Exodus 1:15-22 E ( Exodus 1:20 b J). Attempt to Destroy Male Children. From another source we learn of two more ineffectual measures to restrict population. The two midwives, whose names tradition loved to recall for their heroism (while careless about the Pharaoh's name!), were, according to Josephus, Egyptian. Though commentators differ, the tone of the passage confirms that view, which requires the rendering, the midwives of the Hebrew women (lit. those women who help the Hebrew women to bring forth). Humanity and natural religion (they feared God, cf. Genesis 20:11; Genesis 42:18) outweighed the royal command. The procedure is held by Driver to parallel closely Egyptian usage. The process of delivery is known to be very rapid among Arabian women. This would also be a sign of racial vigour, which would help to account for the supplanting of the Canaanites. The third device of Pharaoh was a command to all the Egyptians to cast all Hebrew boy babies into the Nile. This now leads up effectively to the next paragraph. Observe that both the last two devices imply only a small group of people, and these near the Nile.
Exodus 1:21. made them houses: the word house is constantly used for household or family, as in Exodus 20:17. This precise phrase is found, of David's house, in 2 Samuel 7:11. While involving risks of its own, the strong social consciousness of early times, each person finding his or her completion in the group, was a valuable safeguard against a premature individualism.
Exodus 1:22. Insert, with Sam., LXX, etc., to the Hebrews after every son that is born. The rabbis argued from the Heb. text that even Egyptian boys were to be killed. the river: the word used here and in all this Egyptian section is not the word nahar regularly used for other great rivers, but Yeor, apparently derived from an Egyptian word which had come to serve for the Nile in place of the older and more venerable Hapi.