Exodus 1:15Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

When discussing the deceit of the midwives who misled Pharaoh to spare the newborn Israelite boys by claiming that Hebrew women deliver more quickly than Egyptian women, there arises a question of whether this falsehood was sanctioned by Divine approval. The Scriptures indicate that God showed favor to the midwives, but it remains uncertain if He pardoned their deception out of compassion or regarded the falsehood itself as commendable. While the midwives acted rightly by saving lives, their deceit directed at Pharaoh complicates the issue. The act of preserving life reflects mercy, yet their untruth served self-interest to evade Pharaoh's ire, which lacks true commendation, although it may be forgiven.

Ultimately, it is stated concerning other Jewish women that they deliver their children before the midwives arrive, for the souls of the just do not depend on human skills or knowledge created for their benefit, nor do they need assistance for their development, but instead, they readily bring forth results that surpass all expectations.

Consequently, Pharaoh of Egypt is regarded as a symbol of the adversary when he ordered that male infants be ruthlessly thrown into the river, while allowing females to survive. Similarly, the devil, who held dominion from Adam to Moses over the vast territory of Egypt, meaning the worldly realm, sought to drown the rational and spiritual offspring of the soul in the floods of sinful desires, while aiming to foster and amplify the base and irrational aspects.

After the initial brutal attempt to diminish the Hebrew population was unsuccessful, Pharaoh implemented a more savage decree: he instructed the Hebrew midwives to eliminate male infants at birth. It is evident that two midwives could not possibly serve the vast number of Hebrew women in labor. Therefore, it is reasonable to infer that these two women were likely in supervisory roles among other midwives; being prominent figures, they were not meant to carry out the king's command personally, but rather to relay it to their subordinates, oversee its implementation, and report back to Pharaoh if the order was not carried out or if it was improperly executed.

O. Gerlach posits that the two women mentioned, in a society where roles and professions were meticulously delineated, likely led a group of women specifically trained for these duties. This perspective is supported by tradition found in the book of Yashar, where Pharaoh instructs, "you shall watch over the seat of birth," referring to the specially designed birthing chairs utilized during delivery. The terms for the midwives are exclusively interpreted in Egyptian (see Cook). Shifra derives from cheper, meaning "fertile," while Pua signifies "bearing" (a child). Names were carefully chosen to align with their roles while also carrying positive connotations.