Commentaries Dictionaries Concordances

Ellicott's Commentary On The Whole Bible

Exodus 1:17

The midwives feared God. — The midwives, whether Hebrews or Egyptians, believed in a God who would punish wrong-doing, and therefore resolved not to obey the Pharaoh.

Continues after advertising

See also Exodus 1:17 in other biblical comments:

  • Adam Clarke Bible Commentary

    Verse Exodus 1:17. _THE MIDWIVES FEARED GOD_] Because they knew that God had forbidden murder of every kind; for though the law was not yet given, Exodus 20:13, being Hebrews they must have known tha...

  • Annotated Bible by A.C. Gaebelein

    ANALYSIS AND ANNOTATIONS I. ISRAEL'S DELIVERANCE OUT OF THE HANDS OF THE EGYPTIANS 1. The House of Bondage CHAPTER 1 _ 1. The names of the children of Israel; their increase (Exodus 1:1)_ 2. The...

  • Arthur Peake's Commentary on the Bible

    EXODUS 1:15 E ( EXODUS 1:20 B J). ATTEMPT TO DESTROY MALE CHILDREN. From another source we learn of two more ineffectual measures to restrict population. The two midwives, whose names tradition loved...

  • Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes

    GOD. Hebrew. _Eth ha-'Elohim,_ very emphatic for the true or triune God. AS. according as. SAVED. suffered.... to live....

  • College Press Bible Study Textbook Series

    THE TEXT OF EXODUS TRANSLATION 1 Now these are the names of the sons of Is-ra-el, who came into E-gypt (every man and his household came with Jacob): (2) Reu-ben, Sim-e-on, Le-vi, and Ju-dah, (3) Is-s...

  • Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible

    _BUT THE MIDWIVES FEARED GOD, AND DID NOT AS THE KING OF EGYPT COMMANDED THEM, BUT SAVED THE MEN_ _ CHILDREN ALIVE._ The midwives feared God ... Their faith inspired them with such courage as to risk...

  • Dummelow's Commentary on the Bible

    OPPRESSION OF THE ISRAELITES 5. Seventy souls] Jacob himself is included in the number: cp. Genesis 46:8. Of the seventy, sixty-eight were males. If to the direct descendants of Jacob we add the wives...

  • EasyEnglish Bible Commentaries

    EXODUS: ISRAEL BECOMES A NATION THE *ISRAELITES LEAVE EGYPT EXODUS CHAPTER S 1 TO 18 _HILDA BRIGHT AND KITTY PRIDE_ ABOUT THE BOOK OF EXODUS Exodus is one of the first 5 books of the *Old Testa...

  • ETCBC data on Hebrew bible

    וַ תִּירֶ֤אןָ הַֽ מְיַלְּדֹת֙ אֶת ־הָ֣ אֱלֹהִ

  • Expositor's Bible Commentary (Nicoll)

    THE OPPRESSION. Exodus 1:7. At the beginning of the history of Israel we find a prosperous race. It was indeed their growing importance, and chiefly their vast numerical increase, which excited the j...

  • Frederick Brotherton Meyer's Commentary

    GOD PROTECTS HEBREW BABES FROM PHARAOH'S DECREE Exodus 1:15 Egypt's _second_ stroke of policy was to begin with the children. Pharaoh and Herod set us an example in turning their attention to young...

  • G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

    The first word of Exodus, "Now," might with equal accuracy be rendered "And." Either word serves to suggest continuity. The story of Genesis is taken up in Exodus. It begins by recording the prolific...

  • Hawker's Poor man's commentary

    Is it not a mark of grace in these women? Proverbs 1:7. And was it not similar to the faith of Rahab? Hebrews 11:31....

  • Introductory Lectures - Commentary by William Kelly

    There is hardly a book of the Old Testament that stands out in more decided contrast with the book of Genesis than the one which follows it most closely. And this is the more striking, because God emp...

  • John Calvin's Bible Commentary

    17._But the midwives feared God. _Moses does not mean that they were then first affected with the fear of God; but he assigns this reason why they did not obey his unjust command, viz., because revere...

  • John Darby's Synopsis

    THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 1 AND 2. First, we have the historical circumstances which relate to the captivity of Israel-the persecutions which this people had to endure, and the provide...

  • John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible

    BUT THE MIDWIVES FEARED GOD,.... And therefore durst not take away the life of an human creature, which was contrary to the express law of God, Genesis 9:6: AND DID NOT AS THE KING OF EGYPT COMMANDED...

  • John Trapp Complete Commentary

    But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive. Ver. 17. _And did not as the king, &c._] Wherein they did no more, though out of a bett...

  • Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    _The stools_ Seats used on that occasion. _But the midwives feared God_ Dreaded his wrath more than Pharaoh's, and therefore _saved the men-children alive. The Hebrew women are lively_ We have no reas...

  • KJV Original Language Details

    1 The children of Israel after Iosephs death do multiply. 8 The more they are oppressed by a new King, the more they multiply. 15 The godlines of the Midwiues, in sauing the men children aliue. 22...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    THE COMMAND TO KILL ALL THE MALE CHILDREN...

  • Kretzmann's Popular Commentary of the Bible

    But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive. They placed the reverential fear of God before the slavish fear of the tyrant....

  • Lange's Commentary on the Holy Scriptures

    EXODUS THE SECOND BOOK OF MOSES (וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת; _Ἐξοδος: Exodus_) THE PROPHETICO-MESSIANIC THEOCRACY—OR THE GENESIS, REDEMPTION AND SANCTIFICATION OF THE COVENANT PEOPLE FIRST DIVISION: MOSES AN...

  • Leslie M. Grant's Commentary on the Bible

    ISRAEL MULTIPLIED (vs.1-7) The first five verses of Exodus indicate its continuity with the book of Genesis, for they confirm what is written in more detail in Genesis 46:8. This small number of 70 p...

  • Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible

    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...

  • Matthew Poole's Concise Commentary On The Bible

    _ 1635_ THEY FEARED GOD more than the king, and therefore chose to obey God rather than the king, their commands being contrary each to other....

  • Notes on the Pentateuch by Charles Henry Mackintosh

    We now approach, by the mercy of God, the study of the Book of Exodus, of which the great prominent theme is redemption. The first five verses recall to the mind the closing scenes of the preceding bo...

  • Patchworkid's Personal Study Bible Notes

    Exodus 1:17 midwives H3205 (H8764) feared H3372 (H8799) God H430 did H6213 (H8804) king H4428 Egypt...

  • Peter Pett's Commentary on the Bible

    PHARAOH SEEKS TO DESTROY ISRAEL THROUGH ITS MIDWIVES (EXODUS 1:15). a The king of Egypt calls on the Hebrew midwives who are told at births to slay sons and let the daughters live (Exodus 1:16). b T...

  • Scofield's Bible Commentary

    FEARED (_ See Scofield) - (Psalms 19:9). _...

  • Summarized Bible Commentary

    CONTENTS: Israel in Egypt and their bondage. CHARACTERS: Joseph, Pharaoh, Shiprah, Puah. CONCLUSION: God's providences may at times seem to thwart His promises that His peoples' faith may be tried a...

  • Sutcliffe's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

    Exodus 1:1. _The children of Israel._ Some think we should read here, the sons of Israel. Paul, Galatians 4:3; Galatians 4:5, makes a distinction between children and sons, in the words νηπιοι and υιο...

  • The Biblical Illustrator

    _The children of Israel were fruitful _ THE INCREASE OF THE CHURCH I. Notwithstanding the removal of its chief officer (Exodus 1:6). Joseph dead; his influence gone; his counsel inaccessible. To-day...

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    EXODUS—NOTE ON EXODUS 1:1 Exodus 1:1 of Israel from Egypt. The first half of Exodus 1:1 focuses on the

  • The ESV Global Study Bible's Study Notes

    EXODUS—NOTE ON EXODUS 1:15 The defiant actions of the HEBREW MIDWIVES show that they FEARED GOD (vv. Exodus 1:17,...

  • The Preacher's Complete Homiletical Commentary

    CRITICAL NOTES.— Exodus 1:15. Hebrew midwives] It is curious, though it may not throw light on the precise relation in which these women stood to the Hebrew women, that their names should be of a lik...

  • The Pulpit Commentaries

    EXPOSITION EXODUS 1:15-2 Some time—say five or six years—having elapsed and the Pharaoh's first plan having manifestly failed, it was necessary for him either to give up his purpose, or to devise som...

  • Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

    feared God. Genesis 20:11 Genesis 42:18 Nehemiah 5:15 Psalms 31:19...

  • Wesley's Explanatory Notes

    But the midwives feared God — Dreaded his wrath more than Pharaoh's, and therefore saved the men — children alive....

  • When Critics Ask: A Popular Handbook on Bible Difficulties, Norman L. Geisler and Thomas Howe, 1960

    How could an all-loving God command the Hebrews to plunder the Egyptians of their riches? PROBLEM: Exodus 3:22 states, “So you shall plunder the Egyptians.” The Bible presents God as all-loving. Howe...

Continues after advertising