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Exodus 1:15 — Word Study

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WLCוַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם לַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֖ת הָֽעִבְרִיֹּ֑ת אֲשֶׁ֨ר שֵׁ֤ם הָֽאַחַת֙ שִׁפְרָ֔ה וְשֵׁ֥ם הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית פּוּעָֽה׃

BSAThen the kingmelek [ruler, monarch] of EgyptMitsrayim [a country in northeastern Africa] saidʼâmar to the HebrewʻIbrîy [a descendant of Eber, an Israelite] midwivesyâlad [women who assist in childbirth] whoseʼăsher names wereshêm [identities, designations] ShiphrahShiphrâh [fair, beautiful] andshênîy PuahPûwʻâh [one who breathes or speaks, a speaker]

Word
Listen & take awayExodus 1
English ↓ Download MP3 The Berean Standard Bible chapter audio already hosted for the site's Bible section — verse 15 is in this chapter.
Hebrew ↓ Download MP3 The Masoretic text of this chapter, read aloud. Read by Abraham Shmuelof, courtesy of Audio Scriptures International. Chapter divisions by the Academy of Ancient Languages..
Say the word Each Hebrew word carries its transliteration (pu.'Ah) — no per-word recordings of the Hebrew exist to link to.
Take it away
Exodus 1:15quick helps
In a sentenceThe king of Egypt instructs the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, regarding the birth of Hebrew children.
Who is speakingThe king of Egypt, a ruler asserting authority over the midwives.
Where we areThis verse is set in the context of oppression, where the Israelites are enslaved in Egypt.
The hard wordמֶ֣לֶךְ
Take awayThe midwives are named, highlighting their bravery in the face of oppressive orders.
8 commentators on this verse Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them › clause verbאָמַר The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
How rare are these words?in the Old Testament

2 of 12 occur nowhere else in the Old Testament — words chosen on purpose.

Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.

Deep Study — Exodus 1:15

Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.

Context — The Oppression of Israelgenerated

14and made their lives bitter with hard labor in brick and mortar, and with all kinds of work in the fields. Every service they imposed was harsh.
15Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah,
16“When you help the Hebrew women give birth, observe them on the birthstools. If the child is a son, kill him; but if it is a daughter, let her live.”
17The midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had instructed; they let the boys live.

Exodus 1:15 introduces the king of Egypt's command to the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, amidst the harsh treatment of the Israelites. This directive reflects the broader context of oppression faced by the Hebrew people, as they are forced into hard labor and subjected to cruel orders regarding the lives of their newborns. The midwives' response to this command is pivotal in the narrative, showcasing their courage and fear of God, which is further elaborated in the following verses.


Cross References


The Key Word מֶ֣לֶךְ, Me.lekhgenerated

The Hebrew word מֶ֫לֶךְ (melek) means 'king' and signifies a royal authority. It is a common noun in the masculine singular form, indicating the ruler of a territory, in this case, Egypt. The word appears frequently in the Bible, often in contexts relating to governance and authority, such as the kings of Israel.

In this verse, the king's role is central, as he issues a command that directly impacts the lives of the Hebrew midwives and their community. The use of this term underscores the power dynamics at play, as the king's authority is juxtaposed against the midwives' moral choices.


How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated

This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.


Sentence Structuregenerated

The main verb of the verse is וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙, and he said, which governs the entire clause. The structure includes a subject noun phrase, מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם (the king of Egypt), followed by a prepositional phrase indicating the addressees, לַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֖ת (to the midwives), and concludes with a relative clause describing their names.

The arrangement emphasizes the authority of the king and the specific individuals he addresses, highlighting the command's directness and urgency.


Septuagint Backgroundgenerated

The Septuagint translates מֶ֣לֶךְ as βασιλεὺς (basileus), which also means 'king' and carries similar connotations of authority and rule. This choice reflects the continuity of meaning across translations.

The use of μαίαις for מַיַלְּדֹת indicates a focus on the role of midwives, aligning with the Hebrew meaning but emphasizing their function in childbirth.


In plain words — the whole versegenerated

Exodus 1:15 shows the king of Egypt speaking to the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, giving them orders regarding the births of Hebrew children. This moment highlights the tension between the oppressive commands of the king and the moral decisions faced by the midwives.


Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated

What does the king command the midwives?

The king commands the midwives to kill all male Hebrew babies at birth, allowing only female babies to live.

Who are Shiphrah and Puah?

Shiphrah and Puah are the names of the Hebrew midwives mentioned in this verse, known for their bravery in defying the king's orders.

What is the significance of the midwives' names?

The names Shiphrah and Puah may reflect their roles and characteristics, with Shiphrah meaning 'fair' or 'beautiful' and Puah suggesting 'one who breathes or speaks.'

How does this verse fit into the larger story of Exodus?

This verse sets the stage for the conflict between the Israelites and the Egyptians, highlighting the oppressive measures taken against the Hebrew people and the courageous acts of individuals like the midwives.


Reflection Questionsgenerated

  1. How can I stand up for what is right in the face of authority, like Shiphrah and Puah did?
  2. What can we learn from the courage of the midwives in this story?
  3. In what ways do I see authority being misused in today's world?
  4. How can I support those who are oppressed or marginalized in my community?

Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse

Each of these wrote on Exodus 1:15 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.

John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives,.... It is difficult to say who these midwives were, whether Egyptian or Hebrew women.

Read John Gill on Exodus 1 →
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's Commentary

And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah: The king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives.

