Exodus

Exodus 1:17–21

¹⁷The midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had instructed; they let the boys live. ¹⁸So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”

¹⁹The midwives answered Pharaoh, “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before a midwife arrives.”

²⁰So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied and became even more numerous. ²¹And because the midwives feared God, He gave them families of their own.

Read all of Exodus 1

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Exodus 1:17

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
The midwives	הַֽמְיַלְּדֹת֙	ham·yal·lə·ḏōṯ	Article; Verb - Piel - Participle - feminine plural	H3205 bear, bring forth, beget
however	הַֽמְיַלְּדֹת֙	ham·yal·lə·ḏōṯ	Article; Verb - Piel - Participle - feminine plural	H3205 bear, bring forth, beget
feared	וַתִּירֶ֤אןָ	wat·tî·re·nā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine plural	H3372 fear
God	הָ֣אֱלֹהִ֔ים	hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H430 God
and did not	וְלֹ֣א	wə·lō	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
do	עָשׂ֔וּ	‘ā·śū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H6213 do, make
as	כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר	ka·’ă·šer	Preposition-k; Pronoun - relative	H834 particle of relation
the king	מֶ֣לֶךְ	me·leḵ	Noun - masculine singular construct	H4428 king
of Egypt	מִצְרָ֑יִם	miṣ·rā·yim	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H4714 Egypt, Egyptians
had instructed	דִּבֶּ֥ר	dib·ber	Verb - Piel - Perfect - third person masculine singular	H1696 speak
they let the boys	הַיְלָדִֽים׃	hay·lā·ḏîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H3206 child, son, boy, youth
live	וַתְּחַיֶּ֖יןָ	wat·tə·ḥay·ye·nā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine plural	H2421 live

Exodus 1:18

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So the king	מֶֽלֶךְ־	me·leḵ-	Noun - masculine singular construct	H4428 king
of Egypt	מִצְרַ֙יִם֙	miṣ·ra·yim	Noun - proper - feminine singular	H4714 Egypt, Egyptians
summoned	וַיִּקְרָ֤א	way·yiq·rā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7121 call, proclaim, read
the midwives	לַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֔ת	lam·yal·lə·ḏōṯ	Preposition-l, Article; Verb - Piel - Participle - feminine plural	H3205 bear, bring forth, beget
and asked	וַיֹּ֣אמֶר	way·yō·mer	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H559 utter, say
them	לָהֶ֔ן	lā·hen	Preposition; third person feminine plural
Why	מַדּ֥וּעַ	mad·dū·a‘	Interrogative	H4069 wherefore?
have you done	עֲשִׂיתֶ֖ן	‘ă·śî·ṯen	Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person feminine plural	H6213 do, make
this	הַזֶּ֑ה	haz·zeh	Article; Pronoun - masculine singular	H2088 this, that
Why have you let the boys	הַיְלָדִֽים׃	hay·lā·ḏîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H3206 child, son, boy, youth
live	וַתְּחַיֶּ֖יןָ	wat·tə·ḥay·ye·nā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - second person feminine plural	H2421 live

Exodus 1:19

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
The midwives	הַֽמְיַלְּדֹת֙	ham·yal·lə·ḏōṯ	Article; Verb - Piel - Participle - feminine plural	H3205 bear, bring forth, beget
answered	וַתֹּאמַ֤רְןָ	wat·tō·mar·nā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person feminine plural	H559 utter, say
Pharaoh	פַּרְעֹ֔ה	par·‘ōh	Noun - proper - masculine singular	H6547 Pharaoh
The Hebrew women	הָֽעִבְרִיֹּ֑ת	hā·‘iḇ·rî·yōṯ	Article; Noun - proper - feminine plural	H5680 Hebrew
are not	לֹ֧א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
like the Egyptian	הַמִּצְרִיֹּ֖ת	ham·miṣ·rî·yōṯ	Article; Noun - proper - feminine plural	H4713 Mitsrite
women	כַנָּשִׁ֛ים	ḵan·nā·šîm	Preposition-k, Article; Noun - feminine plural	H802 woman, wife, female
for	כִּ֣י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
they	הֵ֔נָּה	hên·nāh	Pronoun - third person feminine plural	H2007 they
are vigorous	חָי֣וֹת	ḥā·yō·wṯ	Adjective - feminine plural	H2422 having the vigour of life, lively
and give birth	וְיָלָֽדוּ׃	wə·yā·lā·ḏū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural	H3205 bear, bring forth, beget
before	בְּטֶ֨רֶם	bə·ṭe·rem	Preposition-b; Adverb	H2962 not yet, ere, before that
a midwife	הַמְיַלֶּ֖דֶת	ham·yal·le·ḏeṯ	Article; Verb - Piel - Participle - feminine singular	H3205 bear, bring forth, beget
arrives	תָּב֧וֹא	tā·ḇō·w	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person feminine singular	H935 come in, come, go in, go

Exodus 1:20

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
So God	אֱלֹהִ֖ים	’ĕ·lō·hîm	Noun - masculine plural	H430 God
was good	וַיֵּ֥יטֶב	way·yê·ṭeḇ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Hifil - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H3190 be good, well, glad, pleasing
to the midwives	לַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֑ת	lam·yal·lə·ḏōṯ	Preposition-l, Article; Verb - Piel - Participle - feminine plural	H3205 bear, bring forth, beget
and the people	הָעָ֛ם	hā·‘ām	Article; Noun - masculine singular	H5971 people
multiplied	וַיִּ֧רֶב	way·yi·reḇ	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H7235 be, or become, much, many, great
and became even more	מְאֹֽד׃	mə·’ōḏ	Adverb	H3966 muchness, force, abundance, exceedingly
numerous	וַיַּֽעַצְמ֖וּ	way·ya·‘aṣ·mū	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine plural	H6105 be vast, mighty, numerous

Exodus 1:21

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And because	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
the midwives	הַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֖ת	ham·yal·lə·ḏōṯ	Article; Verb - Piel - Participle - feminine plural	H3205 bear, bring forth, beget
feared	יָֽרְא֥וּ	yā·rə·’ū	Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person common plural	H3372 fear
God	הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים	hā·’ĕ·lō·hîm	Article; Noun - masculine plural	H430 God
He gave	וַיַּ֥עַשׂ	way·ya·‘aś	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular	H6213 do, make
them	לָהֶ֖ם	lā·hem	Preposition; third person masculine plural
families of their own	בָּתִּֽים׃	bāt·tîm	Noun - masculine plural	H1004 house