Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Harold R. Holmyard III" <hholmyard AT ont.com>]

Dear Steve,

>  >And what would be the reason for the Hebrew women to use non-Hebrew
> > midwives?
>
> The same reason that in the U.S. most gardeners and domestic help in Jewish
> neighborhoods are not Jewish, as well as most synagogue janitors. The
> Hebrews (up until verse 9) were too affluent to take such low paying or low
> esteemed jobs.

Hh: Yes, but this is verse 15, and a lot has 
happened. The Israelites are not doing well any 
more but are slaves.

> Then when the Hebrews were afflicted and made slaves, they did not get the
> chance to learn such a valuable trade.

HH: Midwives? This need not be a trade but can be 
a traditional role that other women would play in 
childbirth.

> I believe the midwives were gentiles because:
> 1) Pharoah expected them to obey his command to kill the Hebrew baby boys
> (v15).

HH: But pharaoh considered himself a god. Everybody had to obey him.

> 2) v18 When Pharoah finds out that the Hebrew baby boys have not been
> killed, he asks the midwives, "Why have ye done this thing, and have saved
> the men children alive?" It seems he doesn't understand why they would not
> have done this expedient thing. If the midwives were themselves Hebrews,
> wouldn't the answer be obvious? Would Pharoah have phrased the question in
> this way?

HH: Why not? He's a god and king?

> 3) v19 And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not
> as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the
> midwives come in unto them.
> If the midwives were Hebrews, could they have gotten away with saying that
> the Hebrew women are more lively than the Egyptian women?

HH: It could have been true. God blessed the Israelites in childbirth:

Ex. 1:7 but the Israelites were fruitful and 
multiplied greatly and became exceedingly 
numerous, so that the land was filled with them.

Ex. 1:12 But the more they were oppressed, the 
more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians 
came to dread the Israelites

Ex. 1:20 ¶ So God was kind to the midwives and 
the people increased and became even more 
numerous.

Hh: The arguments on the side of the women being 
Hebrew seem more numerous and stronger by far.

                                        Yours,
                                        Harold Holmyard