Read Robert Jamieson on Exodus 1 →
Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy Bible

The Hebrew midwives; such as not only were employed about the Hebrew women, but were Hebrews themselves, not Egyptians, as some suppose; as may appear, 1. Because they are expressly called, not the midwives of the Hebrews, but the Hebrew midwives. 2. The Egyptian midwives would not willingly employ their time and pains among the meanest and poorest of servants, as these were. And if they were sent in design by the king, he had lost his end, which was to cover his cruelty with cunning, and to persuade the people that their death was not from his intention, but from the ellarices and dangers of child-bearing. 3. The Hebrew women, as they had doubtless midwives of their own, so they would…

Read Matthew Poole on Exodus 1 →
John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New Testaments

Exodus 1:15 And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one [was] Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:Ver. 15. To the Hebrew midwives.] In Egypt and Greece the midwives of old had their schools; and some of them were great writers. I know not whether the priests were then so officious to them as many are now among the Papists; who say they therefore study Albertus Magnus de secrelis mulierum, that they may advise the midwives: but I doubt it is for a worse purpose; to gratify and greaten those abominable lusts wherewith they are scalded.

Read John Trapp on Exodus 1 →
Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(15) The Hebrew midwives.—Or the midwives of the Hebrew women (ταῖςμαίαιςτῶνΈβραίων, LXX.). The Hebrew construction admits of either rendering. In favour of the midwives being Egyptians is the consideration that the Pharaoh would scarcely have expected Hebrew women to help him in the extirpation of the Hebrew race (Kalisch); against it is the Semitic character of the names—Shiphrah, “beautiful;” Puah, “one who cries out;” and also the likelihood that a numerous and peculiar people, like the Hebrews, would have accoucheurs of their own race.

Read Charles John Ellicott on Exodus 1 →
AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible

Verse 15. Hebrew midwives] Shiphrah and Puah, who are here mentioned, were probably certain chiefs, under whom all the rest acted, and by whom they were instructed in the obstetric art. Aben Ezra supposes there could not have been fewer than five hundred midwives among the Hebrew women at this time, but that very few were requisite see proved on Exodus 1:19. See Clark on "Exodus 1:19".

Read AdamClarke on Exodus 1 →
CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

15–22. The second measure. The Heb. midwives are commanded to slay all male infants that are born. V. 15 connects directly with v. 12.

Read Cambridge on Exodus 1 →
Albert Barnes1798–1870Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Hebrew midwifes - Or “midwives of the Hebrew women.” This measure at once attested the inefficacy of the former measures, and was the direct cause of the event which issued in the deliverance of

Read Albert Barnes on Exodus 1 →

The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company

Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.

Modern formal

BSBBerean Standard Bible2020

Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah,

WEBWorld English Bible2000

The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah,

MSBMajority Standard Bible2022

Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah,

NETBNew English Translation2006

The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah,

Tyndale line

KJVKing James Version1611

¶ And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:

ASVAmerican Standard Version1901

And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:

RVARevised Version, American1894

And the king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:

NWBWebster's Bible1833

And the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives (of which the name of one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah:)

GNVGeneva Bible1599

Moreouer the King of Egypt commanded ye midwiues of the Ebrewe women, (of which the ones name was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah)

Strictly literal

DBYDarby Translation1890

And the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives — of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other was Puah —

YLTYoung's Literal Translation1862

And the king of Egypt speaketh to the midwives, the Hebrewesses, (of whom the name of the one [is] Shiphrah, and the name of the second Puah),

LSVLiteral Standard Version2020

And the king of Egypt speaks to the midwives, the Hebrewesses (of whom the name of the first [is] Shiphrah, and the name of the second Puah),

ILTInterlinear Literal Translation2000

And the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah;

ULBUnlocked Literal Bible2017

Then the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives; the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the other Puah.

From the Latin

DRADouay-Rheims (Challoner)1899

And the king of Egypt spoke to the midwives of the Hebrews: of whom one was called Sephora, the other Phua,

Simplified

FBVFree Bible Version2020

Then the king gave orders to the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah.

BBEBible in Basic English1949

And the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew women who gave help at the time of childbirth (the name of the one was Shiphrah and the name of the other Puah),

Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.


The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank

This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.

וַandclauseverbיֹּ֨אמֶר֙he.saidnoun phrase · subjectמֶ֣לֶךְthe.kingמִצְרַ֔יִםof.Egyptprepositional phrase · prepositionalלַֽtonoun phrasethenoun phrasenoun phraseמְיַלְּדֹ֖תmidwivesnoun phraseהָֽ(the)עִבְרִיֹּ֑תHebrewrelpאֲשֶׁ֨רwhoclauseclausenoun phrase · subjectשֵׁ֤םthe.namenoun phraseהָֽofאַחַת֙the.onepredicateשִׁפְרָ֔ה[was].Shiphrahוְandclausenoun phrase · subjectשֵׁ֥םthe.namenoun phraseהַofשֵּׁנִ֖יתthe.secondpredicateפּוּעָֽה[was].Puah

Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.


The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran

The Masoretic Text presents the verse as stating that the king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, naming them Shiphrah and Puah. The Septuagint largely agrees with the Masoretic Text, matching 10 of the 12 words, though it has its own word order and articles. The Samaritan Pentateuch differs by using the terms 'מילדות' (bear) instead of 'מיילדות' (midwives) and 'עבריות' (Hebrew) instead of 'עברי' (Hebrew), which may reflect a slightly different understanding of the midwives' role. The Dead Sea Scrolls also show a variation, with six words present, but these words were supplemented by an editor, indicating a lack of complete preservation in that fragment.

Masoretic TextLeningrad Codex, c. AD 1008 — the text this page is built on

וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ מִצְרַ֔יִם לַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֖ת הָֽעִבְרִיֹּ֑ת אֲשֶׁ֨ר שֵׁ֤ם הָֽאַחַת֙ שִׁפְרָ֔ה וְשֵׁ֥ם הַשֵּׁנִ֖ית פּוּעָֽה׃

Septuagintthe Greek the translators chose, word by word
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙εἶπενמֶ֣לֶךְβασιλεὺςמִצְרַ֔יִםαἰγυπτίωνלַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֖תμαίαιςהָֽעִבְרִיֹּ֑תεβραίωνהָֽאַחַת֙μιᾷשִׁפְרָ֔הσεπφωραוְשֵׁ֥םὄνομαהַשֵּׁנִ֖יתδευτέραςפּוּעָֽה׃φουα

10 of the 12 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.

