Exodus 1:20 means that God acted kindly toward the Hebrew midwives who refused to obey Pharaoh’s order to kill Hebrew baby boys, and that because of this, the Hebrew people kept growing in number and strength despite the king’s efforts to stop them. The verse is a narrator’s summary written by the author of Exodus, who is traditionally identified as Moses. It speaks of the midwives who feared God and of the people of Israel who were living as foreigners in Egypt.
God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied, and grew very mighty.
Exodus 1:20 (WEB)
What Exodus 1:20 Means
The phrase “God dealt well with the midwives” tells you that God looked on the midwives with favor. The Hebrew idea behind “dealt well” is closer to “did good to” or “treated kindly,” and it describes how God responded to their courage. They had defied a royal command because they revered God more than the king, and the verse says God did not leave that choice unrewarded.
The second half of the verse reports what happened to the Hebrew people. Even under harsh labor and a plan to drown their sons, they “multiplied” and “grew very mighty.” The writer is showing that the king’s strategy failed, and that God’s purpose for his people was moving forward regardless of Pharaoh’s schemes.
The verse does not promise that obedience to God will always protect us from danger or that faithful people will never suffer. It shows God working through ordinary, frightened people in a hostile empire. Read closely, it is a report of God’s faithfulness to his promise to Abraham’s descendants rather than a general guarantee of comfort.
The Context of Exodus 1:20
Exodus is the second book of the Torah, the first five books of the Old Testament, and it tells how God rescued the descendants of Jacob from slavery in Egypt and led them toward the promised land. The book is traditionally attributed to Moses. Its first audience was the people of Israel, who needed to understand how their story began and who their God was.
The verses just before and after Exodus 1:20 set up the tension clearly. In verses 17 to 19, the midwives let the boys live and then give Pharaoh a reply that protects themselves and the people. In verses 21 to 22, God gives the midwives families of their own, and Pharaoh escalates his command to drown every Hebrew son. Seeing the verse in this sequence shows that God’s kindness toward the midwives is the hinge between their courage and Pharaoh’s rising cruelty.
Key Phrases in Exodus 1:20
Exodus 1:21
Because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.
(WEB)
This verse, which follows immediately, explains that God gave the midwives families because they feared him. It completes the thought begun in Exodus 1:20 by showing the specific form God’s kindness took.
Genesis 12:2
I will make of you a great nation. I will bless you and make your name great. You will be a blessing.
(WEB)
In this promise to Abraham, God says he will make a great nation from him. Exodus 1:20 shows that promise moving toward fulfillment in spite of Egypt’s opposition.
A Short Prayer From Exodus 1:20
Lord, you see the people who choose faithfulness when the cost is high, and you do not forget them. Like the midwives, I often feel caught between fear of people and trust in you. Help me to fear you above every earthly threat, and to act with courage in the small decisions I face each day. Thank you that your purposes continue even when powerful people try to block them. Give me patience to wait for your kindness to show itself in your own time, and let my faithfulness reflect your steady care for your people. Amen.
