Shiphrah
femaleExodusMeaning: “Beauty; fair”
One of the two Hebrew midwives who feared God and defied Pharaoh’s order to kill the newborn Hebrew boys.
Biography
Shiphrah was one of the two Hebrew midwives — the other was Puah — whom Pharaoh commanded to kill every Hebrew baby boy at birth (Exodus 1:15–16). Their quiet courage opens the book of Exodus.
Fearing God rather than Pharaoh
"The midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive" (Exodus 1:17). When summoned to explain, they answered that the Hebrew women were too vigorous to wait for a midwife. Because they feared God, "he made them houses" — that is, He gave them families of their own (Exodus 1:20–21). Shiphrah stands as one of the Bible's first examples of righteous civil disobedience: defying an unjust law to protect the innocent.
Life Timeline
Defies Pharaoh’s order and spares the Hebrew boys
Themes & lessons from Shiphrah
Biblical themes that run through the passages where Shiphrah appears.
People they appear with
Scripture Appearances
1 verses in 1 bookExodus1 verse
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:
Frequently asked about Shiphrah
Who was Shiphrah in the Bible?
One of the two Hebrew midwives who feared God and defied Pharaoh’s order to kill the newborn Hebrew boys.
What does the name Shiphrah mean?
The name Shiphrah means “Beauty; fair”.
What did Shiphrah do in the Bible?
Shiphrah served as midwife.
Where does Shiphrah appear in the Bible?
Shiphrah is mentioned 1 time across 1 book: Exodus.
What can we learn from Shiphrah?
The story of Shiphrah touches on themes of egypt, infanticide, midwifery — explore each to study the lessons drawn from Shiphrah's life.
Sermon Mate
Teaching on Shiphrah?
Organize your sermon notes, link Scripture passages, and build your outline in Sermon Mate — the workspace for ministry leaders.
Open Sermon Mate →