Samaritan Pentateuchthe Torah as the Samaritan community kept it

ויאמר מלך מצרים למילדות העבריות אשׁר שׁם האחת שׁפרה ושׁם השׁנית פועה

2 words differ from the Masoretic Text: מילדות (bear), עבריות (Hebrew)

Dead Sea Scrolls — 4Q1a copy a thousand years older than the Leningrad Codex

[ויאמר] [מלך] [מצרים] [למילדת] [העברית] [אשר] שם האחת שפרה ושם השנית פועה

6 words on the leather — 6 supplied entire by an editor.

Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.


The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with

This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.

Exodus 1:15אָמַרand he saidand he saidאָמַרמֶ֫לֶךְ[the] king [the] king ofמֶ֫לֶךְמִצְרַ֫יִםEgyptEgyptמִצְרַ֫יִםיָלַדto the midwto the midwivesיָלַדעִבְרִיHebrewHebrewעִבְרִיאֲשֶׁרwhowhoאֲשֶׁרשֵׁם[the] name [the] name ofשֵׁםאֶחָדthe onethe oneאֶחָדשִׁפְרָה[was] Shiph[was] Shiphrahשִׁפְרָהשֵׁםand [the] nand [the] name שֵׁםשֵׁנִיthe secondthe secondשֵׁנִיפּוּעָה[was] Puah[was] Puahפּוּעָהשׂוּםto set: mato set: makeשׂוּםמָלַךְto reignto reignמָלַךְעֵ֫בֶרEberEberעֵ֫בֶרחָדַדto go eithto go either waחָדַדשָׁנָהto changeto changeשָׁנָהמָצוֹרEgyptEgyptמָצוֹרשִׁפְרָהclearnessclearnessשִׁפְרָהקָרָאto call: cto call: call tקָרָאיָדָהto give thto give thanksיָדָהכֹּהthusthusכֹּהיהוהYHWH/GodYHWH/GodיהוהנְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּרNebuchadneNebuchadnezzarנְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּראַשּׁוּרAsshurAsshurאַשּׁוּרכּוּשׁEthiopiaEthiopiaכּוּשׁפַּרְעֹהPharaohPharaohפַּרְעֹהשֶׁ֫לַחShelahShelahשֶׁ֫לַחהָרָהto conceivto conceiveהָרָהמִצְרִיEgyptianEgyptianמִצְרִי
meets it a little oftener than chancemeets it far oftener than chancebuilt from the same roottwo words of the verse share ita word of this versea related word

Lexicons — every word in Exodus 1:15

One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.

Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.

and he said [the] king of Egypt to the midwives Hebrew who [the] name of the one [was] Shiphrah and [the] name of the second [was] Puah
וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙vai.Yo.mer and he said H559 Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
5,309× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word means to say or speak, and it's used in many different ways in the Bible. It can mean to command, promise, or think, and it's translated in the KJV as 'answer', 'appoint', or 'command'.
Tyndale gloss
to say
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אָמַר (amar) is a Hebrew verb meaning 'to say' or 'to utter,' with a broad range of uses including to promise, command, or even boast. It appears in various forms, such as in the Qal (to say), Niphal (to be told), and Hiphil (to avow). The entries highlight its versatility in both spoken and internal contexts, though no specific verse is noted.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אָמַר 5287 vb. utter, say

Qal

Say

Say in the heart (= think)

Promise

Command (esp. late)

Niph. be said, told

Hiph. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

Hithp. act proudly, boast

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H559 אָמַר utter, say .. Say

. Say in the heart (= think)

. Promise

. Command (esp. late)

. be said, told

. avow, avouch (lit. cause to declare)

. act proudly, boast

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

559 'amar aw-mar'

a primitive root; to say (used with great

latitude):--answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call,

certify, challenge, charge, + (at the, give) command(-ment),

commune, consider, declare, demand, X desire, determine, X

expressly, X indeed, X intend, name, X plainly, promise,

publish, report, require, say, speak (against, of), X still, X

suppose, talk, tell, term, X that is, X think, use (speech),

utter, X verily, X yet.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אָמַר (a.mar) — to say.

1) to say, speak, utter

1a) (Qal) to say, to answer, to say in one's heart, to think, to command, to promise, to intend

1b) (Niphal) to be told, to be said, to be called

1c) (Hithpael) to boast, to act proudly

1d) (Hiphil) to avow, to avouch

Aramaic equivalent: a.mar (אֲמַר "to say" H0560)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Conj | V-Qal-ConsecImperf-3ms — Verb · Qal · sequential imperfect third person masculine singular
Hc/Vqw3ms
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he said [the] king of Egypt to the midwives Hebrew who [the] name of the one [was] Shiphrah and [the] name of the second [was] Puah
מֶ֣לֶךְMe.lekh [the] king of H4428 Noun common · masculine singular construct
2,526× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word refers to a king or royal person, like King David or King Saul. It can also describe something related to a king, like the King's Valley in Genesis. The Bible often uses this word to talk about the rulers of Israel.
Amplified meaning
ruler, monarch
Tyndale gloss
King's
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word מֶ֫לֶךְ (*melek*) means 'king.' It is derived from a root that suggests royalty. The term appears in various contexts, including references to specific kings and locations, such as the 'King's Highway' in Numbers 20:17 and the 'King's Valley' in Genesis 14:17. The lexicons note its Aramaic equivalent and mention its use in the context of individuals like Hammelech in Jeremiah.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מֶ֫לֶךְ 2513 n.m. king

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4428 מֶ֫לֶךְ king

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4428 melek meh'-lek

from 4427; a king:--king, royal.

see HEBREW for 04427

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — king.

