The Massacre of the Innocents in Egypt and Bethlehem: God’s Providence Amid Persecution (Exodus 1:15-22)

The king of Egypt told the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was called Shiphrah and the other Puah, 16 “When you act as midwives for the Hebrew women, look on the birthstool: if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, she may live.” 17 The midwives, however, feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt had ordered them, but let the boys live. 18 So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, “Why have you done this, allowing the boys to live?” 19 The midwives answered Pharaoh, “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women. They are robust and give birth before the midwife arrives.” 20 Therefore God dealt well with the midwives; and the people multiplied and grew very numerous. 21 And because the midwives feared God, God built up families for them. 22 Pharaoh then commanded all his people, “Throw into the Nile every boy that is born, but you may let all the girls live.”

Exodus 1:15-22 recounts Pharaoh's decree to the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, commanding them to kill all newborn Hebrew boys while allowing the girls to live.  The midwives, fearing God, disobey Pharaoh and let the boys live.  When questioned, they claim that Hebrew women give birth before they arrive.  Because of their faithfulness, God blesses them, granting them families, while Pharaoh escalates his oppression by ordering that all Hebrew male infants be thrown into the Nile.

This passage highlights the recurring theme in salvation history of God’s providence and the faithful resisting unjust rulers.  The midwives' fear of God (v. 17) reflects the biblical principle that divine authority supersedes human commands (Acts 5:29).  Their actions foreshadow God’s later deliverance of Israel through Moses, while the increase of Israel’s population despite oppression (v. 20) fulfills God's covenant promise to Abraham (Gen. 12:2; 15:5).

Pharaoh’s decree finds a striking parallel in Herod’s massacre of the innocents in Matthew 2:16-18.  Just as Pharaoh sought to prevent Israel’s deliverance by eliminating its male children, Herod attempted to destroy the newborn Messiah.  Matthew quotes Jeremiah 31:15, depicting Rachel weeping for her children, linking Israel’s suffering in exile to the broader narrative of salvation history.

Rachel’s lament in Jeremiah 31:15, originally mourning Israel’s suffering in the Babylonian exile, finds its fulfillment in Matthew 2:18, where it is applied to the mothers of Bethlehem grieving their slain children.  As the wife of Jacob—who was divinely renamed Israel and became the father of the twelve tribes—Rachel symbolizes the mother of Israel, mourning for her lost children, particularly the exiled northern tribes descended from Joseph (Gen. 32:28; 35:10; 49:1-28).  This connection demonstrates the continuity between Israel’s past suffering and its fulfillment in Christ’s redemptive mission.

The deliverance of Moses prefigures Jesus as the ultimate deliverer, leading humanity not from physical slavery, but from the bondage of sin (John 8:34-36).  Just as God protected Moses as an infant, He preserved Jesus from Herod’s decree by sending Him to Egypt (Matt. 2:13-15).  The rejection of unjust commands aligns with God's justice, which prevails over human oppression (Ps. 146:7-9).

Despite Pharaoh’s attempts to oppress the Israelites, God’s sovereign plan prevails, ensuring the preservation of His chosen people and the fulfillment of His covenant promises, demonstrating that His divine will cannot be thwarted (Job. 42:2; Isa. 46:10; Rom. 8:28).  Throughout salvation history, faithful believers have resisted unjust human authority, choosing obedience to God over earthly rulers.  This is seen in the courageous actions of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who refused to worship a false god and were thrown into a white-hot furnace, yet were miraculously protected by God from harm (Dan. 3:8-24, 91-98). Likewise, the apostles, when commanded to stop preaching about Jesus, boldly proclaimed before the Sanhedrin that they must obey God rather than men (Acts 4:13-20), choosing faithfulness to Christ even under the threat of persecution.

The theme of deliverance through water is also central to this passage.  Just as Moses was rescued from Pharaoh’s decree by being placed in the Nile (Exod. 2:3-10), baptism serves as the sacramental sign of salvation in Christ, washing away sin and granting new life (1 Pet. 3:20-21; Tit. 3:5).  This foreshadows the ultimate deliverance brought by Jesus, who, like Moses, leads His people out of bondage—not from Egypt, but from the slavery of sin and death (Matt. 5:1-2; Heb. 3:1-6).

Almighty God, You are the protector of the innocent and the defender of the oppressed. Just as You preserved Moses to lead Your people to freedom and safeguarded Your Son from Herod’s cruelty, so too, guide us in faithfulness to Your will. Strengthen us to resist injustice, to trust in Your providence, and to walk in the freedom Christ has won for us. May we always choose obedience to You over the fear of the world. We ask this through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

                                                       

Sources

• McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
• Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
• Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
• Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
• Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
• Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
• Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.