Exodus Chapter 1 verse 16 Holy Bible
and he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the birth-stool; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him; but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.
read chapter 1 in ASV
When you are looking after the Hebrew women in childbirth, if it is a son you are to put him to death; but if it is a daughter, she may go on living.
read chapter 1 in BBE
and he said, When ye help the Hebrew women in bearing, and see [them] on the stool, if it be a son, then ye shall kill him, but if a daughter, then she shall live.
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And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it be a daughter, then she shall live.
read chapter 1 in KJV
And he said, When ye do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it shall be a son, then ye shall kill him; but if it shall be a daughter, then she shall live.
read chapter 1 in WBT
and he said, "When you perform the duty of a midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them on the birth stool; if it is a son, then you shall kill him; but if it is a daughter, then she shall live."
read chapter 1 in WEB
and saith, `When ye cause the Hebrew women to bear, and have looked on the children; if it `is' a son -- then ye have put him to death; and if it `is' a daughter -- then she hath lived.'
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Pulpit Commentary
Pulpit CommentaryVerse 16. - The stools. The explanation furnished by a remark of Mr. Lane ('Modem Egyptians,' vol. 3. p. 142) is more satisfactory than any other. In modern Egypt, he says, "two or three days before the expected time of delivery, the midwife conveys to the house the kursee elwiladeh, a chair of a peculiar form, upon which the patient is to be seated during the birth." A chair of the form intended is represented on the Egyptian monuments.
Ellicott's Commentary
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(16) Upon the stools.--Literally, upon the two stones. It has been suggested that a seat corresponding to the modern hursee elwiladeh is meant. This is a "chair of a peculiar form," upon which in modern Egypt the woman is seated during parturition. (See Lane, Modern Egyptians, vol. iii. p. 142.) But it does not appear that this seat is composed of "two stones;" nor is there any distinct evidence of its employment at the time of child-birth in Ancient Egypt. The emendation of Hirsch--banim for abnaim, is very tempting. This will give the sense, "When ye look upon the children."
