INTRODUCTION:
Christian Ethics is a vitally important subject. The world takes its marching orders on matters pertaining to right and wrong from the well of human subjectivity. That is, opinions of what should and should not be done are constant. But, the question that needs to be asked time and time again is this: By What Standard?
People tend to find that a very troublesome question. It implies that an objective standard is required if we are going to argue this position over another…. It hints at a rightness or wrongness to human choices and human activity…. A line of thinking that does not sit well with a culture conditioned into believing that they are the final arbiter of truth. To have a standard outside the individual, a standard that applies to all people across societal differences of opinion…well…in the minds of a vast majority that just will not do; it doesn’t sit well.
However, if that is not the case. If an objective, universally applicable standard is not found or cannot be appealed to, then what we are left with? The inability to determine the rightness or wrongness of any position held in spite of how tenaciously one might cling to it; or, fight for it.
Did the Hebrew midwives lie to Pharaoh, or did they tell the truth?
That’s the question I would like to answer in this post. I’m not the first to try. And, I won’t be the last to entertain it. Since I am currently working through the Book of Exodus with my congregation, I thought I would present my own views on the subject.
None of us live in a vacuum. We all have our influences in life. In some fashion, we all stand on the shoulders of giants that have gone before us. However, the position that I take is not a popular one. From what I can tell, though, it makes the best case exegetically.
There are in my mind three conclusions one will draw from the historical narrative:
1) The Hebrew midwives lied and God blessed them for lying, providing a glaring contradiction that demonstrates the unreliability of the Holy Bible.
2) The Hebrew midwives told the truth and God blessed them for being truthful (“He’d never bless them for lying,” it is argued). The truth they told was in relation to the cultural differences between Hebrew and Egyptian women in terms of childbearing; for this they were blessed because they feared God more than Pharaoh.
3) The Hebrew midwives did in fact lie to Pharaoh in order to preserve the life of the male Israelite babies. They lied because they feared God, and in subverting the king of Egypt’s wishes (his Law-Word), God blessed the nation as a whole and the Hebrew midwives in particular for their faith honoring Him above all others.
I believe #3 is correct and defensible in terms of the Christian faith using God’s Law-Word in a consistent and cogent manner. Moreover, I believe that we can defend this without going outside of Exodus 1. I think going outside of Exodus 1 further substantiates this truth, giving us a deeper perception of how the 9th commandment plays out in Scripture.1 But I will bring that to bear in a 2nd post.
Today, we are only going to look at the text. We are going to ask some observational questions. And, then we are going to consider what our interpretation ought to be based off the flow-of-thought presented in the Biblical message. Along the way, I will add my personal insights.2
The Text
Set up…
"Joseph died, and all his brothers and all that generation. But the sons of Israel were fruitful and increased greatly, and multiplied, and became exceedingly mighty, so that the land was filled with them. Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. He said to his people, 'Behold the people of the sons of Israel are more and mightier than we. Come, let us deal wisely with them, or else they will multiply and in the event of war, they will also join themselves to those who hate us, and fight against us and depart from the land" (Exod. 1:6-10; NASB). 3
Observations:
In verse 7 we read that the sons of Israel experienced a population explosion after the death of Joseph and his brothers. God blessed them to the point that “…the land was filled with them” (cf. Gen. 1:28). This did not go unnoticed.
The king of Egypt determined to stop the growing influence of the Israelite nation within his kingdom. Like all tyrannical movements in history, Pharaoh ramped up the propaganda machine spewing rhetoric to bring about the action he believed necessary. Telling those under him to join in "deal[ing] wisely with [the Hebrews], or else they will multiply and in the event of war, they will also join themselves to those who hate us, and fight against us and depart from the land" (Exod. 1:10).
Proposed Solution or Necessary Measures…
"So they appointed taskmasters over [the Hebrews] to afflict them with hard labor. And they built for Pharaoh storage cities, Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted [the Hebrews], the more they multiplied and the more they spread out, so that they were in dread of the sons of Israel" (Exod. 1:11-12; brackets added for clarity).
Observations:
They enslaved them. They increased their labors. But this did not stop God’s blessing from being poured on them evidenced by their continual increase in numbers and presence in the land to the point that the Egyptians “…were in dread of the sons of Israel” (Exod. 1:12; cf. v. 7; also see: Gen. 9:1, 7; Lev. 26:9; Psa. 127:3, 5).
Proposed Solution or Necessary Measures… (Cont.)
"The Egyptians compelled the sons of Israel to labor rigorously; and they made their lives bitter with hard labor in mortar and bricks and at all kinds of labor in the field, all their labors which they rigorously imposed on them" (Exod. 1:13-14).