1) king

Aramaic equivalent: me.lekh (מֶ֫לֶךְ "king" H4430)

הַמֶּלֶךְ (me.lekh) — `the king`.

'the king' or a name, Hammelech in KJV of Jer.36.26; 38.6- a man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.36.26;

father of: Jerahmeel (H3396I) and Malchijah (H4441H); also translated "the king";

§ A man living at the time of Divided Monarchy, first mentioned at Jer.36.26;

father of: Jerahmeel (H3396I) and Malchijah (H4441H); also translated "the king";

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.

King's (Highway) (Num.20.17)

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.

Another name of she.lach (שֶׁ֫לַח "Shelah" H7975A)

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — Milcom.

Another name of mo.lekh (מֹ֫לֶךְ "Molech" H4432)

מֶ֫לֶךְ (me.lekh) — King's.

King's (Valley) (Gen.14.17)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

and he said [the] king of Egypt to the midwives Hebrew who [the] name of the one [was] Shiphrah and [the] name of the second [was] Puah
מִצְרַ֔יִםmitz.Ra.yim Egypt H4714 Noun proper
641× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This word means Egypt, a country in northeastern Africa, and is used in the Bible to describe the land and its people. It appears in books like Genesis and Isaiah, often referring to the Nile River and the Egyptians. Egypt is an important setting for many biblical events.
Amplified meaning
a country in northeastern Africa
Tyndale gloss
(Sea of) Egypt
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

מִצְרַ֫יִם (mitsrayim) refers to Egypt, a country in northeastern Africa known for the Nile River. The term can denote both the land and its inhabitants, the Egyptians. It is derived from a dual form suggesting Upper and Lower Egypt, and is linked to the biblical figure Mizraim, a son of Ham. The lexicons note its significance in the context of the table of nations.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

מִצְרַ֫יִם 681 n.pr.terr. et gent. Egypt, Egyptians

of land, Egypt

combinations

of people:

in table of nations, personif. as second son of Ham

= Egypt (as a people), Egyptians

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H4714 מִצְרַ֫יִם Egypt, Egyptians . . of land, Egypt

. combinations

. of people: . in table of nations, personif. as second son of Ham

. = Egypt (as a people), Egyptians

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

4714 Mitsrayim mits-rah'-yim

dual of 4693; Mitsrajim, i.e. Upper and Lower Egypt:--Egypt,

Egyptians, Mizraim.

see HEBREW for 04693

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

מִצְרַ֫יִם (mits.ra.yim) — Egypt.

§ Egypt = "land of the Copts"

a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows

Egyptians = "double straits"

מִצְרַ֫יִם (mits.ra.yim) — Egypt.

A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.10.6;

son of: Ham (H2526);

brother of: Canaan (H3667), Cush (H3568) and Put (H6316);

father of: Ludim (H3866), Anamim (H6047), Lehabim (H3853), Naphtuhim (H5320), Pathrusim (H6625), Casluhim (H3695) and Caphtorim (H3732)

§ Egypt = "land of the Copts"

1) a country at the northeastern section of Africa, adjacent to Palestine, and through which the Nile flows

Egyptians = "double straits"

adj

2) the inhabitants or natives of Egypt

מִצְרַ֫יִם (mits.ra.yim) — (Sea of) Egypt.

§ Egypt = "land of the Copts"

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper
HNpl
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

e'-jipt:

I. THE COUNTRY

1. The Basis of the Land 2. The Nile Valley 3. Earliest Human Remains 4. Climate 5. Conditions of Life 6. The Nile 7. The Fauna 8. The Flora 9. The Prehistoric Races

II. THE HISTORY

1. 1st and 2nd Ages: Prehistoric 2. 3d Age: Ist and IInd Dynasties 3. 4th Age: IIIrd through VIth Dynasties 4. 5th Age: VIIth through XIVth Dynasties 5. 6th Age: XVth through XXIVth Dynasties 6. 7th Age: XXVth Dynasty to Roman Times 7. 8th Age: Arabic 8. Early Foreign Connections

III. THE OLD TESTAMENT CONNECTIONS

1. Semitic Connections 2. Abramic Times 3. Circumcision 4. Joseph 5. Descent into Egypt 6. The Oppression 7. The Historic Position 8. The Plagues 9. Date of the Exodus 10. Route of the Exodus 11. Numbers of the Exodus 12. Israel in Canaan 13. Hadad 14. Pharaoh's Daughter 15. Shishak 16. Zerakh 17. The Ethiopians 18. Tahpanhes 19. Hophra 20. The Jews of Syene 21. The New Jerusalem…

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Egypt

The land of the Nile and the pyramids, the oldest kingdom of which we have any record, holds a place of great significance in Scripture.

The Egyptians belonged to the white race, and their original home is still a matter of dispute. Many scholars believe that it was in Southern Arabia, and recent excavations have shown that the valley of the Nile was originally inhabited by a low-class population, perhaps belonging to the Nigritian stock, before the Egyptians of history entered it. The ancient Egyptian language, of which the latest form is Coptic, is distantly connected with the Semitic family of speech.

Egypt consists geographically of two halves, the northern being the Delta, and the southern Upper Egypt, between Cairo and the First Cataract. In the Old Testament, Northern or Lower Egypt is called Mazor, “the fortified land” (Isa.…

A celebrated country in the north of Africa, at the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea. The Hebrews called it Mizraim, Ge 10:6, and hence it is now called by the Arabs, Mizr. The Greeks and Romans called it Aegyptus, whence Egypt; but the origin of this name is unknown.

