Unsung Heroes of the Bible: Puah and Shiphrah

September 7, 2025 homily on Deuteronomy 30:15-20 and John 15:12-14 by Pastor Galen

“Choose life so that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying him, and holding fast to him…” Deuteronomy 30:19b-20a

“No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” – John 15:13

Unsung Heroes of the Bible

Most of us have heard of Noah, Moses, and David. But behind these well-known stories of the Bible are dozens of women and men whose faith, courage, and obedience shaped the story of God’s people. Over these next few weeks, we’re going to dig into the lives of some of these “Unsung Heroes of the Bible” to see how God used ordinary people throughout history to do extraordinary things. Even though many of these faithful people have often been overlooked or forgotten, their stories can remind us that God so often works through everyday acts of faithfulness, no matter how small, and that each of us is called to play a role in God’s unfolding story.

Today, we’ll look at the stories of Shiphrah and Puah — two midwives in Egypt who are an example of what it looks like to “choose life” and “obey God,” as Moses commanded the people to do in Deuteronomy chapter 30. And although it didn’t come to this, Puah and Shiphrah seemed willing even to lay down their lives for others, as Jesus said in John 15:13 is the ultimate display of love that there is.

Puah and Shiphrah

To read the story of Puah and Shiphrah, we’ll need to turn to Exodus, chapter 1, verses 15 and following. 

In the previous verses, we see that the Israelites, who had been living in Egypt since the time of Joseph, had grown so numerous that the Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, feared that the Israelites would soon outnumber them and perhaps turn against them, and so he “set taskmasters over them to oppress them with forced labor” (Exodus 1:10), forcing them to build cities for the Egyptians. “But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread, so that the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites” (Exodus 1:12). The Egyptians became even more ruthless in the tasks that they imposed on the Israelites, but still the Israelites grew and flourished. 

And so the king of Egypt called Shiphrah and Puah, who were midwives to the Hebrew people, and said to them, 

When you act as midwives to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.” But the midwives feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys live. So the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this and allowed the boys to live?” The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” So God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied and became very strong” (Exodus 1:16-20.)

Now, there are several things that we should note about this story:

1. It is unclear from the story whether Puah and Shiphrah were Israelites or Egyptians. The Bible says that they were “Hebrew midwives,” which could either mean that they were Hebrews who served as midwives to their own people, or that they were Egyptians who served as midwives to the Hebrews. Their names are Hebrew, which could indicate that they were Israelites, but some traditions view them as pious non-Jews who, through their actions, became true converts to the God of Israel. 

2. Whether Hebrew or Egyptian, they openly disobeyed a direct command from Pharaoh, the supreme ruler of Egypt, in an extraordinary act of courage and boldness that surely put their own lives at risk. 

3. Their courageous decision to spare the Hebrew boys, defying Pharaoh’s order at the risk of their own lives, set in motion the eventual exodus of the Israelites from slavery. Because of their refusal, the Hebrew people continued to flourish and grow. And, in the very next chapter, we meet Moses, one of those boys they allowed to live, who would one day lead God’s people to freedom.

Of course, in the very next chapter we see three more women who courageously defied Pharaoh’s orders to throw all of the Hebrew boys in the river, thereby saving Moses’ life and paving the way for the Exodus: Moses’ mother, his sister Miriam, and the Pharaoh’s own daughter, who rescued Moses and raised him in the palace as if he were her own child. (Their stories are no less courageous, but I chose to focus our attention today on Puah and Shiphrah simply because their stories are less well known.)

“They Feared God”

How was it that Puah and Shiphrah were filled with such courage that they would defy the orders of Pharaoh and allow the Hebrew boys to live?

Well, Exodus 1 verse 17 says, “The midwives feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys live” (Exodus 1:17). The word “fear” throughout Scripture, as it regards fearing God, does not necessarily mean being terrified of God. The word can also mean “to be in awe of, to revere, honour, and respect.” Out of that reverence for God the midwives chose to obey God rather than Pharaoh, doing what they knew was right. But perhaps they were a bit terrified of God, too, since they recognized that Pharaoh’s power could reach only as far as this life, while God holds authority over eternity itself.

What we can Learn from Their Story

So what Lessons might we take from this example of Puah and Shiphrah?

1. First, we see that even simple, ordinary people can have a profound impact on shaping the events of history. It’s not always the rich and famous who shape the course of history, but simply everyday people like Hebrew midwives whose names are all but forgotten. 

