Why does it matter if the midwives are Hebrew or Egyptian in cases of genocide? Please know that at this time, there were no people of European descent. Therefore, the scripture speaks of people of African descent. Since this is the framework, let's ask that question again: "Does Puah's and Shiphrah's ethnicities matter?" Absolutely, YES. People of African descent think in terms of community - not individualistically. Because of their culture, Puah and Shiphrah could not be complicit but used their agency to save a whole people group. They were not interested in being in Pharaoh's good graces. The lives of an entire nation was on the line. So yes, because of their culture to have compassion for these families who entrusted their little ones to their care, it does matter. Their compassion drove them to do something about it. Through their actions, they said, "NO." Other ethnicities tend to only be concerned about themselves as individuals because they seek power in that way. Shiphrah and Puah were not entangled with the "power over" motif that characterize other ethnicities that wreak havoc and destruction on people they have "OTHERED."
Why does it matter if the midwives are Hebrew or Egyptian in cases of genocide? Please know that at this time, there were no people of European descent. Therefore, the scripture speaks of people of African descent. Since this is the framework, let's ask that question again: "Does Puah's and Shiphrah's ethnicities matter?" Absolutely, YES. People of African descent think in terms of community - not individualistically. Because of their culture, Puah and Shiphrah could not be complicit but used their agency to save a whole people group. They were not interested in being in Pharaoh's good graces. The lives of an entire nation was on the line. So yes, because of their culture to have compassion for these families who entrusted their little ones to their care, it does matter. Their compassion drove them to do something about it. Through their actions, they said, "NO." Other ethnicities tend to only be concerned about themselves as individuals because they seek power in that way. Shiphrah and Puah were not entangled with the "power over" motif that characterize other ethnicities that wreak havoc and destruction on people they have "OTHERED."