Exo 1:19 | CPDV | STEP | They responded: “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women. For they themselves have the wisdom of a midwife, and so they give birth before we can come to them.”

‏ Exodus 1:19

19 They responded: “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women. For they themselves have the wisdom of a midwife, and so they give birth before we can come to them.” ^{▼▼1:19The midwives were not lying. The Hebrew women were very hardy and strong, having spent their lives in manual labor and hardship. The Hebrew women also feared that their child would be male and be killed, so they did not call for the midwives, if they could avoid doing so. So, in fact, they did often give birth before the midwives arrived. They also likely had some obstetrical knowledge handed down through their families, because the Hebrew people had strong extended families. So, the statements by the midwives were true. They did not reveal the additional truth that when they were present for the birth, they deliberately helped to preserve the males from death. But they did not lie.(Conte)}