Exodus 1:18
New International Version
Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”

New Living Translation
So the king of Egypt called for the midwives. “Why have you done this?” he demanded. “Why have you allowed the boys to live?”

English Standard Version
So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?”

Berean Standard Bible
So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”

King James Bible
And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?

New King James Version
So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and saved the male children alive?”

New American Standard Bible
So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?”

NASB 1995
So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?”

NASB 1977
So the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?”

Legacy Standard Bible
So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and let the boys live?”

Amplified Bible
So the king of Egypt called for the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this thing, and allowed the boy babies to live?”

Christian Standard Bible
So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this and let the boys live? ”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this and let the boys live?”

American Standard Version
And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men-children alive?

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And the King of Egypt called the Midwives and he said to them, “Why are you making this response and are saving the boys?”

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the king of Egypt called the midwives, and said to them, Why is it that ye have done this thing, and saved the male children alive?

Contemporary English Version
The king called them in again and asked, "Why are you letting those baby boys live?"

Douay-Rheims Bible
And the king called for them and said: What is that you meant to do, that you would save the men children ?

English Revised Version
And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?

GOD'S WORD® Translation
So the king of Egypt called for the midwives. He asked them, "Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?"

Good News Translation
So the king sent for the midwives and asked them, "Why are you doing this? Why are you letting the boys live?"

International Standard Version
When the king of Egypt called for the midwives, he asked them, "Why have you done this and allowed the boys to live?"

JPS Tanakh 1917
And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them: 'Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the men-children alive?'

Literal Standard Version
and the king of Egypt calls for the midwives and says to them, “Why have you done this thing, and keep the boys alive?”

Majority Standard Bible
So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?”

New American Bible
So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this, allowing the boys to live?”

NET Bible
Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, "Why have you done this and let the boys live?"

New Revised Standard Version
So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and allowed the boys to live?”

New Heart English Bible
The king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, "Why have you done this thing, and have saved the boys alive?"

Webster's Bible Translation
And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, Why have ye done this thing, and have saved the male-children alive?

World English Bible
The king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, “Why have you done this thing and saved the boys alive?”

Young's Literal Translation
and the king of Egypt calleth for the midwives, and saith to them, 'Wherefore have ye done this thing, and keep the lads alive?'

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Oppression by a New King
17The midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had instructed; they let the boys live. 18So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?” 19The midwives answered Pharaoh, “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before a midwife arrives.”…

Cross References
Exodus 1:17
The midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had instructed; they let the boys live.

Exodus 1:19
The midwives answered Pharaoh, "The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before a midwife arrives."


Treasury of Scripture

And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, Why have you done this thing, and have saved the men children alive?

why have.

2 Samuel 13:28
Now Absalom had commanded his servants, saying, Mark ye now when Amnon's heart is merry with wine, and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon; then kill him, fear not: have not I commanded you? be courageous, and be valiant.

Ecclesiastes 8:4
Where the word of a king is, there is power: and who may say unto him, What doest thou?

Jump to Previous
Alive Boys Children Egypt Live Male Male-Children Men-Children Midwives Saved Summoned Wherefore Women
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Alive Boys Children Egypt Live Male Male-Children Men-Children Midwives Saved Summoned Wherefore Women
Exodus 1
1. The children of Israel, after Joseph's death, increase.
8. The more they are oppressed by a new king, the more they multiply.
15. The godliness of the midwives in saving the male children alive.
22. Pharaoh commands the male children to be cast into the river
















Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So the king
מֶֽלֶךְ־ (me·leḵ-)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 4428: A king

of Egypt
מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ (miṣ·ra·yim)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4714: Egypt -- a son of Ham, also his descendants and their country in Northwest Africa

summoned
וַיִּקְרָ֤א (way·yiq·rā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7121: To call, proclaim, read

the midwives
לַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֔ת (lam·yal·lə·ḏōṯ)
Preposition-l, Article | Verb - Piel - Participle - feminine plural
Strong's 3205: To bear young, to beget, medically, to act as midwife, to show lineage

and asked
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר (way·yō·mer)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

them,
לָהֶ֔ן (lā·hen)
Preposition | third person feminine plural
Strong's Hebrew

“Why
מַדּ֥וּעַ (mad·dū·a‘)
Interrogative
Strong's 4069: Why? for what reason?

have you done
עֲשִׂיתֶ֖ן (‘ă·śî·ṯen)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person feminine plural
Strong's 6213: To do, make

this?
הַזֶּ֑ה (haz·zeh)
Article | Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

Why have you let the boys
הַיְלָדִֽים׃ (hay·lā·ḏîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3206: Something born, a lad, offspring

live?”
וַתְּחַיֶּ֖יןָ (wat·tə·ḥay·ye·nā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - second person feminine plural
Strong's 2421: To live, to revive


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OT Law: Exodus 1:18 The king of Egypt called (Exo. Ex)
Exodus 1:17
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