And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.
And he said, 'When you help Hebrew women give birth and see them on the delivery chairs, if the baby is a boy, you must kill him. But if it's a girl, let her live.'
The Egyptian Pharaoh ordered the Hebrew midwives to secretly murder all newborn Hebrew boys while allowing girls to live.
📚 Historical Context
In ancient Egypt, the Israelites had grown into a large population while living as slaves, which made the Pharaoh fearful that they might rebel or join Egypt's enemies in a time of war. As a drastic measure to control their numbers, he secretly commanded the Hebrew midwives to kill newborn baby boys during delivery while allowing girls to live. This oppressive order set the stage for the eventual deliverance of the Israelites through Moses, as described in the broader narrative of Exodus.
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