The Role of Women in the Exodus Story — And Why It Matters Today
- Hananya Naftali
- Apr 15
- 4 min read
There’s a reason the story of the Exodus begins not with Moses, but with a group of women. The liberation of the Israelites didn’t start with plagues or parted seas. It started with life—preserved, protected, and boldly defended by women who feared God more than they feared Pharaoh.
From the Hebrew midwives who defied orders, to a Levite mother who risked everything, to Pharaoh’s own daughter who chose mercy over allegiance, the women in the book of Exodus were not extras in someone else’s drama. They were vital. Their faith and action carried Israel through its darkest hour and into the dawn of freedom.
And today? Their example still matters. In a world desperate for truth, leadership, and courage—especially from women—the Exodus offers a blueprint not just of national salvation, but of what godly womanhood looks like in the face of evil.
Shiphrah and Puah: Quiet Courage that Changed History
The first heroes in Exodus are two Hebrew midwives: Shiphrah and Puah (Exodus 1:15–21). Pharaoh, threatened by the growing Israelite population, orders them to kill every newborn Hebrew boy. These women have a choice: obey the ruler of the most powerful empire on earth—or fear God.
They choose God.
They save the children. They refuse to become tools of destruction. And when Pharaoh confronts them, they answer cleverly: “The Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them” (Exodus 1:19).
God rewards them. Scripture says He “established households for them” (Exodus 1:21). In Jewish tradition, this is understood as the beginning of the priestly and Levitical dynasties. In other words, because they chose life, they were given legacy.
This is not just a moral story. It’s a declaration: Women who stand for life, even quietly, even under threat, are seen by God—and He honors them.
Jochebed: A Mother Who Let Go to Save
Then comes Jochebed. She’s a mother. But in the face of genocide, she becomes a strategist.
When she gives birth to a baby boy—Moses—she hides him for three months. And when she can no longer hide him, she doesn’t collapse in despair. She acts. She builds a small ark, places her son in it, and sets it in the Nile (Exodus 2:1–3). Imagine the strength it took to let go like that.
Jochebed’s courage wasn’t loud. It didn’t make headlines. But it set in motion a redemption that would shake the world.
Her story is a reminder that maternal strength is not weakness. It’s one of the greatest forces God uses in history.
Pharaoh’s Daughter: Compassion Against the Grain
Then something extraordinary happens. Pharaoh’s own daughter finds the basket. She opens it and sees the crying Hebrew baby. She knows exactly what he is. She knows the law. And she chooses compassion.
This unnamed woman—raised in the palace of tyranny—defies her father’s decree. She adopts Moses as her own and raises him in the very palace from which destruction was ordered (Exodus 2:5–10). Tradition calls her Batya, “daughter of God,” because she saw beyond politics and chose what was right.
Batya didn’t have to do anything. But she did. That’s what true leadership looks like.
Miriam: The Prophetess Who Watched, Waited, and Led
And then there’s Miriam.
She was a prophetess: “Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women went out after her” (Exodus 15:20). Her leadership is spiritual, strategic, and generational.
She watched over her baby brother in the reeds. She approached Pharaoh’s daughter with wisdom. She led the women of Israel in praise after the Red Sea split. Later, she stood alongside Moses and Aaron as part of Israel’s leadership team.
Miriam represents a model of feminine strength that doesn’t apologize, doesn’t shrink back, and doesn’t wait to be asked.
Why This Still Matters
These women weren’t just “strong.” They were righteous. They were wise. They were decisive. And they were chosen by God to play roles only they could play. Not despite being women—but because they were women.
And this still speaks today.
In Israel right now, mothers and daughters pray for kidnapped loved ones. Women lead schools, hospitals, and homes. They enlist in the Israeli army; others raise children who will. In synagogues and homes around the world, women light Shabbat candles and whisper prayers for peace and redemption.
We aren’t looking back at ancient figures with nostalgia. We’re looking at a mirror. Because this is what godly strength looks like.
Hope for a New Generation
If you want to build a future worth living in, it's good to start by teaching your children about these women. Not just about Pharaoh and Moses—but about Shiphrah, Puah, Jochebed, Batya, and Miriam. Let them know that God uses women in mighty ways. Let them see that righteousness is not quiet. That courage doesn’t always roar, but it always stands.
The story of Exodus is the story of redemption. But God chose to begin that story with women. Not because He needed them to "save the day"—but because their faith, actions, and sacrifices were part of the divine plan from the beginning.
Women were part of the Exodus not as background figures—but as builders of destiny.
And maybe that’s exactly what they are meant to be now.
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Maternal strength is not weakness. It is one of the greatest forces God uses in history.😭😭😭