The habitable land of Egypt is for the most part a great valley, through which the river Nile pours its waters, extending in a straight line from north to south, and skirted on the east and west by ranges of mountains, which approach and recede from the river more or less in different parts. Where this valley terminates, towards the north, the Nile divides itself, about forty or fifty miles from the seacoast, into several arms, which inclose the so-called Delta. The ancients numbered seven arms and mouths; the eastern was that of Pelusium, now that of Tineh; and the…

and he said [the] king of Egypt to the midwives Hebrew who [the] name of the one [was] Shiphrah and [the] name of the second [was] Puah
לַֽמְיַלְּדֹ֖תlam.ya.le.Dot to the midwives H3205 Preposition · verb piel participle (active) feminine plural
496× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means to give birth or beget a child, like when Eve gave birth to Cain in Genesis 4:1. It can also mean to help someone give birth, like a midwife. This word is used in many KJV translations, including Genesis and Isaiah.
Amplified meaning
women who assist in childbirth
Tyndale gloss
to beget
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word יָלַד (*yalad*) means to bear, bring forth, or beget, and it encompasses various forms of childbirth and lineage declaration. It can refer to both the act of giving birth and the role of a midwife. The entries also note its use in contexts of distress and wicked behavior, as well as in reference to birthdays.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

יָלַד 497 vb. bear, bring forth, beget

Qal

bear, bring forth

less often beget

of both parents

Niph. be born

Pi. cause (or help) to bring forth, viz., assist or tend as midwife

Pu. be born

Hiph.

beget (a father a child)

bear

Hoph. day of one's being born = birthday

Hithp. declared their pedigree

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H3205 יָלַד bear, bring forth, beget .. bear, bring forth

. less often beget

. of both parents

. be born

. cause (or help) to bring forth, viz., assist or tend as midwife

. be born

. . beget (a father a child)

. bear

. day of one's being born = birthday

. declared their pedigree

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

3205 yalad yaw-lad'

a primitive root; to bear young; causatively, to beget;

medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show

lineage:--bear, beget, birth((-day)), born, (make to) bring

forth (children, young), bring up, calve, child, come, be

delivered (of a child), time of delivery, gender, hatch,

labour, (do the office of a) midwife, declare pedigrees, be

the son of, (woman in, woman that) travail(-eth, -ing woman).

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

יָלַד (ya.lad) — to beget.

1) to bear, bringforth, beget, gender, travail

1a) (Qal)

1a1) to bear, bring forth

1a1a) of child birth

1a1b) of distress (simile)

1a1c) of wicked (behaviour)

1a2) to beget

1b) (Niphal) to be born

1c) (Piel)

1c1) to cause or help to bring forth

1c2) to assist or tend as a midwife

1c3) midwife (participle)

1d) (Pual) to be born

1e) (Hiphil)

1e1) to beget (a child)

1e2) to bear (fig. -of wicked bringing forth iniquity)

1f) (Hophal) day of birth, birthday (infinitive)

1g) (Hithpael) to declare one's birth (pedigree)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Prep | V-Piel — Preposition · verb piel participle (active) feminine plural
HRd/Vprfpa
and he said [the] king of Egypt to the midwives Hebrew who [the] name of the one [was] Shiphrah and [the] name of the second [was] Puah
הָֽעִבְרִיֹּ֑תha.'iv.ri.Yot Hebrew H5680 Particle · noun gentilic feminine plural absolute
34× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Ibriy refers to a Hebrew person, a descendant of Eber, and is first mentioned in Genesis 14:13. It describes the Israelites and their ancestors, including Abraham and his family.
Amplified meaning
a descendant of Eber, an Israelite
Tyndale gloss
Hebrew
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

עִבְרִי (Ibriy) refers to a Hebrew or descendant of Eber, as noted in the entries. It serves both as a noun and an adjective, designating the patriarchs and the Israelites. The term is linked to the idea of being 'one from beyond,' and its first mention is in Genesis 14:13.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

עִבְרִי adj. et n.gent. Hebrew

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H5680 עִבְרִי Hebrew

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

5680 `Ibriy ib-ree'

patronymic from 5677; an Eberite (i.e. Hebrew) or descendant

of Eber:--Hebrew(-ess, woman).

see HEBREW for 05677

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

עִבְרִי (iv.ri) — Hebrew.

Someone descended from Heber (H2268)(?), first mentioned at Gen.14.13

Also named: Hebraios (Ἑβραῖος "Hebrew" G1445)

§ Hebrew = "one from beyond"

n pr

1) a designation of the patriarchs and the Israelites

adj

2) a designation of the patriarchs and the Israelites

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | Ngfpa — Particle · noun gentilic feminine plural absolute
HTd/Ngfpa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Hebrew

A name applied to the Israelites in Scripture only by one who is a foreigner (Gen. 39:14, 17; 41:12, etc.), or by the Israelites when they speak of themselves to foreigners (40:15; Ex. 1:19), or when spoken of an contrasted with other peoples (Gen. 43:32; Ex. 1:3, 7, 15; Deut. 15:12). In the New Testament there is the same contrast between Hebrews and foreigners (Acts 6:1; Phil. 3:5).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

This word first occurs as given to Abram by the Canaanites, (Genesis 4:13) because he had crossed the Euphrates. The name is also derived from Eber, "beyond, on the other side," Abraham and his posterity being called Hebrews in order to express a distinction between the races east and west of the Euphrates. It may also be derived from Heber , one of the ancestors of Abraham. (Genesis 10:24) The term Israelite was used by the Jews of themselves among themselves; the term Hebrew was the name by which they were known to foreigners. The latter was accepted by the Jews in their external relations; and after the general substitution of the word Jew, it still found a place in that marked and special feature of national contradistinction, the language.