When I think about Puah and Shiphrah, I’m reminded of those everyday heroes who quietly show up to work each day, sometimes putting their own lives on the line to help others. Healthcare workers, police officers, firefighters. They’re not in it for fame or fortune. Many firefighters, for example, are volunteers! But day in and day out they put their own lives at risk to help others. 

And then there are those everyday heroes who may not always risk their physical safety, but certainly sacrifice their own comfort to help others. There are teachers who have advanced degrees yet work for low wages and even spend their own money to buy supplies for their own classrooms, because they want to make a difference in children’s lives. There are parents who every day put their own career aspirations on hold so that they can create a better life for their children. And there are grandparents who choose to spend less time chasing personal dreams in order to invest more time and love into their grandchildren. 

And the list could go on and on. Many of these everyday heroes are not social media influencers. They have little to no following on Facebook or Instagram. Their names will never be in the headlines. There will never be a Wikipedia page about them. And yet their everyday choice to “choose life” brings life to their descendents and to the community around them.

2. Sometimes we look at the world around us, and the problems of the world just feel so overwhelming, we don’t know where to start. There is so much war and violence, so much injustice. What can one person possibly do about it?

Interestingly enough, for Puah and Shiphrah, it wasn’t so much what they did that mattered, but actually it was what they didn’t do that made an impact. They simply refused to follow the wicked decree of Pharaoh, and chose to allow the Hebrew boys to live. Their boss asked them to do something, and they simply refused to do it. In fact, the only thing they “did” was to lie to Pharaoh, saying that the Hebrew women gave birth before they could even arrive to deliver the babies. (Although lying is not normally advocated in Scripture, there are a few instances such as this one and the story of Rahab where someone lied to protect someone else’s life, and they are honored for their courage in prioritizing life.)

Sometimes when we don’t know what to do, simply refusing to do the wrong thing can be a good place to start. But this does come with a warning that choosing to do the right thing — or refusing to do the wrong thing — can have consequences.

3. And this brings us to our last point — that doing the right thing — or refusing to do the wrong thing — is always the right thing to do, no matter whether we will be rewarded or punished for it. 

Puah and Shiphrah had no idea if they would get away with defying Pharaoh’s orders. Their was a very high percent chance that they would be caught and killed. But they did what was right anyway. They chose life for the Hebrew boys, even at the risk of losing their own lives. 

Jesus — the Ultimate Example

Moses’ command to “choose life” in Deuteronomy 30 is not about doing what’s safe for ourselves. It’s about doing the right thing — loving and obeying God — no matter what. It’s about reverencing and fearing God, no matter the consequences we might face in this life. It’s about choosing to live in the light of eternity, whether or not we gain riches or fame in this life or not. 

As Jesus points out in John 15, sometimes loving God and loving others entails laying our lives down for others. Indeed, as Jesus says, there is no greater love than this. 

Puah and Shiphrah were willing to risk their lives to save the Hebrew boys, and for this they are heroes, even if most people have never heard their names. 

But of course, the ultimate hero, and the ultimate example of this type of love and courage is that of Jesus Christ himself, who willingly laid down his life for us. Throughout his life, Jesus refused to do the wrong thing, and he consistently chose life — putting his own life at risk to touch and heal the lepers and those with diseases. Hanging out with “sinners” and tax collectors even though it caused the religious leader to reject him. He refused to retaliate with violence, even when he was violently mistreated. And ultimately, he willingly gave his life by dying on the cross in our place, to take the punishment that we deserved. Jesus willingly gave his life so that we can have eternal life. 

Choose Life

The only appropriate response to this type of love, and to the examples that we see in Puah and Shiphrah, is to accept the eternal life that Jesus offers to us, and to live our lives in the light of eternity, choosing life each and every day.

May God give us the courage to refuse to do what is wrong, no matter the consequences. And may we live with the courage and conviction to choose life, each and every day.

Amen!

Questions for Personal Reflection in Response to Today’s Sermon:

1. Puah and Shiphrah were “ordinary” people whose courageous faith made an extraordinary impact. How do I see God working through ordinary people around me? In what ways might God be calling me to be an “unsung hero” in my family, workplace, or community?
2. The midwives “feared God” more than Pharaoh. What does it mean for me personally to live with reverence and awe of God? Are there areas in my life where I let fear of people outweigh my reverence for God?
3. Sometimes choosing life means refusing to do what is wrong. Where in my daily life might I need to take a stand by saying “no”? What small acts of faithfulness could I practice that would bring life to others?
4. Jesus gave us the ultimate example of love by laying down his life for us. How does his sacrifice shape the way I think about courage and obedience? What might it look like for me to “choose life” each day in light of Christ’s love?