And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.
Ver. 21. Because the midwives feared God.] There is no necessity of granting that the midwives told the king a lie. see Exo 1:19 But if they did, St Austin saith well, Non remunerata fuit iis fallacia, sed benevolentia; benignitas mentis, non iniquitas mentientis. Their lie was not rewarded, but their kind heartedness.
That he made them houses,] i.e., He gave them posterity. Thus he built David a house. 2Sa 7:18-19 And thus Rachel and Leah are said to have "built the house of Israel." Rth 4:11 The parents are, as it were, the foundation of the house; the children as so many lively stones in the building. Hence the Hebrews call a son Ben, of Banah to build, quid sit edificium et structura parentum, quoad generationem et educationem.