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Midwives

Concise Bible Dictionary:

Those who assist at childbirth. God blessed the Hebrew midwives who would not obey the king of Egypt by killing the male infants. Women fill the same office in the East to this day (Gen. 35:17¹⁷And it came to pass, when she was in hard labor, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also. (Genesis 35:17); Gen. 38:28²⁸And it came to pass, when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first. (Genesis 38:28); Ex. 1:15-21¹⁵And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: ¹⁶And 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. ¹⁷But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive. ¹⁸And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive? ¹⁹And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them. ²⁰Therefore God dealt well with the midwives: and the people multiplied, and waxed very mighty. ²¹And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses. (Exodus 1:15‑21)).