Exodus 1:17

The midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had instructed; they let the boys live.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — The narrator reports the midwives' action in response to Pharaoh's decree in verse 16. No one is speaking; the verse is a statement of what they did.

The words — יִרְאוּ (yir'ū, "they feared," H3372, Hiphil) is the load-bearing verb; the object is אֱלֹהִים ('ĕlōhîm, "God," H430) with the definite article, specifying which God, not a generic deity. The plain verb עָשׂוּ ('āśû, "they did," H6213) carries no moral gloss — the text simply records the act of omission.

The thread — Exodus 1:21 names the same fear as the cause of their reward; Acts 5:29 restates the principle as "obey God rather than men"; Ecclesiastes 12:13 compresses the whole duty to "fear God and keep His commandments."

Why it lands — The verse presents no negotiation, no compromise, no middle path between the king's order and the command to let a child live. It asks the reader whether, when those two collide, they will side with the one who cannot be deposed.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַתִּירֶ֤אןָva./ti.Re.naand/ they feared הַֽמְיַלְּדֹת֙ha/m.ya.le.Dotthe/ midwives אֶת־'et-<obj.>הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔יםha./'E.lo.Him<the>/ God וְלֹ֣אve./Lo'and/ not עָשׂ֔וּ'a.Suthey did כַּאֲשֶׁ֛רka./'a.Sherjust/ as דִּבֶּ֥רdi.Berhe had spoken אֲלֵיהֶ֖ן'a.lei./Hento/ them מֶ֣לֶךְMe.lekh[the] king of מִצְרָ֑יִםmitz.Ra.yimEgypt וַתְּחַיֶּ֖יןָva./te.chai.Yei.naand/ they let live אֶת־'et-<obj.>הַיְלָדִֽים׃ha/y.la.Dimthe/ [male] children

King James Version

But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.

Cross-references

Acts 5:29 But Peter and the other apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than men.
Exodus 1:21 And because the midwives feared God, He gave them families of their own.
Ecclesiastes 12:13 When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: Fear God and keep His commandments, because this is the whole duty of man.
Matthew 10:28 Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Luke 12:5 But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear the One who, after you have been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him!
Acts 4:18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
Proverbs 16:6 By loving devotion and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns aside from evil.
Daniel 3:16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.
Daniel 6:13 Then they told the king, “Daniel, one of the exiles from Judah, shows no regard for you, O king, or for the decree that you have signed. He still makes his petition three times a day.”
Genesis 42:18 and on the third day he said to them, “I fear God. So do this and you will live: