealed his identity to his brothers.

Verse 4. Dan and Naphtali, Gad and Asher.

Four more of Jacob’s sons are mentioned in this verse. Dan was the child of Jacob and Rachel’s servant Bilhah. Rachel told Jacob to have a child with her so Rachel would have a child of her own since she was unable to have children at that time (Genesis 30:1–6). Jacob and Bilhah also had a second son named Naphtali, making Dan and Naphtali brothers with the same father and mother (Genesis 30:7–8).

Leah stopped bearing children for a time and she also gave Jacob her servant, named Zilpah, “as a wife” (Genesis 30:9). Jacob and Zilpah had two sons together named Gad and Asher, whose names mean “good fortune” and “happy” (Genesis 30:9–13). In their culture, sons born through a wife’s servant were considered children of the servant’s owner. Gad and Asher were both born in Paddan-aram (Genesis 35:26). Gad was one of the tribes to later receive an inheritance for his descendants east of the Jordan River (Joshua 18:7).

Verse 5. All the descendants of Jacob were seventy persons; Joseph was already in Egypt.

Moses, the author of the book of Exodus, notes that the descendants of Jacob were “seventy persons.” This seems to be a deliberately round number, rather than an exact count of the family. The extended family would have been well over seventy at this time, especially including servants. The same number seventy is also recorded in Genesis 46:27. This included Joseph, Joseph’s wife, and his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim, though they were “already in Egypt.”

The emphasis of the number seventy in this verse is primarily focused on the contrast between the small number of people in Jacob’s family when they entered Egypt versus the size of the nation of Israel 400 years later (Exodus 12:40). By the time of Moses, the “sons of Israel” included hundreds of thousands of men. Scholars estimate the entire nation at over two million people at the time of the Exodus. God had fulfilled His promise to turn Abraham into a nation (Genesis 12:1–3).

Verse 6. Then Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation.

Moses continues his overview of Israel’s history. After describing Jacob’s move into Egypt, he refers to the pivotal event of Joseph’s death. Joseph’s dramatic rise into a leadership role in Egypt had allowed Jacob and his family to settle in Egypt during seven years of severe famine. Their family both survived and thrived during a time when many died or became slaves of Pharaoh. However, much time passed and Joseph was no longer alive. Neither were his brothers or any of the other people from “that generation.” An entirely new population had replaced the first Israeli settlers in Egypt.

This passage of time is significant. Joseph lived 110 years according to Genesis 50:26. Since he had been enslaved at seventeen years old, he had lived in Egypt for about ninety-three years. He was about thirty-nine years old when Jacob and his family moved to Egypt. Jacob’s family had been greatly respected during his time, but 400 years later there was a new king who apparently did not know Joseph (Exodus 1:8). He will see the exploding Israelite population as a threat, and resort to forced labor and infanticide to slow population growth. Yet God will work in a miraculous way, raising up Moses as a leader to rescue the Jewish people and lead them out of bondage.

Verse 7. But the people of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly; they multiplied and grew exceedingly strong, so that the land was filled with them.

In contrast with the first generation of Jacob’s family that numbered seventy people (Exodus 1:5), the Israelites were now “fruitful and increased greatly.” This was a continuation of God’s command to Adam, to Noah, and to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Joseph would be used to bring the sons of Jacob to Egypt where they would become a nation. Moses would then be the man God would use to bring them back to the land He had promised to give to Abraham and his descendants forever.

Further details are also added to describe the numerical growth of the Jewish people. They “multiplied and grew exceedingly strong,” noting God’s blessing upon the bearing of many children among the Israelites. The result was “the land was filled with them,” offering a picture of a densely populated area of Goshen. For the people if Israel to simply live there was tolerable. But, once the non-Egyptian population grew to such a size, their potential power threatened the neighboring Egyptians. This uneasy situation serves as the backdrop for Pharaoh’s harsh treatment of the Jews.

Verse 8. Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.

This verse transitions from the introduction regarding the growth of Jacob’s family to the situation just prior to the birth of Moses. A new king (Pharaoh) arose in Egypt who “did not know Joseph.” The implication is that previous Pharaohs respected Joseph’s role in saving their nation, while this new ruler had either no knowledge or no concern for this history. Despite popular use of the name Rameses, the exact identification of this Pharaoh is uncertain. Likely candidates are Thutmose I, Neferhotep I, or possibly Amenhoteph I. The capital city during these times was Zoan, known as Tanis in Greek.

