Who Are the Midwives?

Points of Dispute

These are some of the central points of dispute (נקודות המחלוקת) between the various exegetes:

"לַמְיַלְּדֹת הָעִבְרִיֹּת"
- The Hebrew midwives – Sifre Bemidbar, Rav and Shemuel in Bavli Sotah, Targum Yerushalmi (Yonatan), Targum Yerushalmi (Fragmentary), Rav and Shemuel Bar Nachmani in Shemot Rabbah, Rashi, Lekach Tov, Rashbam.
- Those who midwived the Hebrews – Abarbanel, R"Y Bekhor Shor.
- The midwives of the Hebrews – Septuagint.
"וַתִּירֶאןָ הַמְיַלְּדֹת אֶת הָאֱלֹהִים"
- Fear of Hashem – Shemot Rabbah 1:15 and Lekach Tov 1:17, Midrash Tadshe, R. Yehuda HeChasid.
- Ethical and moral behavior (fear of a generic god) – Shadal Shemot 1:15.