KJV ORIGINAL
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.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
The midwives told Pharaoh, 'The Hebrew women are different from Egyptian women. They are strong and give birth quickly, before we can even get there to help them.'
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
The Hebrew midwives cleverly told Pharaoh that Hebrew women gave birth so quickly that they couldn't kill the baby boys as ordered.
📚 Historical Context
This takes place during Israel's slavery in Egypt, when Pharaoh had ordered the Hebrew midwives to kill all newborn Hebrew boys to control the growing Israelite population. The midwives Shiphrah and Puah were risking their lives by disobeying Pharaoh's murderous command. They used this excuse to explain why Hebrew baby boys were still being born alive.
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