Nave's Topical Bible

→ A word supposed to be a corruption of the name of Eber, who was an ancestor of Abraham Ge 10:24; 11:14-26

→ See GENEALOGY

→ Applied to

Abraham Ge 14:13

And his descendants Ge 39:14; 40:15; 43:32; Ex 2:6; De 15:12; 1Sa 4:9; 29:3; Jon 1:9; Ac 6:1; 2Co 11:22; Php 3:5

and he said [the] king of Egypt to the midwives Hebrew who [the] name of the one [was] Shiphrah and [the] name of the second [was] Puah
אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.Sher who H834 Particle
5,500× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
This Hebrew word is a conjunction that connects ideas and events in the Bible, like in the book of Genesis, where it's used to describe the relationship between God and His creation.
Tyndale gloss
which
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

The Hebrew word אֲשֶׁר (*asher*) is a relative pronoun that can mean 'who,' 'which,' or 'that.' It serves various grammatical functions, including as an adverb or conjunction, indicating relationships between clauses, places, or conditions. Variants like בַאֲשֶׁר (*ba-asher*), מֵאֲשֶׁר (*me-asher*), and כַּאֲשֶׁר (*ka-asher*) expand its usage to specific contexts such as location, causation, and time.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֲשֶׁר part. of relation A sign of relation, bringing the clause introduced by it into relation with an antecedent clause.

base

בַאֲשֶׁר

in (that) which

adv. in (the place) where

conj. in that, inasmuch as

on account of whom?

base

מֵאֲשֶׁר

from (or than) that which

adv. from (the place) where

conj. from (the fact) that …, since

base

כַּאֲשֶׁר conj. according as, as, when

according to that which, according as, as

with a causal force, in so far as, since

with a temporal force, when

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H834a אֲשֶׁר part. of relation A sign of relation, bringing the clause introduced by it into relation with an antecedent clause. H834b בַאֲשֶׁר . in (that) which

. adv. in (the place) where

. conj. in that, inasmuch as

. on account of whom?

H834c מֵאֲשֶׁר . from (or than) that which

. adv. from (the place) where

. conj. from (the fact) that …, since

H834d כַּאֲשֶׁר conj. according as, as, when . according to that which, according as, as

. with a causal force, in so far as, since

. with a temporal force, when

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

834 'aher ash-er'

a primitive relative pronoun (of every gender and number);

who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction)

when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.:--X after, X

alike, as (soon as), because, X every, for, + forasmuch, +

from whence, + how(-soever), X if, (so) that ((thing) which,

wherein), X though, + until, + whatsoever, when, where

(+ -as, -in, -of, -on, -soever, -with), which, whilst, +

whither(- soever), who(-m, -soever, -se). As it is

indeclinable, it is often accompanied by the personal pronoun

expletively, used to show the connection.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֲשֶׁר (a.sher) — which.

A: 1) (relative part.)

1a) which, who

1b) that which

2) (conj)

2a) that (in obj clause)

2b) when

2c) since

2d) as

2e) conditional if

B: Beth+ 1) in (that) which

2) (adv)

2a) where

3) (conj)

3a) in that, inasmuch as

3b) on account of

C: Mem+ 1) from (or than) that which

2) from (the place) where

3) from (the fact) that, since

D: Kaph+

1) (conj.), according as, as, when

1a) according to that which, according as, as

1b) with a causal force: in so far as, since

1c) with a temporal force: when

בַאֲשֶׁר (ba.a.sher) — in which.

1) in (that) which

2) (adv)

2a) where

3) (conj)

3a) in that, inasmuch as

3b) on account of

מֵאֲשֶׁר (me.a.sher) — whence.

1) from (or than) that which

2) from (the place) where

3) from (the fact) that, since

כַּאֲשֶׁר (ka.a.sher) — as which.

conj

1) according as, as, when

1a) according to that which, according as, as

Read the full entry →
Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Rel — Particle
HTr
The company it keepswords that stand beside it more often than chance
and he said [the] king of Egypt to the midwives Hebrew who [the] name of the one [was] Shiphrah and [the] name of the second [was] Puah
שֵׁ֤םshem [the] name of H8034 Noun common · masculine singular construct
864× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, a name represents a person's identity, honor, and character, like God's name symbolizing His power and authority. It appears in Genesis and other books, often referring to God's name or a person's reputation. This concept is central to understanding biblical identity.
Amplified meaning
identities, designations
Tyndale gloss
name
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שֵׁם (shem) means 'name' and encompasses various meanings such as reputation, fame, and glory. It can refer to the designation of God and is often associated with memorials or monuments. The word is built from a primitive root and highlights individuality and honor. There is a mention of its use in relation to false gods, which is forbidden.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שֵׁם 864 n.m. name (√ unknown)

of river, beasts, city, i.e. exact designation of it

usu. of pers.

= reputation

esp. as giving a man a kind of posthumous life, esp. in his sons

name, as designation of God

of false gods, use forbidden

= memorial, monument

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8034 שֵׁם name (√ unknown)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8034 shem shame

a primitive word (perhaps rather from 7760 through the idea

of definite and conspicuous position; compare 8064); an

appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by

implication honor, authority, character:--+ base,

(in-)fame(-ous), named(-d), renown, report.

see HEBREW for 07760

see HEBREW for 08064

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שֵׁם (shem) — name.

1) name

1a) name

1b) reputation, fame, glory

1c) the Name (as designation of God)

1d) memorial, monument

Aramaic equivalent: shum (שֻׁם "name" H8036)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular construct
HNcmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

and he said [the] king of Egypt to the midwives Hebrew who [the] name of the one [was] Shiphrah and [the] name of the second [was] Puah
הָֽאַחַת֙ha.'a.Chat the one H259 Particle
971× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means one or united, and is used to describe something that is single or unique. It is often translated as one, first, or alone. For example, in Genesis 1:5, God calls the light day and the darkness night, and separates them into one thing from another.
Tyndale gloss
one
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

אֶחָד (echad) means 'one' and is derived from a numeral. It encompasses meanings such as each, every, a certain, and can serve as an indefinite article. It is also used as an ordinal to denote 'first' and appears in various combinations, including eleven. The entries consistently emphasize its numerical and qualitative aspects.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

אֶחָד 972 adj.num. one

one

= each, every

= a certain

= indef. art.

only, & (fem.) once

one … another, one … the other

as ordinal first

in combin.

