Exodus 1:17
◄  Exodus 1:17  ►
New International Version (©2011)
The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live.

New Living Translation (©2007)
But because the midwives feared God, they refused to obey the king's orders. They allowed the boys to live, too.

English Standard Version (©2001)
But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)
But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)
But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)
The Hebrew midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live.

International Standard Version (©2012)
But the midwives feared God and didn't do what the king of Egypt told them. Instead, they let the boys live.

NET Bible (©2006)
But the midwives feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)
However, the midwives feared God and didn't obey the king of Egypt's orders. They let the boys live.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)
But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive.

American King James Version
But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.

American Standard Version
But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men-children alive.

Douay-Rheims Bible
But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded, but saved the men children.

Darby Bible Translation
But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt had said to them, but saved the male children alive.

English Revised Version
But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.

Webster's Bible Translation
But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male-children alive.

World English Bible
But the midwives feared God, and didn't do what the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the baby boys alive.

Young's Literal Translation
And the midwives fear God, and have not done as the king of Egypt hath spoken unto them, and keep the lads alive;

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary

1:15-22 The Egyptians tried to destroy Israel by the murder of their children. The enmity that is in the seed of the serpent, against the Seed of the woman, makes men forget all pity. It is plain that the Hebrews were now under an uncommon blessing. And we see that the services done for God's Israel are often repaid in kind. Pharaoh gave orders to drown all the male children of the Hebrews. The enemy who, by Pharaoh, attempted to destroy the church in this its infant state, is busy to stifle the rise of serious reflections in the heart of man. Let those who would escape, be afraid of sinning, and cry directly and fervently to the Lord for assistance.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 17. - The midwives feared God. The midwives had a sense of religion, feared God sufficiently to decline imbruing their hands in the innocent blood of a number of defenceless infants, and, rather than do so wicked a thing, risked being punished by the monarch. They were not, as appears by ver. 19, highly religious - not of the stuff whereof martyrs are made; they did not scruple at a falsehood, believing it necessary to save their lives; and it would seem that they succeeded in deceiving the king.

Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

But the midwives feared God,.... And therefore durst not take away the life of an human creature, which was contrary to the express law of God, Genesis 9:6,

and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them; knowing it was right to obey God rather than man, though ever so great, or in so exalted a station:

but saved the men children alive; did not use any violence with them, by stifling them in the birth. The scheme was so barbarous and shocking, especially to the tender sex, to whom it was proposed, and so devoid of humanity, that one would think it should never enter into the heart of man.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

17. But the midwives feared God—Their faith inspired them with such courage as to risk their lives, by disobeying the mandate of a cruel tyrant; but it was blended with weakness, which made them shrink from speaking the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

Exodus 1:17 Parallel Commentaries

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Bible Hub: Online Parallel Bible


Pharoah Orders Male Children Killed
15And the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: 16And he said, When you do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them on the stools; if it be a son, then you shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live. 17But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive. …

Acts 4:18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
Acts 5:29 Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than human beings!
Exodus 1:18 Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, "Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?"
Exodus 1:21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.
1 Samuel 22:17 Then the king ordered the guards at his side: "Turn and kill the priests of the LORD, because they too have sided with David. They knew he was fleeing, yet they did not tell me." But the king's officials were unwilling to raise a hand to strike the priests of the LORD.
Proverbs 16:6 Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the LORD evil is avoided.