The Brave Women Who Reared Moses
One of the remarkable things about the biography of Moses is the crucial role played by dynamic women in his life. His mother, Jochebed, and his sister, Miriam, saved his life by placing him in a basket in the Nile. The daughter of Pharaoh discovered him and adopted him as her own son. Zipporah protected him when he sought refuge in the Land of Midian. It is truly amazing that such an ancient story gives such prominence to these powerful women.
The Quiet Rebellion of the Midwives
But we are forgetting about two unsung female heroes: Shiphrah and Puah, the two midwives who defied Pharaoh’s edict to kill all Hebrew baby boys (Exodus 1:15). Like many great figures in the Bible, they were willing to sacrifice their own lives to save countless others. By sparing Moses’s life, they saved the future of the Jewish people. Why did they do it?
Discover the Hidden Layers
According to Scripture, it was the faith of Shiphrah and Puah which gave them the courage to disobey Pharaoh’s decree. In the original Hebrew, the term for faith is Yirat Elohim (יראת אלוהים), literally meaning “fear of God.” But this “fear” was not fright or trepidation; it was awe. Awe for the one God of Israel. Enroll today in our live, online Biblical Hebrew course and discover the hidden layers of Scripture.