Whoever this specific ruler was, he saw the Hebrew people as a threat to Egyptian rule. The Egyptians had recently struggled against a people group known as the Hyksos, and were likely focused on establishing a greater nationalism. The Pharaoh would focus on three different ways of decreasing the threat of the Hebrew people in the remaining verses of this chapter. His rule was oppressive and violent, leading to God’s intervention among the Hebrews and the midwives who served among them.

Verse 9. And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us.

Pharaoh describes a growing problem to his Egyptian people. This problem involves two specific areas. First, he notes Israeli numbers had grown from seventy (Exodus 1:1–7) to somewhere possibly in the millions or nearly two million. Later verses indicate that Israel would continue to grow, despite oppression (Exodus 1:12). Second, Egypt’s king worries the Israelites are “too mighty for us.” Based on numbers alone, he is also concerned the Israelites could form an army and defeat the Egyptians in a time of war. Or, they could be convinced to join the enemies of the Egyptians to defeat them in an invasion (Exodus 1:10).

The first resolution attempted by Egypt’s king is forced labor (Exodus 1:11). The enslaved Israelites are noted for building two cities, Pithom and Raamses (Exodus 1:11). Both cities were south of the capital of Zoan along tributaries of the Nile River leading to the mouth of the Mediterranean Sea. They were known as store cities. Though the exact meaning of “store cities” is uncertain, it is clear these cities were some kind of supply areas used by the Egyptians. They may have served as a continuation of Joseph’s food storage efforts from the seven years of plenty when all Egyptians began the tradition of storing part of their grain.

Verse 10. Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.”

Pharaoh continues his discussion with his people (Exodus 1:9) by declaring the answer to the problem of the large Hebrew population is to “deal shrewdly” with the Israelites. He bases his decision on the fear that the Israelites will become so numerous they will join Egypt’s enemies during war and escape from the land. This policy was likely enforced for many years since two cities were built following this command.

This effort to “deal shrewdly” included forced labor, or what we today would define as slavery. This would serve as the first of three phases of oppression noted in this chapter. After this first phase of enslavement verse 12 notes that the population of Israel continued to grow. Second, the Egyptians “ruthlessly” forced the Israelites to work as slaves, making “their lives bitter” with harsh labor as brick makers and workers in fields (Exodus 1:12–14). Third, the Pharaoh will later tell Hebrew midwives to throw newborn Hebrew sons into the Nile. This infanticide was intended to reduce population growth (Exodus 1:15–22). Yet the midwives let the children live out of fear of God, causing Pharaoh to extend this murderous command to all of the Egyptian people (Exodus 1:22). Despite these efforts, nothing could stop God’s plan to turn the Jewish people into a mighty nation (Genesis 12:1–3).

Verse 11. Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses.

The first part of this verse notes the presence of taskmasters who managed the slave work of the Israelites. These men served to manage slave labor under Pharaoh’s command. They afflicted them or oppressed them “with heavy burdens.” This general phrase could refer to hard labor of any kind. However, the context is clear this work focused on building Pithom and Raamses. The Hebrew grammar used here is helpful, using a preterite with the vav consecutive in this sentence. This focuses on the idea that the building of these cities was “the result of” this decision by Pharaoh.

Because of the name Raamses, many have assumed the Pharaoh Raamses II was the leader of Egypt during Moses’ time. However, that figure ruled far later than the chronology of the life of Moses and the Exodus from Egypt. This city existed by this name before the rule of Raamses or was perhaps used later to refer to an earlier city.

This part of the book of Exodus is crucial in understanding the Bible’s view of slavery. The terms “slave” and “slavery” are used to mean a wide variety of things in Scripture. Here, under the harsh treatment of Egypt, Israel experiences the same kind of “slavery” which modern readers assume when encountering that term. This is forced, brutal, race-based, permanent, possessive slavery. The term often used for this practice is “chattel slavery,” where the subjects are treated as sub-human and lacking in any rights. God’s view of this practice will be made clear in His fierce judgment of Egypt, shown later in this same story.

Verse 12. But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel.