The goal was to break the will of the sons of Israel. To make “their lives bitter with hard labor” (v. 14) in order to stifle their will to live, to be fruitful and multiply. Why bring children into a world filled with hate and pain and suffering? The concerns of present times are not new, nor are the tactics of evil men a fresh invention. Though these verses speak of the hardship that the sons of Israel endured under the tyranny of Pharaoh, he had not yet broke their spirit to the point that they stopped increasing in number in the land. Another tactic is needed. Again, not a new one but a paradigm of destruction re-imagined every so often throughout the course of human history. If breaking the backs of the Israelites did not stop them from growing in the land, then perhaps this next measure would.
The issue at hand…
"Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, on of whom was named Shiphrah and the other was named Puah; and he said, 'When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live'" (Exod. 1:15-16; emphasis added).
Observations:
Hard labor didn’t do it. Enslavement didn’t do it. So, the only reasonable option to stop the growth of Israel in the land was in the killing of their male offspring. The command was simple. When a Hebrew woman was in labor, as the child was being born, once it passed through the birth canal and entered into this world having left their mother’s womb, the Hebrew midwives were instructed to kill any male children on the spot and let the females live. In short, the king instituted a law that made the Hebrew midwives executioners of all male babies. They were to be present as representatives of the king of Egypt, and then they were to carry out his command if what they witnessed was a baby boy, rather than, a girl.
A couple of important questions that need to be asked: “Ultimately, what was the goal of Pharaoh?” I ask this because only two midwives are mentioned by name. If the king’s intention was decreasing the steady growth of the Hebrew population, then only two midwives would hardly suffice. Thus, many commentators of the past and present assume that these two women (Shiphrah and Puah) were representatives of an entire group meant to service the daughters of Israel in childbearing. Next, consider: “What was the intention of the Hebrew midwives when they heard this command from the king given?” We are told this in the next verse.
Obedience and Disobedience put on display…
"But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live" (Exod. 1:17; emphasis added).
Observations:
The women feared God more than Pharaoh. Which means what? They had no intention whatsoever of obeying the king’s command. In their mind, this law of Egypt had no binding authority. This law would not govern their hearts or their behaviors. We are told this very plainly in the text: “[they] did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them…” ; “…but [they] let the boys live” (brackets and emphasis added). Keep this in mind for we shall return to it shortly.
Question and Answer…
"So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, 'Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?' The midwives said to Pharaoh, 'Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife can get to them" (Exod. 1:18-19; emphasis added).
Observation:
We are now getting close to the matter at hand; the reason for this post. The king of Egypt called the women into his audience, why? To hold them accountable. For what? For disobeying his command and letting the boys live. According to the text, they were being questioned by the king for not murdering Hebrew baby boys as instructed. He is asking, “Why have you refused to obey me?”
Pay attention to their response. The Hebrew midwives say the reason the boys live is because the pregnant Hebrew women are different than pregnant Egyptian women. They give birth too quickly (i.e., vigorously). So quick in fact, that the Hebrew midwives don’t get there in time. In other words, the boys are already born before the midwife shows up. Is that really the reason? Are they telling the truth? Before we answer that, let us look at God’s response towards all of this….
The Blessings of God…
"So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied, and became very mighty. Because the midwives feared God, He established households for them" (Exod. 1:20-21).
Observations:
God blessed the Hebrew midwives. He was good to them. And, the people of Israel continued to multiply and increase in number as a result. Moreover, because they feared God more than Pharaoh He “established households for them” (Exod. 1:21).
Questions for the reader…
Does God bless inactivity? Does a pietistic faith without action represent genuine faith? Doesn’t fearing God mean “obeying” God? It is a reverence for His namesake demonstrated in our lives, not just an inward conviction that has no visible fruit. Is that not a key teaching in our Bible’s?
Did the Hebrew midwives lie to Pharaoh? Did they tell the truth? Did they value one ethical choice over another? When you read this passage of Scripture what basic presupposition is guiding your interpretation of the facts? If you say, God blessed them because they feared Him, you need to explain how they demonstrated that fear (reverence/respect). What did they do that proved their fear of God?
Objectors…
History has not been kind with this passage nor the brave women who took a stand against a tyrant despot that was filled with murderous rage towards the representatives of God.4 It seems rather obvious that the Hebrew women lied to the king of Egypt. But there have been a great many Christians throughout the years that have denied this reality. Some make an appeal to cultural differences between Hebrew women and Egyptian women. Let us say at the forefront that there is no question that cultural differences did in fact exist between those two parties. But that is an argument read into the text, not provided by the text. You have to assume that what the women stated is in fact the truth…
But in an effort to avoid the plain meaning of the text some have argued to strongly for one conclusion, and in so doing have actually proved more than ought to be done.
Let us examine the facts. The king hated Israel and he wanted to stifle their ability to reproduce. Infanticide seemed a good choice. Threatening his slaves—the Hebrew midwives—to carry out this action seemed a good thing. But those women had already made a prior commitment. They would honor God by protecting the babies of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—their forefathers. They knew of God’s calling. They had no doubt heard to some extent the promises of God passed down generation to generation. They were aware of Joseph and the blessings enjoyed by his faithfulness. Therefore, when the command came, when the law of the king was spoken, they predetermined in their hearts to disobey. The intention of these women was to spare the lives of the little boys being born in Israel.