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H259 אֶחָד one . one

. = each, every

. = a certain

. = indef. art.

. only, & (fem.) once

. one … another, one … the other

. as ordinal first

. in combin.

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

259 'echad ekh-awd'

a numeral from 258; properly, united, i.e. one; or (as an

ordinal) first:--a, alike, alone, altogether, and,

any(-thing), apiece, a certain, (dai-)ly, each (one), +

eleven, every, few, first, + highway, a man, once, one, only,

other, some, together,

see HEBREW for 0258

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

אֶחָד (e.chad) — one.

1) one (number)

1a) one (number)

1b) each, every

1c) a certain

1d) an (indefinite article)

1e) only, once, once for all

1f) one...another, the one...the other, one after another, one by one

1g) first

1h) eleven (in combination), eleventh (ordinal)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HTd/Acfsa — Particle
HTd/Acfsa
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

wun.

See NUMBER.

and he said [the] king of Egypt to the midwives Hebrew who [the] name of the one [was] Shiphrah and [the] name of the second [was] Puah
שִׁפְרָ֔הshif.Rah [was] Shiphrah H8236 Noun proper feminine
1× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Shiphrah was a brave Hebrew midwife who disobeyed Pharaoh's orders to kill baby boys in Exodus 1. Her name means fair or beautiful in Hebrew.
Amplified meaning
fair, beautiful
Tyndale gloss
Shiphrah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שִׁפְרָה (Shiphrah) refers to a Hebrew midwife mentioned in Exodus 1:15. The name is associated with the meaning 'fair' and is linked to another entry, H8235. Shiphrah is noted for her role in defying Pharaoh's orders to kill Hebrew male infants.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שִׁפְרָה n.pr.f. Hebrew midwife, Ex 1:15 (E)

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8236 שִׁפְרָה Hebrew midwife

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8236 Shiphrah shif-raw'

the same as 8235; Shiphrah, an Israelitess:--Shiphrah.

see HEBREW for 08235

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שִׁפְרָה (shiph.rah) — Shiphrah.

A woman living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, only mentioned at Exo.1.15

§ Shiphrah = "fair"

one of the two Hebrew midwives who were ordered by Pharaoh to kill all the male children born to the Hebrews but who disobeyed

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper feminine
HNpf
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

shif'-ra (shiphrah, "fairness," "beauty";. Septuagint Sepphora, the rendering also of tsipporah, in Ex 2:21): The name of one of the Hebrew midwives (Ex 1:15).

See also ZIPPORAH.

Easton's Bible Dictionary

Shiphrah

Beauty, one of the Egyptian midwives (Ex. 1:15).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(brightness), (Exodus 1:15) the name of one of the two midwives of the Hebrews who disobeyed the command of Pharaoh to kill the mule children. vs. (Exodus 1:15-21) (B.C. 1570.)

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

handsome; trumpet; that does good

and he said [the] king of Egypt to the midwives Hebrew who [the] name of the one [was] Shiphrah and [the] name of the second [was] Puah
וְשֵׁ֥םve.Shem and [the] name of H8034 Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct
864× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, a name represents a person's identity, honor, and character, like God's name symbolizing His power and authority. It appears in Genesis and other books, often referring to God's name or a person's reputation. This concept is central to understanding biblical identity.
Tyndale gloss
name
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שֵׁם (shem) means 'name' and encompasses various meanings such as reputation, fame, and glory. It can refer to the designation of God and is often associated with memorials or monuments. The word is built from a primitive root and highlights individuality and honor. There is a mention of its use in relation to false gods, which is forbidden.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שֵׁם 864 n.m. name (√ unknown)

of river, beasts, city, i.e. exact designation of it

usu. of pers.

= reputation

esp. as giving a man a kind of posthumous life, esp. in his sons

name, as designation of God

of false gods, use forbidden

= memorial, monument

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8034 שֵׁם name (√ unknown)

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8034 shem shame

a primitive word (perhaps rather from 7760 through the idea

of definite and conspicuous position; compare 8064); an

appellation, as a mark or memorial of individuality; by

implication honor, authority, character:--+ base,

(in-)fame(-ous), named(-d), renown, report.

see HEBREW for 07760

see HEBREW for 08064

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שֵׁם (shem) — name.

1) name

1a) name

1b) reputation, fame, glory

1c) the Name (as designation of God)

1d) memorial, monument

Aramaic equivalent: shum (שֻׁם "name" H8036)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
HC/Ncmsc — Conjunction · noun common masculine singular construct
HC/Ncmsc
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

ov:

(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.

English usagewhat the translators’ English meant
Webster's Dictionary (1828), Webster's Unabridged (1913), Webster's Dictionary (1806)

OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]

1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.

I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.

For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.

It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.

Lamentations 3:1.

The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.

Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.

That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.

Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…

and he said [the] king of Egypt to the midwives Hebrew who [the] name of the one [was] Shiphrah and [the] name of the second [was] Puah
הַשֵּׁנִ֖יתha.she.Nit the second H8145 Particle
156× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
In the Bible, this Hebrew word means second or again, like when Moses went up Mount Sinai a second time in Exodus 24:15-18. It can also mean another or something distinct.
Tyndale gloss
second
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

שֵׁנִי (sheniy) means 'second' and can also imply 'again' or 'another.' It is an ordinal number used to denote position or sequence, as well as to indicate repetition. The word is derived from a root meaning 'double' and appears in various contexts in the Old Testament.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

שֵׁנִי m. שֵׁנִית f. 157 adj.num.ord. second

base

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H8145 שֵׁנִי m. שֵׁנִית f. adj. num. ord. second

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

8145 sheniy shay-nee'

from 8138; properly, double, i.e. second; also adverbially,

again:--again, either (of them), (an-)other, second (time).

see HEBREW for 08138

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

שֵׁנִי (she.ni) — second.

