Who Was Puah in the Bible? The Hebrew Midwife Who Feared God

Introduction: Who Was Puah in the Bible?

Puah in the Bible was one of two midwives in Egypt who refused Pharaoh’s command to kill Hebrew baby boys. She served alongside Shiphrah and chose the fear of God over obedience to a cruel royal order. Okay, so who was Puah in the Bible? She was Puah the midwife, a woman whose faithfulness helped protect vulnerable children during a dangerous time. Her story appears in Exodus 1, where Scripture gives only a few details about her life, yet those verses reveal the strength of her faith.

Puah’s account deserves a place among the women of Scripture because her quiet courage became part of Israel’s larger story. As we explore her role, the world around her, her actions, God’s response, and the lessons from her life, we see why her name belongs on any thoughtful list of women in the Bible.

Quick Facts About Puah and Her Role in Exodus

Exodus records Puah in only a few verses, but her actions matter. Exodus 1:15 specifically names Shiphrah and Puah, while Pharaoh is identified by his title rather than his personal name. The passage says the midwives feared God, refused his command, and were later blessed by Him.

For a Bible study of Puah, it’s important to stay close to what Scripture actually tells us. Her story connects with the wider account of Miriam and Jochebed, two other women who appear in the Exodus story. Beyond this episode, the Bible gives no further biography of Puah.

The World Behind Her Story in Exodus

Exodus 1:15–21 records Puah’s most important actions. She faced Pharaoh’s order, refused to kill newborn Hebrew sons, and helped preserve the lives of Israelite children. The account is brief, but it gives us a clear picture of her faith under pressure.

As part of the story of Women in Genesis, her actions also prepare the way for the wider story of God’s preservation of His people. Puah’s courage becomes especially clear when we look closely at what happened between the king, the midwives, and the families they served.

Pharaoh Gives the Midwives a Deadly Command

The Pharaoh gave his command to the Hebrew midwives after becoming increasingly afraid of Israel’s growing population. He told them that when they helped Hebrew women give birth, they were to look at the baby and kill any son who was born, while allowing daughters to live. The order placed the Hebrew baby boys in immediate danger.

The midwives’ Exodus account shows how Pharaoh tried to control Israel’s future through the women who attended childbirth. Puah thus faced a direct clash between the king’s demand and her obligation to save life at its outset.

Puah and Shiphrah Refuse to Obey

Exodus 1:17 states plainly that Shiphrah and Puah feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had commanded them. The phrase midwives feared God gives us the reason Scripture highlights for their refusal. Their faith was not merely an inner belief. It shaped what they actually did when Pharaoh demanded something evil.

Their standing against evil did not come through a public speech or a dramatic confrontation. They simply refused to kill the boys. In this short account, Puah’s courage shines through faithful action, even when obedience to God came at a real cost.

How the Midwives Answered Pharaoh

Pharaoh later asked why the boys were still alive. The women answered that Hebrew women were strong and had given birth before the midwives came. This passage explains why Shiphrah and Puah resisted Pharaoh. They feared God, and they opted to obey God rather than follow his command.

Their actions also protected innocent life. Some interpreters have debated whether their answer involved deliberate deception or whether it described the situation as they experienced it. Scripture doesn’t hesitate to answer that question. Instead, the narrative continues by showing God’s response to the midwives.

Their conduct becomes an important example of biblical women acting faithfully under pressure. Their story also connects naturally to the Shunammite woman, another woman whose actions helped protect and preserve life. 

Why Did Puah Fear God More Than Pharaoh?

The fear of God is one of the clearest themes in Puah’s story. In Exodus 1, it means more than being afraid of punishment. It points to reverence for God, loyalty to Him, and a willingness to follow His ways. So, what does fear of God mean in Exodus 1? Pharaoh’s actions give us a clear answer. She feared God more than she feared Pharaoh.

Pharaoh also acted out of fear. He feared the growing Israelite population, and that fear pushed him toward control, oppression, and death. But Puah was in the opposite direction, fearful of God. She didn’t hurt vulnerable children; she protected them. Exodus 1:17 says the midwives feared God, and verse 21 again connects their actions with their reverence for Him.

This is where trusting God becomes visible through action. Pharaoh showed faith under pressure by choosing obedience to God, even when it meant refusing a powerful ruler. That lesson remains relevant to Christian faith today. We also see a similar call to faithful action in the story of Martha and Mary, whose lives show what devotion to God can look like in very different circumstances. Puah’s story reminds us that genuine reverence for God changes our choices.

How God Responded to Shiphrah and Puah

God Dealt Well With the Midwives

Exodus 1:20 says that God dealt well with the midwives after they refused Pharaoh’s command. The passage connects this response with the women’s fear of God and their decision to protect the Hebrew boys. So, what did God do for Shiphrah and Puah? Scripture says that God was good to them, and the next verse explains that He established households for them.

God blessed the midwives in a dangerous situation. God’s blessing was not a simple reward for bravery. It was because they feared God and faithfully preserved life. This story remains a meaningful lesson for Christian faith.

What Does It Mean That God Gave Them Households?

Exodus 1:21 says that because the midwives feared God, He established households for them. The term can indicate a family or household and can also allude to descendants or an established family line. However, Scripture does not tell us exactly what happened to Puah. We are not given her husband’s name, the number of children, her age, or details about her later years.

So, what happened to Puah in the Bible after this episode? The honest answer is that we do not know. In this scripture study, it is better to stay with what Exodus tells us than fill the silence with later traditions. Her recorded story ends with God’s favor and the establishment of her household. Her account also offers a useful contrast when studying Jezebel and Joanna, whose biblical stories unfold in very different settings.

What We Know About Puah’s Identity

Were Shiphrah and Puah Israelites?

Whether Shiphrah and Puah were Israelites depends partly on how Exodus 1:15 is understood. The text describes them as Hebrew midwives, but the Hebrew wording allows multiple readings. Some interpreters read it as meaning the women themselves were Hebrews. Others interpret it as referring to midwives who assisted Hebrew women.

Scripture does not clearly settle the question, so we shouldn’t confidently identify Puah’s ethnicity beyond what the text supports. The phrase “Puah Hebrew midwife” is commonly used, but Shiphrah and Puah in the Bible are best described simply as the two midwives named in Exodus. This careful approach also helps us keep Christian faith grounded in Scripture rather than assumption.

What Does the Name Puah Mean?

Scripture does not directly explain Puah’s meaning. The meaning of the name is sometimes connected with ideas such as a young girl, a cry, or a sound associated with childbirth, but the exact origin is uncertain. Because of these different suggestions, we should be careful about claiming a definite Hebrew meaning for Puah.

To pronounce “Puah,” use a simple guide: POO ah. Beyond her name, what matters most about this Biblical Women study is what Puah actually did. Her faithfulness, not an uncertain name meaning, defines her biblical legacy. Her story can also be considered alongside Huldah and Hagar, two other women whose stories show why careful attention to Scripture matters.

Puah’s Place in the Larger Exodus Story

The story of Puah in Exodus appears just before Moses’ birth and early life. Shiphrah and Puah resisted Pharaoh’s order and helped preserve Hebrew boys during a time when Israel’s future was under threat. Their actions form an important link between Pharaoh’s deadly policy and the events that follow in Exodus 2.

So did Puah save Moses? Scripture does not say that Puah personally delivered Moses or that she knew him. Exodus simply says the midwives allowed the Hebrew boys to live. Moses was born afterward; his mother protected him, his sister watched over him, and Pharaoh’s daughter eventually found him and took him in. Each woman played a different part in preserving his life.

Puah’s story therefore belongs to a wider pattern of faithful women in the Bible who protected life when powerful people threatened it. We see the same theme of faithfulness in Hannah’s story while also remembering that biblical women such as Delilah made very different choices. Puah’s place in Exodus is essential, for her silent resistance begins the chain of events that leads to Israel’s deliverance.

What Puah’s Story Teaches Christians Today

Courage Can Begin With Quiet Obedience

Puah had no throne, army, or public position. Her courage under pressure showed up in the ordinary work she was already doing. She chose not to harm the babies placed in her care, even when Pharaoh demanded it. Her example shows that faith under fire isn’t always dramatic. Sometimes it means quietly doing what is right when nobody applauds. Christian living can begin with small, faithful choices made in ordinary places.

Fear of God Can Give Us Courage

Pharaoh’s fear of God changed how she responded. She recognized God’s authority as greater than the king’s power. Trusting God helped her remain faithful when obedience carried risk. Christians may also face situations where pressure encourages them to compromise biblical convictions. Puah reminds us that obedience to God requires more than agreeing with what Scripture says. It means allowing God’s truth to shape our choices. That kind of Christian faith can give us courage when doing what is right is difficult.

God Can Work Through People the World Overlooks

Pharaoh was the most powerful ruler in the story, yet Scripture names Puah and Shiphrah while leaving Pharaoh unnamed. That contrast does not mean every overlooked person will receive public recognition, but it does show that God can work through people the world may consider ordinary. The faithful women in the Bible often remind us that influence is not measured by social position.

Puah’s standing against evil and protecting innocent life mattered to God. This theme continues across women in Jesus’ ministry and beyond. Her story also connects with Claudia and Basemath, whose brief biblical accounts remind us that every woman Scripture names has a story worth examining carefully. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Puah

Final Thoughts on Puah’s Faith and Courage

The story of Puah in the Bible is brief, but its message is clear. Pharaoh’s fear of Israel led him toward control and death, while Puah’s fear of God led her to protect vulnerable children. Scripture tells us very little about Puah’s personal life, yet that silence does not make her contribution insignificant. Puah’s story is the story of a faithful lady when obedience to God needed courage.

Her story reminds us that faithful women in the Bible were not always women with public positions or long biographies. Sometimes faithfulness appears in ordinary decisions made under pressure. So Puah took that step, and Scripture recorded her name. If you’d like to explore more stories like hers, read more posts on Women of the Bible and discover how other women faithfully responded to the circumstances God placed before them.