Exodus 1:21 says that God rewarded the midwives in Egypt because they feared him, and he gave them families of their own. The verse is a short summary of the story: two women refused Pharaoh’s order to kill Hebrew baby boys, and the narrator explains that their courage flowed from reverence for God. It is narrated by the author of Exodus, traditionally Moses, and it speaks to the reader about two midwives named Shiphrah and Puah who serve the Hebrew women of Egypt.
Because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.
Exodus 1:21 (WEB)
What Exodus 1:21 Means
The phrase “the midwives feared God” describes the motive behind their defiance. The Hebrew word for fear here carries the sense of reverence and awe, a settled recognition that God matters more than Pharaoh’s threats. It does not mean they were terrified into obedience. It means their deepest loyalty belonged to God, so a king’s command could not override what they knew was right.
“He gave them families” is the reward. The text says God “made houses” for them, a phrase that in Hebrew can mean establishing a household and descendants. In that culture, a family line was among the greatest blessings a person could have. God’s response to their faithfulness was to secure their future and their household.
The verse does not promise that faithful people will always avoid danger or that obedience to God will always be rewarded in the same visible way. The midwives were not guaranteed safety from Pharaoh. What the verse shows is God’s faithfulness to those who honor him under pressure, and the way he tends to the people who stand with what is right.
The Context of Exodus 1:21
Exodus is the second book of the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, and it recounts Israel’s descent into slavery in Egypt, their deliverance under Moses, and the covenant at Sinai. The book was written for the people of Israel, who needed to remember how God had rescued them and what he required of them. The opening chapter sets the scene: a new Pharaoh who fears the growing Hebrew population and begins to oppress them.
Just before verse 21, the midwives tell Pharaoh that Hebrew women give birth too quickly for them to intervene, and verse 20 says God dealt well with them while the people multiplied. Verse 22 then reveals Pharaoh’s broader decree to drown every newborn boy. Read in that setting, verse 21 is the turning point where the story shifts from a royal threat to the quiet faithfulness of two women, and God’s response to them.
Key Phrases in Exodus 1:21
Acts 5:29
But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.
(WEB)
Peter and the apostles answer the authorities by saying they must obey God rather than people. Like the midwives, they face a command that conflicts with God’s will, and they choose to honor him above human authority.
Proverbs 9:10
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom. The knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
(WEB)
This verse names the fear of the Lord as the beginning of wisdom. It helps explain why the midwives’ reverence for God shaped their decisions, and why that reverence is the root of practical, courageous wisdom.
A Short Prayer From Exodus 1:21
Lord, you see the choices I face when doing right seems costly and when others pressure me to look away. Give me a reverent heart that fears you more than I fear people or loss. Let my faithfulness be steady, even when no one applauds it. Trust that you honor those who stand with what is true, and help me rest in your care for the future you are building. Amen.