These words reveal how God’s plan continues to move forward regardless of human efforts to stop it. Despite Pharaoh’s purposefully harsh slave labor, the Israelites “multiplied.” The rapid growth of the Hebrew people continues to concern Pharaoh. In fact, he adds further slave work to stop them (Exodus 1:13). Moses uses this verse to show how God’s efforts are more powerful than those of the Egyptian king. In addition, God continues to fulfill His promise to make Abraham’s descendants a nation (Genesis 12:1–3).

The idea that the Hebrews “spread abroad” is often overlooked. Some have wrongly viewed this term to mean Hebrews were moving to other nations. However, the context is clear that the rapid growth of the Jewish people involved a tremendous population change. The land of Goshen was considered “abroad” to the native Egyptians, and there the Jews continued to grow more densely populated, raising concern among Pharaoh and the Egyptians. However, the Jews were brutalized slaves at this time, and lacked freedom to move to other lands.

The Egyptians were “in dread” meaning they feared the rapid growth of the Jews. The Egyptians were a superstitious and polytheistic people who saw the growth of the Jews as something concerning to security as well as perhaps a spiritual sign. This was also an issue of racism: the Hebrew phrase here, yā’qu-su mi pene, also implies disgust and hatred. Egypt’s attitude towards the people of Israel involves not only fear, but loathing as well.

Verse 13. So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves

The first phase of Pharaoh’s oppression of the Israelites had been ineffective in stopping population growth (Exodus 1:12). Therefore, he started a second phase of oppression. The “ruthless” increase in enslavement goes beyond servitude to a new level of mistreatment. This is a crucial point when interpreting the Bible’s stance on slavery. The terms “slave” and “slavery” as used in Scripture can include a wide variety of arrangements. The type of slavery described here: racial, permanent, hereditary, and inhuman, is sometimes referred to as “chattel slavery.” This type of bondage, as will be made clear later in the story, is something abhorred by God.

Specific aspects of this forced labor are noted in verse 14 as the drudgery of making mortar and bricks, and field labor. The Jews who moved into Egypt formerly served as shepherds, watching sheep and likely other livestock in the land of Goshen during Joseph’s lifetime. Now the Jews were kept from caring for their own livestock and fields to build store cities and work the fields of the Egyptians. This work arrangement would have resulted in women and children caring for herds and housing. Education and health care would suffer, as long hours would result in no time for learning and more sickness and injury. Pharaoh hoped to control population growth through harsh physical treatment. Though brutal, his efforts would soon move toward even more violent actions in the following verses.

Verse 14. and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves.

The Egyptians affected the daily lives of the Israelites as described by the Hebrew marar, translated “bitter,” a term that will later become important at the introduction of Passover in Exodus 12:8. Their bitterness includes two major areas. First, they worked with “mortar and brick.” The hot, strenuous, monotonous work of making bricks and using them in construction would serve as the form of labor for Hebrews in urban areas. Second, they were forced into “all kinds of work in the field.” Their efforts included the planting and harvesting of food for the Egyptians. This may have also included caring for the livestock of the Egyptians.

The final sentence refers to working the people “ruthlessly” (Exodus 1:13). Though the Hebrews had already worked as servants for the Egyptians, their current situation was much different. They had moved from servants to oppressed slaves, given no mercy and no rights. This difference is important to the Bible’s stance on slavery; even the most strict servanthood is not the same as the sub-human practices of racial, lifelong, oppressive bondage.

The following verses will show this oppression even included attempts to kill the newborn sons of the Jews, something God particularly despised (Exodus 1:20–21).

Verse 15. Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah,

Pharaoh’s first attempts to decrease the Hebrew population have failed (Exodus 1:12). This verse introduces a new plan, clearly added in addition to the slave labor mentioned in verses 11 through 14. Pharaoh, called “king of Egypt,” spoke to two Hebrew midwives named Shiphrah and Puah. There were certainly more than just two midwives in Israel, based on the population of the Jews. However, these two women may have superintended over the other midwives who served Jewish women in childbirth and were therefore mentioned by name. The two women have Hebrew names and were most likely Jewish women themselves.

Pharaoh’s plan, as described in the next verses, is murderous. He wants the Hebrew midwives to kill all of the male Israeli babies as they are born.

