Childbirth Among Hebrew Women

Very few passages in the Bible speak of the manner in which womenfolk gave birth in ancient times. Perhaps the most explicit text on this subject is to be found in the first chapter of Exodus. To expedite his genocide program against the Hebrews who had settled in his country, one of Egypt’s Pharaohs gave the following order to the Hebrew midwives: “When you help the Hebrew women to give birth and you do see them on the stool for childbirth, if it is a son, you must also put it to death.” Sometime later, these Godfearing women justified their failure to carry out this murderous plan by saying to the king: “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women. Because they are lively, they have already given birth before the midwife can come in to them.”​—Ex. 1:16-19.

From this passage we learn three things: First, that the profession of midwife existed already in those distant times (sixteenth century B.C.E.); second, that women apparently gave birth, not reclining on a bed, but sitting or crouching on some sort of birthstool; and third, that Hebrew women often gave birth without professional assistance, being “lively,” or as other Bible translations say, “hardy” or “vigorous.”​—Jerusalem Bible, Revised Standard Version.

As to the excuse of the Hebrew midwives that Hebrew women gave birth before they could arrive, there must have been some truth to it; otherwise the Egyptian tyrant would undoubtedly have had them executed immediately. G. J. Witkowski states: “It seems likely that Jewesses called on [midwives] only for serious cases, and that more often than not they gave birth unassisted.”

However, while the hardworking Hebrew women may generally have had an easier time in childbirth than the more sophisticated Egyptian women, the fact that labor pains are used throughout the Bible as a symbol of inescapable suffering indicates that Hebrew mothers did not escape the pangs and perils of childbirth. (Ps. 48:6; Jer. 13:20-22; 50:43; Mic. 4:9, 10; 1 Thess. 5:3) For example, Jacob’s wife Rachel was attended by a midwife, but “it was going hard with her in making the delivery,” and she died while giving birth to Benjamin.

As to the excuse of the Hebrew midwives that Hebrew women gave birth before they could arrive, there must have been some truth to it; otherwise the Egyptian tyrant would undoubtedly have had them executed immediately. G. J. Witkowski states: “It seems likely that Jewesses called on [midwives] only for serious cases, and that more often than not they gave birth unassisted.”