Exodus 1:16
And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live. And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.
Pharaoh commanded the Hebrew midwives to kill every newborn son at birth while letting every daughter live. After increased burdens and hard bondage had failed to lessen Israel's numbers and crush their spirit, he sought by this order to prevent their growth and to destroy the deliverer God would raise up among them, with Satan moving him because he knew such a deliverer was to come. The midwives feared God and refused to carry out the order, daring not to murder the children but disobeying the king and saving the male children alive. Because of that obedience God approved their course and prospered them, while Pharaoh in anger made the decree more urgent and extensive by charging all his people to destroy every newborn Hebrew son. The verse also shows that in Bible times childbirth care was women's work, establishing as God's plan and order that women take responsibility for attending women in childbirth and be educated and trained as midwives and physicians for their sex.
Pharaoh's Command to Kill
Exodus 1:16 records Pharaoh's command to the Hebrew midwives at the birthstool to kill every newborn son while letting every daughter live. The command came after increased burdens and hard bondage had failed to decrease Israel's numbers and crush their independent spirit. By it Pharaoh intended to prevent Israel's growth and to destroy the deliverer God would raise up among them to rescue them from oppression. Satan moved Pharaoh in this because he knew a deliverer was to be raised up among the Hebrews, and he thought that destroying the male children would defeat God's purpose.
The midwives feared God and refused to carry out the order, daring not to murder the children but disobeying the king and saving the male children alive. Because of that obedience God approved their course and prospered them.
When Pharaoh learned his command had not been obeyed he was very angry and made it more urgent and extensive. He charged all his people to keep strict watch to destroy every newborn Hebrew son while saving the daughters alive. So the order was broadened from the midwives to the whole nation, and the male children were hunted and slain.
Midwifery as Women's Work
In Bible times the care of women in childbirth was women's work, with women serving as midwives who attended the Hebrew women and took charge of them at birth. Pharaoh's instruction to kill the newborn sons and spare the daughters was given to such women midwives in the midst of that work. This biblical example establishes God's plan and the Bible's order that women take responsibility for attending women during childbirth and confinement.
Women should therefore be educated and entrusted to carry out this responsibility of taking charge of women in childbirth. They should be trained to care for women in childbirth and to treat women's diseases. They should be trained as midwives and as physicians for their sex.
Men were not considered proper for this work, so gentleman and male physicians should not do the midwives' work in their place. The Lord worked with the women who thus served as midwives and took responsibility for the care of other women.