Prior to this time, Genesis mentioned midwives on two occasions. In Genesis 35:17, a midwife speaks to Rachel as she gives birth to Benjamin and dies. In Genesis 38:28, the midwife tied a scarlet thread around Perez’s hand when he came out to indicate which twin was born first. No other mention of midwives occur beyond Exodus 1, leaving much unknown about their work in Old Testament times. However, these verses reveal the important role of midwives, as well as their faithful response to God when faced with the ungodly demands of an evil political leader.

Context Summary
Exodus 1:15–22 describes the Egyptian king’s third, most drastic attempt to curb Israeli population growth. After enslavement and brutality, the Hebrews are still growing. Out of political fears and racial disgust, the Egyptians seek other ways of reducing Israeli power. Here, Pharaoh will enact a program of infanticide: ordering Hebrew midwives to murder male Jewish babies. When they resist, Egypt’s king extends this command to the Egyptian people in general. This backdrop of murder sets the scene for the rise of Moses, the eventual leader of the nation of Israel.

Verse 16. “When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.”

Pharaoh assumes that midwives are present when Hebrew women give birth. He commands them to kill the newborn Jewish sons. The mention of a “birthstool” literally means “two stones.” In its most primitive form, the birthstool was two bricks or stones placed under the buttocks of a woman in labor. Later, the birthstool was an actual chair with an opening in the center where the baby would come out into the hands of a midwife.

The idea at hand is that the midwife is the first to hold the baby and discover its gender. If the child was a male, the midwife was commanded to end his life immediately. The practice of infanticide was evil in God’s sight (Genesis 9:6). Knowing this, the Hebrew midwives feared God and would not follow Pharaoh’s command (Exodus 1:17). Whether their response was openly,and immediately defiant, or simply a matter of later disobedience, these Hebrew would be risking their lives to protect children. This passage seems to suggest they followed the latter path—an act of heroism often forgotten when remembering the events of the book of Exodus.

Later, when Pharaoh sees that his orders are not being followed by the Jewish midwives, he will resort to having infant Jewish boys thrown into the Nile River (Exodus 1:22). In this troubling context, Exodus will introduce Moses (Exodus 2:1–2), the main figure God uses to bring the Jewish people out of bondage.

Verse 17. But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live.

Three observations should be made regarding these midwives. First, the midwives “feared God.” Abraham had been praised for fearing God (Genesis 22:12), leaving an example for his descendants. These women would rather obey God than men (Acts 5:29).

Second, the midwives risked their own lives to save the lives of the newborn sons of the Jews. Not only were these women slaves, they were defying the orders of an absolute king. Disobedience, even in secret, would have put their own lives at risk. And yet, they absolutely refused to follow such evil orders, even when confronted about it later. This concept of obeying God, even if it means defying men, will continue into the New Testament church (Acts 4:19–20)

Third, the midwives are specifically noted to have “let the male children live.” They could not bring themselves to put newborn boys to death. As midwives, they regularly witnessed the amazing beauty of new life entering the world. They also likely knew the experience of a stillborn child and the sorrow it brought to a family. These midwives protected vulnerable infant lives. God honored their decision, blessing them with children of their own (Exodus 1:21). The fact “God dealt well” with the midwives (Exodus 1:20) shows God’s attitude regarding the value of newborn children.

Verse 18. So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?”

The midwives refused to put newborn males to death. Pharaoh confronted Shiphrah and Puah regarding this issue, asking them, “Why have you done this…?” The next verse shares the response of the midwives, which in the context of the prior verses is clearly a lie. They will answer the Hebrew women had their children before the midwives arrived (Exodus 1:19), yet verse 17 says the midwives refused to kill the children. God, apparently, approved of their difficult and risky decision (Exodus 1:20).

This is one of the rare situations in which deception led to saving innocent lives. A similar situation is found when Rahab protects two Jewish spies visiting Jericho. She lied to the soldiers and helped the two spies escape. God honored Rahab as a result. Her action was considered an act of faith rather than sin (Hebrews 11:31; James 2:25). Though lying is sin (Exodus 20:16; Ephesians 4:25), these two examples reveal times when God honored someone who lied to protect innocent lives. As challenging as they may be, incidents such as these are still part of God’s inspired Word and have to be considered when discussing ethical issues.

Verse 19. The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.”

