Shiphrah and Puah: They Risked Their Lives to Save Others

Shiphrah and Puah were two Egyptian midwives who risked their lives to save Hebrew babies.

How do you respond to authority? Have you ever been asked you to do something that went against what you knew was right? Did you obediently follow? Did you resist? What DID you do?

Egyptian midwives Shiphrah and Puah were placed in a terrible position by their boss, the pharaoh of Egypt. To disobey his command meant they could be killed. To obey, however, meant they themselves would have to kill. As women positioned in a life and death situation, they chose life, even if it resulted in their own death.

Shiphrah and Puah in the Bible

We find the story of Shiphrah and Puah in Exodus 1. The first thing we notice in verse 15 is that they are introduced by name, but the pharaoh, the king of Egypt remains nameless. Which lets us know their importance to the Hebrew people. It’s like they didn’t feel the need to even mention his name because he was merely one of a number of kings set to destroy the Hebrew people. But the midwives, THEY were significant.

The name Shiphrah means “prolific”. Puah means “child bearing”.

Shiphrah and Puah were not the only midwives. In fact, according to Jewish historian Aben Ezra, there would have been perhaps up to 500 midwives. These two women would have merely been the supervisors or overseers.

Bible scholars disagree over whether Shiphrah and Puah were Egyptian or Hebrew, but since they had Egyptian names, and it seems unlikely the Pharoah would have tasked Hebrew women with killing their own babies, we can assume they were Egyptian women who feared God.

Pharoah and the Hebrews

The king of Egypt had a problem. The Israelites were multiplying and growing stronger by the day. This frightened him. He was afraid in the event of war, the Israelites would side with the enemy and fight against Egypt.

His solution was to make life miserable for them. He assigned taskmasters who would afflict them with burdens. They forced them to build supply cities for the Egyptians. But the more they afflicted them, the stronger they grew and the more they multiplied.

The Egyptians grew to dread the Hebrews so they made their lives bitter with manual labor. But the more they worked them, the stronger they grew.

The Story of Shiphrah and Puah

The king had to formulate a new plan. This time, he decided to control the population. He brought in Shiphrah and Puah, the lead midwives, and ordered them to kill any Hebrew baby boys born.

Verse 17 tells us, “But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the male children alive.”

I wonder how long it took for the king to figure out they weren’t obeying his orders. It may have taken awhile. But then the day came when he confronted them. He asked why they were allowing the baby boys to live.

They responded, ““Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; for they are lively and give birth before the midwives come to them.” (v. 19)

It wasn’t an exact truth, but God knew their hearts. He saw how they chose to honor life rather than resorting to murder in order to please the king. God was pleased with their actions.

“Therefore God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and grew very mighty. And so it was, because the midwives feared God, that He provided households for them.” (vs. 20-21)

What Can We Learn From Shiphrah and Puah?

The story of Shiphrah and Puah is so encouraging. They were unique among women in the Bible in that they were foreigners, working women, who took a gamble that paid off.

Though they were foreigners, as they worked among the Hebrew women, they saw the hand of God. They saw the way God watched out for His people and blessed them. They witnessed the trust the Hebrew people had in their God, trusting Him even in trying situations. As a result of the Hebrew women, they grew to trust God for themselves.

As working women, they had a duty to obey their employer, the king of Egypt. But forced to chose between doing the right thing and keeping their jobs (and their lives), they chose to do the right thing, knowing the consequences could be death.

They didn’t ask for anything in return, but God saw their obedience and rewarded them with their own families. He used them in a mighty way, and blessed them.

How often do we think God can’t use us for one reason or another? We make excuses, justifying our actions. These women could have easily figured they had nothing to gain by disobeying the king. They could have justified the need to keep their jobs. Instead, they put their faith in God rather than their boss.

Are you willing to do the hard things? To make a stand for life? To protest what is wrong? To do the right thing regardless of the consequences? Are you fearing God or fearing man? Are you willing to follow in the footsteps of these brave midwives?

Shiphrah and Puah Bible Study

Scripture:
Exodus 1

Bible Study Review
1. What was the name of the Egyptian king? (Hint: trick question)
2. Why was the king scared of the Hebrews?
3. How did he try to control the Hebrews?

Thoughts to Ponder
1. How do Shiphrah and Puah’s names relate to their story?
2. Why did God allow the Hebrews to suffer?
3. Was it right for the midwives to tell a white lie?

Personal Reflection
1. How are you like Shiphrah and Puah?
2. Would you have the courage to do what they did?
3. Are you being asked to make a difficult decision?