Bible History

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

 

A    B    C    D    E    F    G    H    I    J    K    L    M    N    O    P    Q    R    S    T    U    V    W    X    Y    Z   



MIDWIFE

mid'-wif (meyalledheth): Those who in patriarchal times attended mothers at childbirth are so named in Gen 35:17; 38:28; Ex 1:15-22. Such attendants were probably then (1 Sam 4:20), as they usually are now, the older female relatives and friends of the mother. The duties which they had to perform are enumerated in Ezek 16:4: division of the cord, washing the infant in water, salting with salt and swathing in swaddling clothes. During the Egyptian bondage there were two midwives who attended the Hebrew women; from their names, they were probably Hebrews, certainly they were not Egyptians. From this passage it appears that they used a certain double-round form of birthstool called 'obhnayim, concerning which there are several rabbinical comments. It probably was like the kuru elwiladeh, or "birth-seat," still used by the Egyptian fellahin. I have not found any record of its use among the Palestinian fellahin. There is a curious passage in the Talmud (Cotah 2 b) in which it is said that the two midwives had different duties, Shiphrah being the one who dressed the infant, Puah, the one who whispered to it. One Jewish commentator on this supposes that Puah used artificial respiration by blowing into the child's mouth. The midwives must have had considerable skill, as a case like that of Tamar required some amount of operative manipulation.
The English word means originally the woman who is "with the mother" (compare "the women that stood by," in 1 Sam 4:20), but very early became applied to those who gave skilled assistance, as in Raynold's Birth of Mankind, 1565.
Alexander Macalister Bibliography Information
Orr, James, M.A., D.D. General Editor. "Definition for 'midwife'". "International Standard Bible Encyclopedia". bible-history.com - ISBE; 1915.

Copyright Information
© International Standard Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)

ISBE Bible Encyclopedia Home
Bible History Online Home

 

Bible Encyclopedia (ISBE)
Online Bible (KJV)
Naves Topical Bible
Smith's Bible Dictionary
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Schaff's Bible Dictionary
Fausset's Bible Dictionary
Matthew Henry Bible Commentary
Hitchcock's Bible Dictionary

Related Bible History

Popular and Trending:

Meaning of the name Alexander, Alexander the Great, Alexander the Coppersmith, Syria and Bible Prophecy, Bible Study about Syria, What the Bible Says about Syria and Damascus, Isaiah 17, The Bible and Palm Trees, Bible Study about the Palm Tree, The Righteous Will Flourish like a Palm Tree Psalm 92:12 , Definition of Paraclete, Bible study about the Holy Spirit and the Paraclete, Paracletus in the Greek, Games in the Bible, What Games Did Kids Play in Biblical Times? Which Kinds of Games Existed in the Time of Jesus?, The Church at Thyatira, What Was the Message to Thyatira, Revelation 2 and Thyatira, history of Thyatira, David and Goliath, How Tall Was Goliath, Archaeological Discoveries and Goliath, Goliath And Philistine History, Who Was Titus in the Bible, Paul's Letter to Titus, Bible Study Lessons in Titus, Meaning of the Name Tanner, Bible Study about Simon the Tanner, Acts 10:6 Peter Was Staying at the House of Simon the Tanner, What Was a Tanner