Pharaoh has ordered the Hebrew midwives to kill male babies born to Jewish women, in an effort to curb the growth of the nation of Israel. Seeing this is not occurring, he confronts the women to whom he’d given his initial order. The midwives responded to Pharaoh with a lie, telling him the Hebrew women give birth before midwives arrive. This may have been true on some occasions, but was also clearly an excuse given to help protect innocent lives (Exodus 1:18). The claim presented to the Egyptian king is that Jewish women are giving birth without a midwife, then hiding the newborn child to protect his life. Pharaoh would address this excuse by adding the command to throw every Hebrew son into the Nile River (Exodus 1:22). By expanding the command to all of Egypt, the king takes away the ability of the midwives to oppose his plans.

Interestingly, this command must have been limited according to some kind of time frame. For example, Moses was hidden as a newborn to protect his life. However, no mention is made regarding a similar situation for his older brother Aaron. Aaron was likely born early enough to avoid being thrown into the Nile, though Moses was under threat of dying in this way. God’s sovereign plan allowed their births to occur at exactly the right times to allow His plan to unfold and bring Israel from slavery to freedom.

Verse 20. So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong.

Verses 20 and 21 note several positive developments in the midst of Pharaoh’s persecutions. First, God responds to the dangerous choice made by the midwives, in defying Pharaoh’s evil order. They had protected the young lives of Israel’s sons, risking their own lives in the process. God blessed them as a result. This likely included Shiphrah and Puah, as well as other Jewish midwives who protected young lives. Second, “the people multiplied.” Despite Pharaoh’s repeated efforts to limit population growth, the Jews continue to grow in number.

Third, the result of these events was a nation of Israel that continued to threaten the Egyptians due to their size. Pharaoh would soon choose even more drastic measures to kill newborn Jewish males (Exodus 1:22). This command is given to all of Egypt, specifically to throw Hebrew boys into the Nile river.

Ironically, in the context of this wicked command, God allowed a baby boy to be literally “cast into” the Nile, yet protected and raised up within Pharaoh’s own household, becoming the rescuer of the people of Israel (Exodus 2:1–10). This child would be known by his name: Moses, meaning “draw out,” based on Pharaoh’s daughter drawing him out of the water.

Verse 21. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.

In addition to the three positives mentioned in verse 21, this verse adds one more blessing. This is the result of the attitude we are once again reminded of: “the midwives feared God.” This verse is parallel with the same phrase in verse 17. Because of their obedience, God blessed these evil-defying midwives with “families.” The Hebrew word is literally “houses” or “households,” referring to families. For women of this era, there was no greater blessing than the security provided by a large number of children. Those who obeyed God by protecting families were themselves blessed with families.

This verse is also the final mention of midwives in Exodus or elsewhere in the Bible. Despite their brief appearances in Scripture, midwives played an important role in ancient society. In this particular account, their work was complicated by the evil command of the Pharaoh. These women showed great courage to oppose his decree and protect newborn children. In this case, their courage led to God blessing them with their own families, a treasure worth more than any amount of money, leaving a great legacy for these brave women.

Verse 22. Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.”

Pharaoh’s first command regarding infanticide was limited to the midwives (Exodus 1:16). Now Pharaoh expands his command to “all his people,” or all the Egyptians. Every newborn Israeli son was to be thrown into the Nile River. He essentially decreed for the mass genocide of all infant Jewish males. The only other place the Bible notes a similar act was following the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem. King Herod sought to kill the baby Jesus to remove any threat of another king. He commanded the death of all male children two years and younger in the city (Matthew 2:16–18).

Ironically, this very command from Pharaoh will frame the life of the man who will lead Israel out of slavery. One of the boys born to a Hebrew family will be hidden in a basket in the Nile, and found by the Pharaoh’s own daughter. This child, raised with the benefits and support of Pharaoh’s own household, is Moses, the man chosen by God to lead Israel’s exodus from Egyptian bondage (Exodus 2:1–10).

This is one of many ways Jesus reflects the life of Moses. Both were born during a time in which the Jews were under oppression. Both miraculously escaped death as an infant. Both lived as immigrants in a land not their own. Both had a public ministry that brought people from bondage to freedom. In many ways, Jesus represented a new exodus; and He is the one greater than Moses (Hebrews 3).

End of Chapter 1.

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