Exodus / Question
The Hebrew midwives are named Shiphrah and Puah. Pharaoh told them to kill the Hebrew sons at birth, but they did not do as the king commanded and let the boys live. When questioned, they gave Pharaoh an explanation for why the births happened before they arrived (Exodus 1:15-19).
This unit follows the report of Israel’s growth and the new king’s fear-driven escalation into forced labor earlier in the chapter. The narrative now slows with named characters and direct royal speech, setting up the coming conflict between state policy and the actions of the midwives.
This passage matters because it ties the detail to the larger movement of the book, keeping the answer connected to context rather than isolated wording.
A common mistake is to treat this as trivia. Names, places, numbers, and sequence details often carry memory, covenant identity, or narrative movement in the biblical story.
Start with Exodus 1:15-19, then read the surrounding section so the answer stays connected to the passage's flow.
15The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah,
16and he said, "When you perform the duty of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birth stool; if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live."
17But the midwives feared God, and didn`t do what the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the baby boys alive.
18The king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, "Why have you done this thing, and have saved the men-children alive?"
19The 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."