Exodus 1:18 records Pharaoh’s direct question to the midwives, asking why they disobeyed his order and let the Hebrew baby boys live. The verse captures the moment the king confronts those he expected to carry out his plan to destroy Israel’s male children. It is spoken by the king of Egypt, who calls the midwives before him and demands an explanation for their defiance.
The king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and have saved the boys alive?”
Exodus 1:18 (WEB)
What Exodus 1:18 Means
The verse opens with the king summoning the midwives, which shows that he has already learned they did not follow his command. Pharaoh is not asking for information he lacks. He is asking them to account for their choice, and the tone is that of a ruler who expects obedience and does not receive it.
The question, “Why have you done this thing?”, points to the midwives’ decision to protect the boys as a deliberate act rather than an accident. The phrase “saved the boys alive” names the result plainly: the infants were kept breathing when they were meant to be killed. The verse does not tell us how the midwives felt in the moment or what they said in private, so it should not be read as promising a neat resolution to the conflict. It shows a confrontation and leaves the outcome for the following verses.
The Context of Exodus 1:18
Exodus is traditionally attributed to Moses and is the second book of the Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Scriptures. It recounts how the descendants of Jacob, having multiplied in Egypt, come under oppression and are eventually led out by God. The first chapter sets the stage by describing the Israelites’ growth and the new Pharaoh who fears them, and it was written for the people of Israel, who needed to understand how their story began.
Just before this verse, in verses 15 through 17, Pharaoh orders the midwives Shiphrah and Puah to kill male children at birth, and the text states that they feared God and refused. Verse 18 is therefore the response to that defiance. The surrounding verses also show God rewarding the midwives in verses 20 and 21, which reframes Pharaoh’s question as one whose answer the narrative has already given.
Key Phrases in Exodus 1:18
Acts 5:29
But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.
(WEB)
Peter’s declaration that we must obey God rather than men stands beside the midwives’ refusal, showing the same principle of placing God’s command above human decrees. Read together, the two passages reveal a pattern of faithful resistance to unjust orders.
Exodus 1:21
Because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.
(WEB)
This verse, which follows directly after the events of verse 18, states that God gave the midwives families because they feared him. It answers the question Pharaoh raised by showing that the midwives’ choice was honored by God.
A Short Prayer From Exodus 1:18
Lord, when I am questioned for doing what is right, give me the courage to answer honestly and the wisdom to choose my words carefully. Help me to fear you more than I fear the people who hold power over my life, and let my actions protect those who are vulnerable. Remind me that you see every decision I make and that you are faithful to honor those who trust you. Give me peace when I am called to account, and let my life point others toward your goodness. Amen.
