Answers about…
midwives in the Bible

The Bible mentions midwives (Hebrew: meyalledet, meaning “one who helps/causes to give birth”) in several contexts, primarily in the Old Testament. It portrays midwifery as a practical, respected profession involving assistance during labor, delivery, and immediate newborn care. Midwives are associated with preserving and ushering in life.

The text does not provide a comprehensive “how-to” manual on the practice but uses specific stories and poetic imagery to highlight themes of life, courage, divine sovereignty, fear of God, and God's involvement in birth. Midwives appear as ordinary yet pivotal figures who facilitate new life, sometimes in the face of danger or tragedy.

Duties and Practices of Midwives

Biblical descriptions, drawn from narrative details and ancient Near Eastern parallels, indicate that midwives performed hands-on tasks during childbirth:

• Assisting the mother in labor, often using a birthstool (or delivery stool) — a low seat or structure referenced in Exodus 1:16, where the midwife could observe the birth

• Cutting the umbilical cord

• Washing and cleaning the newborn

• Presenting the child to the parents (or family)

• Offering comfort and encouragement during difficult labors

These roles align with broader ancient practices attested in Egypt and Mesopotamia. Childbirth was typically a female domain; men were generally not involved due to cultural norms of modesty. The presence of a midwife was common but not universal — some births occurred without one, especially if labor was rapid. There are no examples of male midwives in the Bible.

The Bible does not regulate midwifery through laws (unlike topics such as purity or priestly duties), suggesting it was a customary skill passed among women rather than a formalized guild in Israelite society.

Specific Biblical instances of midwives in action

• Rachel’s Midwife (Genesis 35:16–20): As Jacob's beloved wife Rachel labored severely while traveling near Bethlehem (Ephrath), her midwife comforted her with the words: “Do not fear, for you have another son” (Genesis 35:17). Despite the encouragement, Rachel died giving birth to Benjamin (her 2nd son). The midwife's presence underscores the supportive, reassuring aspect of the profession during high-risk deliveries. This account also ties into themes of patriarchal lineage and the cost of childbirth in a nomadic context.

• Tamar's Midwife (Genesis 38:27–30): During Tamar's delivery of twin sons (Perez and Zerah), the midwife played an active role. When Zerah's hand emerged first, she tied a scarlet thread around it to mark the firstborn. However, Perez “broke through” and was born first. The midwife declared, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” (explaining the name Perez, meaning “breach”). This midwife not only assisted physically but also witnessed and interpreted a significant reversal in birth order — one with long-term genealogical implications, as Perez became an ancestor in the line leading to King David and to Jesus (Matthew 1:3). The record highlights midwives as observers and participants in moments of divine providence and unexpected outcomes.

• Shiphrah and Puah, 2 Hebrew midwives in Egypt (Exodus 1:15–22): It is a possibility that these women may have been superintendents of the whole class of Israelite midwives at that time.

  Their story is the most detailed and theologically rich account involving Biblical midwives. Pharaoh, fearing the growing Hebrew population, ordered two named midwives — Shiphrah (“beautiful” or “brightness”) and Puah (“splendor” or “girl”) — to kill newborn Hebrew boys on the birthstool while allowing girls to live. The midwives “feared God” more than Pharaoh, disobeyed the command, and let the boys live. When questioned, they explained that Hebrew women were “vigorous” and gave birth before the midwives could arrive (a statement often interpreted as a partial truth, exaggeration, or strategic deception to protect lives). Commentators often note that their primary obedience was to God’s implicit command against murder, with the outcome advancing God's redemptive plan.

  God responded by blessing the midwives: “God dealt well with the midwives… and because the midwives feared God, he gave them families” (or “established households for them,” Exodus 1:20–21). The people continued to multiply, setting the stage for the Exodus. This record shows midwives as ethical agents who prioritized divine law over human tyranny—resisting infanticide and genocide—contributing directly to the preservation and growth of the children of Israel. Their courage is celebrated as an act of necessary civil disobedience rooted in reverence for God’s overruling law.

  Their story illustrates how ordinary workers (here, women in a vulnerable position) can play decisive roles in salvation history.

  These women along with Moses' mother Jochebed, sister Miriam, and Pharaoh's daughter) collaborated to save Moses, highlighting female initiative and faithfulness and underscoring collective feminine roles in God’s deliverance.

Poetic imagery

The Bible employs midwifery imagery poetically to describe God's intimate involvement in creation and human life. Poetically, God Himself is the archetypal midwife who brings forth and nurtures life.

Psalm 22 (a Messianic psalm) was partially quoted by Jesus on the cross. He quoted Psalm 22:1…

… “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” —Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34 excerpt

In Jewish tradition of the time, quoting the first line (or a key opening phrase) of a psalm was often a way to invoke the whole psalm. By beginning with the cry of desolation, Jesus may have been directing those familiar with the Scriptures (the bystanders, the religious leaders, and later readers) to read or recall the full context of Psalm 22, which ends in triumph and vindication. This would underscore that his suffering was not the end of the story—resurrection and victory would follow.

In verses 9 and 10, this psalm refers to His incarnation and subsequent birth as the eternal God-Man (Son of God).

“Yet You are He who brought me out of the womb;
You made me trust when upon my mother’s breasts.
Upon You I was cast from birth;
You have been my God from my mother’s womb.” —Psalm 22:9-10

Some translations render it as God acting as midwife: “You were midwife at my birth…” This depicts God as the ultimate attendant who safely delivers and sustains life from the womb.

God oversaw the birth of the nation of Israel, drawing forth its life, overseeing its delivery and clothing the newborn.

These metaphors emphasize God’s sovereignty over life, pain in childbirth (echoing Genesis 3:16), and providence in bringing forth new beginnings.

Spiritual midwifery

Throughout Christian history, many women have taken an active part in helping others be born into faith and new life in Christ. This includes focused attention on the minds and souls of children and fellow women, plus various other forms of fruitful missionary work. What a wonderful, vital, and blessed ministry this has been!