The Midwives of Egypt
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Have you ever compared William Branham's interpretation of the Bible directly with scripture? Here is your chance.
What the Bible says
The Bible tells of the midwives who live in Egypt about the time that Moses was born:
- Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, “When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.” But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?” The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into sthe Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.”[1]
So we can draw a couple of clear facts about the midwives:
- They were Hebrew;
- They feared God;
- No male children were killed as a result of Pharoah's command to the midwives;
- God honored the midwives because of their actions.
William Branham's version
- He didn't feel the taskmaster's whip no more. He--he wasn't concerned about his brethren down there--about the poor midwives and--and the women having their babies that they'd bursted their heads, and throwed them into the crocodiles; and--and they--how they'd made them serve hard down there evil, and in slavery and bondage. He wasn't interested. [2]
- "Why," he said, "long live the king. Well, I'll tell you what. Every time a woman gives birth to a little boy baby... Go out in the land here and get some women, and that--that's not mothers (You see?), women that never had children, women that don't want children and don't love children, old long-nosed witches (See?), longer the nose, the better: old long fingers, painted-up faces, and get them. They don't know what mother's love is. So then when a little boy baby's being born, why, let them go and get that little boy baby and bring him out, bust his head against the wall, throw it back in the house to the mother like that. Throw him down in a big well. Oh, better than that, take him out, tie his hands and feet. Throw him out and fatten up the crocodiles. That's the way to get rid of it. Then they won't increase very much, 'cause there'll be no men left. Kill all the little boy babies."
- "Oh," Pharaoh says, "that's good. That's a good idea." See what the devil is? He's wicked, isn't he? Said, "So that's the thing to do. Go get... You got... Now, being that you had the idea, I'll just make you overseer of that. You go out and get all the old women that you know of, that--that's never been mothers, and they don't love children. And they're... They..."
- "But she had to get somebody that--that they didn't, that didn't have no children, didn't want no children, just--just--just real old mean women," and said, "make them police. And when you make them police... And give them orders that they can go in any house they want to, and take every little baby out and bust its head against a wall, and give it to the crocodiles to eat: every little baby." Oh, how cruel. Then you know what they did?[3]
Can you see just a small difference between William Branham's version and that of the Bible?