Exodus 1:15-22, Annotated.

This translation is from the New American Standard Bible. Other translations are available here. Information about the original Hebrew meaning of what seems to be the key words is provided in blue immediately below the scriptural text.    

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¹⁵ Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other was named Puah; ¹⁶and he said, “When you are helping the Hebrew women to give birth and see them upon the birthstool, if it is a son, then you shall put him to death; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live.” ¹⁷But the midwives feared God, and did not do as the king of Egypt had commanded them, but let the boys live. ¹⁸So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?” ¹⁹The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife can get to them.” ²⁰So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied, and became very mighty. ²¹Because the midwives feared God, He established households for them. ²² Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying, “Every son who is born you are to cast into the Nile, and every daughter you are to keep alive.”

midwives = יָלַד = yālaḏ  Blue Letter Bible  to bear, bring forth, beget, gender, travail; create; simile of distress; be delivered (of a child), time of delivery

 

Shiphah = שִׁפְרָה = šip̄râ Blue Letter Bible fair; brightness; beauty

 

Puah = פּוּעָה = pûʿâ  Blue Letter Bible splendid; glitter; brilliancy  

 

feared = יָרֵא = yārē' Blue Letter Bible  fear, revere, be afraid; tremble; stand in awe of, be awed; reverence, honor, respect; venerate; admire; be dreadful; cause astonishment and awe, be held in awe; inspire reverence or godly fear or awe; to make afraid, terrify; shoot, pour; morally to revere

 

good = יָטַב = yāṭaḇ Blue Letter Bible be good, be pleasing, be well, be glad; be well for, be well with, go well with; make glad, rejoice; do good to, deal well with; to do well, do thoroughly; do well, accurately, fitly; to make a thing good or right or beautiful; do right; make well, literally (sound, beautiful) or figuratively (happy, successful, right):—be accepted; amend, use aright, benefit, be (make) better; to fit, adjust, trim 

 

people = עַם = ʿam  Blue Letter Bible   the whole human race; people, nation; persons, members of one's people, compatriots, country-men; kinsman, kindred, relatives; a people as a congregated unit; tribe, flock; folk; inhabitants of a city, locality

 

multiplied =  רָבָה = rāḇâ Blue Letter Bible  be or become great, be or become many, be or become much, be or become numerous; to be or grow great; make large, enlarge, increase, become many; to increase greatly or exceedingly; do much; excel, exceeding(-ly), be full of; yield much; give much; bring up

 

very = מְאֹד = mᵊ'ōḏ  Blue Letter Bible  exceedingly, much; muchness, force, abundance; wholly; especially; utterly; strength, force; to a great degree

 

mighty = עָצַם = ʿāṣam Blue Letter Bible to be vast, be numerous, be mighty; powerful; be great, be increased; be(-come, make) strong(-er)

 

established = עָשָׂה = ʿāśâ  Blue Letter Bible  to do, fashion, accomplish, make; work, make, produce; to deal (with); to act, act with effect, effect; to attend to, put in order; to observe, celebrate; advance; follow, fulfill; be industrious, labor; yield; produce by labor

 

households = בַּיִת = bayiṯ  Blue Letter Bible   house, dwelling, habitation, abode; place; receptacle; home; house as containing a family; palace, fortress; inner part, family