Exodus 1:19

The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women aren’t like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous, and give birth before the midwife comes to them.”

World English Bible
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Other translations

WEBBE

The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women aren’t like the Egyptian women; for they are vigourous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.”

BSB

The midwives answered Pharaoh, “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before a midwife arrives.”

KJV

And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.

ASV

And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwife come unto them.

BBE

And they said to Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are strong, and the birth takes place before we come to them.

Original Hebrew

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וַתֹּאמַרְןָ va·to·mar·na and they said H559 הַמְיַלְּדֹת ham·ya·le·dot the midwives H3205 אֶל־ 'el- to H413 פַּרְעֹה par·'oh Pharaoh H6547 כִּי ki for H3588 לֹא lo' not H3808 כַנָּשִׁים kha·na·shim [are] like the women H802 הַמִּצְרִיֹּת ha·mitz·ri·yot (the) Egyptian H4713 הָעִבְרִיֹּת ha·'iv·ri·yot the Hebrew [women] H5680 כִּי־ ki- that H3588 חָיוֹת cha·yot [are] vigorous H2422 הֵנָּה he·nah they H2007 בְּטֶרֶם be·te·rem (in) before H2962 תָּבוֹא ta·vo' she comes H935 אֲלֵהֶן 'a·le·hen to them H413 הַמְיַלֶּדֶת ham·ya·le·det the midwife H3205 וְיָלָדוּ ve·ya·la·du and they give birth H3205

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 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.

Read Matthew Henry on Exodus 1 →

Cross-references

3

People & places

Pharaoh Egypt

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.