1) second

1a) second (the ordinal number)

1b) again (a second time)

1c) another, other (something as distinct from something else)

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
Art | Adj — Particle
HTd/Aofsa
and he said [the] king of Egypt to the midwives Hebrew who [the] name of the one [was] Shiphrah and [the] name of the second [was] Puah
פּוּעָֽה׃pu.'Ah [was] Puah H6326 Noun proper feminine
1× in the OT scale is logarithmic — the commonest word, אֵת, appears about 11,000×
In plain English
Meaning
Puah was a Hebrew midwife who lived during the time of Moses and was ordered by Pharaoh to kill all male babies born to Israelites. She is mentioned in Exodus 1:15.
Amplified meaning
one who breathes or speaks, a speaker
Tyndale gloss
Puah
Hebrew lexiconskeyed to Strong's numbers
Layman’s summary of all Lexicon entries.generated

פּוּעָה (Puw`ah) refers to a midwife mentioned in Exodus 1:15, where she is one of the two Hebrew midwives ordered by Pharaoh to kill male infants. The name is derived from an unused root meaning 'to glitter' or 'brilliancy,' suggesting a connotation of splendor.

Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (full)

פּוּעָה n.pr.f. a midwife Ex 1:15

ref

Brown-Driver-Briggs glosses

H6326 פּוּעָה a midwife

Strong's Hebrew Dictionary

6326 Puw`ah poo-aw'

from an unused root meaning to glitter; brilliancy; Puah, an

Israelitess:--Puah.

Translators Brief Hebrew Lexicon

פּוּעָה (pu.ah) — Puah.

A woman living at the time of Egypt and Wilderness, only mentioned at Exo.1.15

§ Puah = "splendid"

one of the 2 midwives of the Hebrews ordered by Pharaoh to kill all the male children born to Israel; time of Moses

Morphologythe parsing behind the code
Berean parsing
N-proper — Noun proper feminine
HNpf
Bible dictionarieson the English sense
Easton's Bible Dictionary

Puah

Splendid. (1.) One of the two midwives who feared God, and refused to kill the Hebrew male children at their birth (Ex. 1:15-21).

(2.) A descendant of Issachar (Judg. 10:1).

Smith's Bible Dictionary

(splendid). The father of Tola, a man of the tribe of Issachar and judge of Israel after Abimelech. (Judges 10:1) (B.C. 1211.) The son of Issachar, (1 Chronicles 7:1) elsewhere called Phuvah and Pua. One of the two midwives to whom Pharaoh gave instructions to kill the Hebrew male children at their birth. (Exodus 1:15) (B.C. 1571.)

Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary

mouth; corner; bush of hair

Nave's Topical Bible

1. A Hebrew midwife Ex 1:15

2. Father of Tola Jud 10:1

3. See PHUVAH

Sources on this page. Lexicons and dictionaries imported from the CrossWire SWORD modules — Abbott-Smith, Strong's, Dodson, the Intermediate Liddell-Scott-Jones, Robinson and Packard, Webster and Cawdrey. Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament (Harper, 1889 — Grimm’s Wilke’s Clavis Novi Testamenti, translated, revised and enlarged by Joseph Henry Thayer) is public domain and is set here from the Internet Archive page scan greekenglishlex00grim; it is uncorrected OCR, marked as such on the entry itself, and the Strong’s numbers — which Thayer’s own edition does not carry — were matched by lemma against the other modules on this page. Trench’s Synonyms of the New Testament (Macmillan, 1880) and Moulton and Milligan’s Vocabulary of the Greek Testament (Hodder & Stoughton, 1930, which entered the United States public domain on 1 January 2026) are set from Internet Archive page scans synonymsofnewtes00treniala and vocabularyofgree00mouluoft, and are likewise uncorrected OCR matched to Strong’s numbers by lemma. Trench treats a group of words at once, so the same essay stands on the page of each word it compares. The Mounce Concise Greek-English Dictionary is © 1993 and is used here by permission for non-commercial use, www.teknia.com/greek-dictionary. The full Liddell-Scott-Jones and the Hebrew word data (TAHOT) come from STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0. Brown-Driver-Briggs is the OpenScriptures digitisation, public domain. Syntax analysis is the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (biblicalhumanities.org); the concordance and morphology are built from the tagged Nestle 1904 text. Septuagint occurrences use the Open Scriptures Septuagint lemma index, derived from CCAT (University of Pennsylvania) and the Rahlfs 1935 dataset by Eliran Wong, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 — used here on a non-commercial ministry site. Greek of Josephus and Barnabas from the Perseus Digital Library, CC BY-SA 4.0. Commentaries and the Ante-Nicene Fathers are public-domain texts hosted on this site. Everyday Greek from the Duke Databank of Documentary Papyri, CC BY 3.0, with dates and provenance from the Heidelberger Gesamtverzeichnis. Philo and the Apostolic Fathers from Open Greek and Latin (First1KGreek), CC BY-SA 4.0. The apparatus and the fifth Greek column are the SBL Greek New Testament, © 2010 SBL and Logos Bible Software, CC BY 4.0. The Latin is the Clementine Vulgate (public domain); the Syriac New Testament is the ETCBC edition (MIT licence). The Hebrew behind the Greek is computed here from the Septuagint index and TAHOT, not taken from any aligned edition. The translation spread and the per-word edition marks come from the Translators Amalgamated Greek NT (STEPBible, CC BY 4.0); clause roles from the Nestle 1904 Lowfat treebank (CC BY-SA 4.0); place identifications and their confidence from OpenBible.info Bible Geocoding (CC BY 4.0), with map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors. Gospel parallels are computed here from shared uncommon vocabulary, not taken from any printed harmony. Cross references are the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge and the subject headings are Nave’s Topical Bible, both public domain. Works under Creative Commons licences are used unchanged apart from markup removal.

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