Ever thought about the origin of this prayer: “May your (a pregnant woman’s) delivery be like that of the Hebrew women”?
You’ll be shocked to find out the truth about it.
Follow me carefully as we take a journey back to where it all began.
During the time the Israelites (the Hebrews) were in slavery in Egypt, Pharaoh felt threatened by their ever-increasing population. He feared the Hebrews would one day join forces with Egypt’s enemies and escape.
EXODUS 1:7-10 (KJV)
7 And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the land (Egypt) was filled with them.
8 Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph.
9 And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:
10 Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land.
So what was Pharaoh’s solution to his fear? He ordered the Hebrew midwives to kill every male Hebrew child at birth. This way, Israel would have fewer men to fight against Egypt in the future.
EXODUS 1:15-16 (KJV)
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:
16 And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.
However, after some time, Pharaoh noticed that there was little to no decrease in the population of Hebrew males. He then summoned the Hebrew midwives, demanding an explanation.
Now, this is where it gets interesting. The midwives had chosen not to participate in the gruesome act of killing innocent Hebrew children because they feared God.
EXODUS 1:17 (KJV)
But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.
Now, Pharaoh was furious and could have killed the midwives for disobeying him. In an attempt to protect themselves and avoid his wrath, they came up with a false narrative.
EXODUS 1:18-19 (KJV)
18 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?
19 And the midwives said unto Pharaoh, Because the Hebrew women are not as the Egyptian women; for they are lively, and are delivered ere the midwives come in unto them.
Now, compare verses 17 and 19 and ask yourself: which one is true?
Clearly, verse 17 states that the midwives saved the male children because they feared God, while verse 19 presents a different account to avoid Pharaoh’s punishment. This means that the origin of the so-called “prayer” is based on a false narrative.
So how were the Hebrew women giving birth? The Hebrew women gave birth like EVERY OTHER WOMAN at the time. Could some Hebrew women have lost their children at birth due to complications? Arguably, yes. But since the Bible is silent on that, we should be silent too.
Therefore, the idea that the Hebrew women in Egypt had a special grace for childbirth is not supported by the Bible. The midwives’ statement in Exodus 1:19 was simply a defense mechanism to avoid Pharaoh’s wrath.
Some may ask, “Are you saying the prayer is wrong?”
What I’m saying is this: praying that a woman’s delivery be like that of the Hebrew women is no different from praying that her delivery be like that of EVERY OTHER WOMAN.
If someone prayed for YOU as a pregnant woman, that your delivery will be like that of EVERY OTHER WOMAN, you might respond, “What do you mean?”
So, what do you mean when you pray that a woman delivers like the Hebrew women? (Smiles)
HOW TO AVOID FURTHER MISCONCEPTIONS
Like many other misconstrued Bible texts, the solution to this kind of misunderstanding is to carefully read and understand the context of every text. That is, reading the preceding verses, chapters, and the subsequent ones to have a good grasp of what the author intends.
Also, in as much as application is key in our study of the bible, don’t be quick to simply apply scriptures to yourself.
Going forward, follow this sequence:
Bible Reading
Read the Bible based on context (separating yourself from the original audience first) to have an overview of the book in view. Note that every text is within a context and derives its intended meaning from the context.
Bible Study
Carefully pay attention to the details, historical backgrounds, cross references, etc. This is because the BIble was not originally written to you. Every book of the Bible has its original audience, and understanding their social, cultural, political and religious contexts will better help you understand what the writer is communicating.
Contextual Understanding
Be sure you understand what you have read based on the context and that you understand the intended meaning.
Application
Go ahead to apply the text based on your understanding of the intended meaning of the context.
Let me know in the comment section if this blessed you and how.
