THE DIFFICULTY:
Exodus 1:15 names only two Hebrew midwives—Shiphrah and Puah—and critics argue that it would have been impossible for just two women to attend births for a rapidly multiplying population numbering in the hundreds of thousands. From this assumption, the account is dismissed as exaggerated, legendary, or historically implausible.

THE CONTEXT:
The passage occurs during the early phase of Israel’s oppression in Egypt, when Pharaoh sought to curb Israel’s growth by covert infanticide rather than open slaughter. The narrative is not a demographic report on Israelite medical services but a moral and theological account highlighting faithful obedience to God in the face of royal tyranny. The text emphasizes Pharaoh’s command and the midwives’ refusal, not the logistics of childbirth coverage.

THE CLARIFICATION:
The misunderstanding arises from assuming that Shiphrah and Puah personally delivered every Israelite baby. The Hebrew construction allows—and strongly supports—the understanding that these two women were chief midwives, supervisors or leaders over a broader body of Hebrew midwives. The phrase “the midwives” is collective, while the naming of Shiphrah and Puah identifies them as representative leaders accountable to Pharaoh.

This usage is entirely consistent with ancient administrative language, where leaders are named while those under their authority remain unnamed. Pharaoh did not summon every midwife in Israel; he summoned those responsible for oversight and compliance. When the text later states that “the midwives feared God,” it refers to the entire group operating under their leadership, not merely two individuals acting alone.

Nothing in the text suggests that childbirth in Israel was centralized or that every delivery required the physical presence of these two women. Births took place in homes, assisted locally, as was standard in the ancient world. Shiphrah and Puah functioned as recognized authorities, not as solitary practitioners.

THE DEFENSE:
Exodus 1:15 presents no historical or logical problem. The difficulty exists only when modern assumptions are imposed on the ancient text. Scripture does not claim that two women delivered every child; it identifies the leaders whom Pharaoh attempted—and failed—to corrupt. The narrative’s focus is theological: Jehovah preserved His people through the God-fearing courage of faithful women who refused to obey an unjust command.

The account is sober, restrained, and internally coherent. It neither exaggerates nor obscures. Instead, it records a real historical strategy by Pharaoh and a real moral resistance by Israel’s midwives under responsible leadership. Far from undermining the credibility of the text, Exodus 1:15 highlights the realism, precision, and moral clarity of the inspired record.

You May Also Enjoy

EXODUS 1:11 — Are the Cities of Pithom and Raamses Evidence for the Date of the Exodus?

About the Author

CLICK LINKED IMAGE TO VISIT ONLINE STORE

CLICK TO SCROLL THROUGH OUR BOOKS