KJV ORIGINAL
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.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
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 BOTTOM LINE
The Egyptian Pharaoh ordered the Hebrew midwives to secretly murder all newborn Hebrew boys while allowing girls to live.
📚 Historical Context
This command came from Egypt's Pharaoh who feared the growing Hebrew population might become a military threat. The Hebrews had multiplied greatly during their time in Egypt, and Pharaoh was attempting genocide to control their numbers. This was part of his systematic oppression before the events leading to Moses and the Exodus.
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