Shiphrah

Shiphrah is named as one of two Hebrew midwives who defy Pharaoh’s order to kill newborn boys, an act that makes her a quiet but consequential figure in the survival of the Israelites under oppression. The narrative presents her work as an immediate point of resistance to royal policy: she and Puah preserve the children’s lives, and God deals well with the midwives.

Identity and Setting

Shiphrah is identified as a Hebrew midwife alongside Puah. The new king of Egypt, who does not know Joseph, fears that the Israelites have become too numerous and might join Egypt’s enemies in war. He places them under taskmasters and subjects them to hard labor, including brickmaking and field service.

The king then addresses the midwives directly, instructing them to kill Hebrew boys at birth while allowing girls to live. The account names Shiphrah and Puah but does not provide further details about Shiphrah’s family, earlier life, or later activities.

Defiance of Pharaoh’s Order

Shiphrah and Puah do not carry out the king’s command. The narrative attributes their refusal to their fear of God and says that they save the newborn boys alive. Their resistance prevents Pharaoh’s decree from being enacted through the midwives’ work.

When Pharaoh summons them and demands an explanation, they answer that Hebrew women are vigorous and give birth before a midwife arrives. The text records this explanation without describing any further exchange or the midwives’ private thoughts.

Consequences and Narrative Significance

The account links the midwives’ refusal with the Israelites’ continued growth: the people multiply and become very mighty. God deals well with the midwives, and, because they fear God, makes houses for them. The narrative does not specify the form of this reward.

Pharaoh responds to the failure of his order by extending the killing command beyond the midwives: he charges all his people to cast every newborn son into the river while sparing daughters. Shiphrah’s disobedience therefore marks an early act of resistance in the account of Israelite oppression, even as the king escalates his attempt to suppress the people.