Thus, when the king asks them why they’ve done this their response is still a lie no matter what way you want to shake it. The honest answer would have been: We refused to kill those baby boys, because we fear God more than you! Instead of telling the truth: “[we] let the boys live…” because, they said, “we weren’t even there!” they spoke of the power of the working woman in labor to do what sophisticated women could not!
If you say that they were telling the truth, that Hebrew women went through labor at a rate of rapidity that far surpassed other women in Egypt, then you argue too much.5 If they weren’t there, then how did they spare the boys’ lives? If they weren’t there, then what was the grounds of God blessing them? If you say, “they purposefully took their time knowing that Hebrew women gave birth quickly, so as to not be there,” then you are still faced with them telling a lie because the excuse offered in Exodus 1:19 does not acquit them from telling a false story. As I noted above, the real reason the boys were spared was because the women had no intention of obeying the kings command. An honest answer without any form of deception in it would have had to admit the truth on this point. Like Peter and John, they should have said if left between two options: God or Pharaoh, they’d chose to obey God (cf. Acts 4: ; 5:29).
Now this is precisely what they did. They feared God and chose to disobey Pharaoh. And in the process they lied to the king who had tasked them about failing to murder those babies. Either they lied in terms of their initial intent, or they fabricated a story that kept them from the place of the activity—i.e., in the labor room. The lie, the deception, was a part of their fealty to the Lord of Hosts. I understand that makes many Christians uneasy, but it is on the heels of their testimony that we are told that God blessed them. The deception covered their true intention which was the protection of the male offspring of the Hebrew women.
There are other texts that shed further light on this issue, not to mention legitimate ethical situations that demonstrate that when presented a situation where the evil one (and his representatives) try to use God’s Law to test us or to test the Lord, then in those circumstances (situations) we are permitted to refuse to be bound by the terms of our enemy.
A Closing Example…
A governing agency sends over armed individuals who want to know the whereabouts of your children (innocent of any crime, but perhaps, guilty of an arbitrary law that is antithetical to the Christian faith). If such information is given, you have aided the enemy in seizing what you are tasked with protecting and loving.
That information may lead to their being kidnapped, enslaved, tortured, raped, or murdered; to which, you have become an accomplice because you failed to resist the will of the enemy in a period of war. I think because of our narrow view of reality, and the inability to define things outside of their commonly used parameters, we fail to see that there is a war between the offspring of the serpent and the offspring of the woman. In Exodus 1 Pharaoh, as a representative of the serpent (i.e., one of his true offspring), was waging war against the representatives of the woman (i.e., offspring of the covenantal body later ratified in Christ Jesus’ blood); Moses one of the spared children from that order. He (Pharaoh) sought to strike a death blow, but one of those representatives of the woman (Moses) would soon come, as a shadow of Christ, to crush the head (euphuism for death blow) of the evil representative in the Red Sea.
More will be said on this matter, but for now this shall suffice. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to write them, and I will try to respond in a timely manner.
ENDNOTES:
1Exodus 20:16 reads, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”
2This has been a subject that I have spent a considerable amount of time mulling over. I have came back to this file on my computer several times over the last few weeks as I weighed whether or not it was worth posting.
3All Scripture, unless otherwise noted, shall be of the New American Standard Bible (NASB).
4All men are created as image bearers of God, but it is only the redeemed, those covenanted to God via grace in accordance with His Law-Word that are His true representatives. Thus, Abraham’s lineage, the children of his grandson Israel (aka., Jacob) who bear the sign of the covenant in the flesh (Gen. 17:11; at that time) who are chosen of God (cf. Gal. 3:7; 29).
5Consider what you prove when you argue in this way. Not only are you hedging your bets on an adjective that describes the supposed rapid manner in which the Hebrew women gave birth versus their Egyptian counterparts. In assuming that they are telling the truth—which has to be based on an assumption since nothing in the text indicates that cultural differences were the reason the Hebrew women kept having baby boys—you are effectively arguing that the Hebrew midwives were not even present.
But if that is the correct interpretation of the text. If that conclusion is what makes the best sense of the flow of thought in this historical narrative, then we must admit that the Hebrew midwives didn’t actually “do” anything. They weren’t even present. They couldn’t get there in time. So, how is that a “they let the boys live” moment? If the answer is “they didn’t lie to Pharaoh, the Hebrew women were just quicker in preparation and execution of giving birth than the Egyptian women,” then the Hebrew midwives shouldn’t have been commended because they hadn’t did anything.
A pietistic fear of the Lord is a good thing. We should fear the Lord in our prayer closest. We should treasure His Law-Word more than the law-word of some other. But, we can’t rightly commend a person for having faith but doing nothing with it (cf. Jam. 2:14-26). In other words, if that is our argument, then we seem to be on some very shoddy ground.
Kristafal's Musings 