Exodus. 1: 15-21 – Resisting Genocide

Exodus. 1: 15-21 – Resisting Genocide

“But the midwives feared God; they did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but they let the boys live” (V. 17)

Exodus 1:8-14 talks about the new dynasty or first act to control the Hebrews. Exodus1:15-22 discusses the Pharaoh's genocide or second act to control the Hebrews. This text describes King of Egypt (Pharaoh)’s policy of genocide against the slave population. This paragraph thus escalates the harshness of policies, commensurate with an escalation of anxiety. The Pharaoh failed to stop the multiplication by his hard service and cruelty and so devised the next plan of action (vv.15-22) in which the midwives were instructed to kill all male Hebrew children.

State Sponsored Genocide.
In this narrative unit, the King speaks three times. The first time, he issues a command t the two midwives who assist in birthing among slaves(v.16). His command is that all boy babies should be eliminated. It is of peculiar importance that in this entire unit, “the Israelites” are not at all mentioned. Now it is all “Hebrews” This term, with its cognates known all over the ancient Near East, refers to any group of marginal people who have no social standing, own no land, and who endlessly disrupt ordered society. They are “low-class folks” who are feared, excluded, and despised. It is the common assumption of scholars that the biblical “Hebrews” are a part of this lower social class of hapiru who are known in non-biblical texts. The King’s second speech is again addressed to the midwives (v.18). The instruction of v.16 has been ignored. Now the King, accustomed to obedience, conducts an investigation in to this defiance of imperial command. Finally, he speaks a third time and issues a massive and programmatic command (v.22).

Subaltern (midwives) Resistence.
The midwives, instructed in v.16 to kill, are said to disobey the king (v.17). The reason gives for such disobedience is that they “feared God” more than they feared the new King, and for that reason they refused to participate in the state authorised killing. The exchange between the king and the midwives is ominous, touching the bottom of social reality. The midwives (whose names we know, Shiphrah and Puah) and the king (who is given no name) voice life and death respectively. Their encounter is a revisit of the drama of chaos versus order. Ironically, the champion of imperial order is, in fact, the agent of chaos, for he will terrorize the very possibility of life. Midwives counter genocide ; in so doing, they bear witness to the mothering power of God, whose will for life overrides the killing, and whose power for life is undeterred by the death dispensed by the powerful.

Prayer- God of midwives, help us to resist the genocides in different forms in around our society. Help us to fear God than powerful emperors. Amen

Thought for the day- How do we read this text in the context of violence in Sri Lanka, Africa, Afghanistan, Iraq and many other countries including India.