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Selected Verse: Exodus 1:21 - Strong Concordance

Verse	Translation	Text
Ex 1:21	Strong Concordance	And it came to pass, because the midwives [03205] feared [03372] God [0430], that he made [06213] them houses [01004].
	King James	And it came to pass, because the midwives feared God, that he made them houses.

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Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]
Made them houses - i. e. they married Hebrews and became mothers in Israel. The expression is proverbial. See the margin reference.

Notes on the Bible, by Albert Barnes, [1834]

Made them houses - i. e. they married Hebrews and became mothers in Israel. The expression is proverbial. See the margin reference.

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826
He made them houses - Dr. Shuckford thinks that there is something wrong both in the punctuation and translation of this place, and reads the passage thus, adding the 21st to the 20th verse: "And they multiplied and waxed mighty; and this happened (ויהי vayehi) because the midwives feared God; and he (Pharaoh) made (להם lahem, masc.). them (the Israelites) houses; and commanded all his people, saying, Every son that is born, etc." The doctor supposes that previously to this time the Israelites had no fixed dwellings, but lived in tents, and therefore had a better opportunity of concealing their children; but now Pharaoh built them houses, and obliged them to dwell in them, and caused the Egyptians to watch over them, that all the male children might be destroyed, which could not have been easily effected had the Israelites continued to live in their usual scattered manner in tents. That the houses in question were not made for the midwives, but for the Israelites in general, the Hebrew text seems pretty plainly to indicate, for the pronoun להם lahem, to them, is the masculine gender; had the midwives been meant, the feminine pronoun להן lahen would have been used. Others contend that by making them houses, not only the midwives are intended, but also that the words mark an increase of their families, and that the objection taken from the masculine pronoun is of no weight, because these pronouns are often interchanged; see Kg1 22:17, where להם lahem is written, and in the parallel place, Ch2 18:16, להן lahen is used. So בהם bahem, in Ch1 10:7, is written בהן bahen, Sa1 31:7, and in several other places. There is no doubt that God did bless the midwives, his approbation of their conduct is strictly marked; and there can be no doubt of his prospering the Israelites, for it is particularly said that the people multiplied and waxed very mighty. But the words most probably refer to the Israelites, whose houses or families were built up by an extraordinary in crease of children, notwithstanding the cruel policy of the Egyptian king. Vain is the counsel of man when opposed to the determinations of God! All the means used for the destruction of this people became in his hand instruments of their prosperity and increase. How true is the saying, If God be for us, who can be against us?

Adam Clarke Commentary on the Whole Bible - Published 1810-1826

He made them houses - Dr. Shuckford thinks that there is something wrong both in the punctuation and translation of this place, and reads the passage thus, adding the 21st to the 20th verse: "And they multiplied and waxed mighty; and this happened (ויהי vayehi) because the midwives feared God; and he (Pharaoh) made (להם lahem, masc.). them (the Israelites) houses; and commanded all his people, saying, Every son that is born, etc." The doctor supposes that previously to this time the Israelites had no fixed dwellings, but lived in tents, and therefore had a better opportunity of concealing their children; but now Pharaoh built them houses, and obliged them to dwell in them, and caused the Egyptians to watch over them, that all the male children might be destroyed, which could not have been easily effected had the Israelites continued to live in their usual scattered manner in tents. That the houses in question were not made for the midwives, but for the Israelites in general, the Hebrew text seems pretty plainly to indicate, for the pronoun להם lahem, to them, is the masculine gender; had the midwives been meant, the feminine pronoun להן lahen would have been used. Others contend that by making them houses, not only the midwives are intended, but also that the words mark an increase of their families, and that the objection taken from the masculine pronoun is of no weight, because these pronouns are often interchanged; see Kg1 22:17, where להם lahem is written, and in the parallel place, Ch2 18:16, להן lahen is used. So בהם bahem, in Ch1 10:7, is written בהן bahen, Sa1 31:7, and in several other places. There is no doubt that God did bless the midwives, his approbation of their conduct is strictly marked; and there can be no doubt of his prospering the Israelites, for it is particularly said that the people multiplied and waxed very mighty. But the words most probably refer to the Israelites, whose houses or families were built up by an extraordinary in crease of children, notwithstanding the cruel policy of the Egyptian king. Vain is the counsel of man when opposed to the determinations of God! All the means used for the destruction of this people became in his hand instruments of their prosperity and increase. How true is the saying, If God be for us, who can be against us?

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⁷ And when the men [0582] of Israel [03478] that were on the other side [05676] of the valley [06010], and they that were on the other side [05676] Jordan [03383], saw [07200] that the men [0582] of Israel [03478] fled [05127], and that Saul [07586] and his sons [01121] were dead [04191], they forsook [05800] the cities [05892], and fled [05127]; and the Philistines [06430] came [0935] and dwelt [03427] in them.

⁷ And when all the men [0376] of Israel [03478] that were in the valley [06010] saw [07200] that they fled [05127], and that Saul [07586] and his sons [01121] were dead [04191], then they forsook [05800] their cities [05892], and fled [05127]: and the Philistines [06430] came [0935] and dwelt [03427] in them.

¹⁶ Then he said [0559], I did see [07200] all Israel [03478] scattered [06327] upon the mountains [02022], as sheep [06629] that have no shepherd [07462]: and the LORD [03068] said [0559], These have no master [0113]; let them return [07725] therefore every man [0376] to his house [01004] in peace [07965].

¹⁷ And he said [0559], I saw [07200] all Israel [03478] scattered [06327] upon the hills [02022], as sheep [06629] that have not a shepherd [07462]: and the LORD [03068] said [0559], These have no master [0113]: let them return [07725] every man [0376] to his house [01004] in peace [07965].