Puah
Jump to: Hitchcock'sSmith'sISBEEaston'sConcordanceThesaurusHebrewLibrarySubtopicsTerms
Topical Encyclopedia
1. Puah the Midwife

Puah is one of the two Hebrew midwives mentioned in the Book of Exodus, who played a crucial role in preserving the lives of Hebrew male infants during the Israelites' bondage in Egypt. The account of Puah and her colleague Shiphrah is found in Exodus 1:15-21. The Pharaoh, fearing the growing population of the Israelites, commanded the midwives to kill all newborn Hebrew boys. However, Puah and Shiphrah feared God and defied the king's orders, allowing the boys to live.

The Bible records their courageous act: "The midwives, however, feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt had told them; they let the boys live" (Exodus 1:17). When questioned by Pharaoh, they explained that Hebrew women were vigorous and gave birth before the midwives could arrive. Because of their faithfulness and reverence for God, He blessed them: "So God was good to the midwives, and the people multiplied and became even more numerous. And because the midwives feared God, He gave them families of their own" (Exodus 1:20-21).

Puah's account is often highlighted as an example of civil disobedience in accordance with divine law, demonstrating the importance of fearing God above human authority. Her actions contributed to the survival and eventual liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage.

2. Puah the Father of Tola

Another individual named Puah is mentioned in the Book of Judges. This Puah is identified as the father of Tola, one of the judges of Israel. Tola, the son of Puah and grandson of Dodo, arose to save Israel after the time of Abimelech. He judged Israel for twenty-three years and resided in Shamir, in the hill country of Ephraim (Judges 10:1-2).

While the Bible provides limited information about Puah himself, his lineage is significant in the context of Israel's history. Tola's leadership is noted for bringing stability to Israel during a tumultuous period, and his role as a judge underscores the importance of faithful leadership in guiding the nation according to God's will.

3. Puah the Son of Issachar

Puah is also listed as one of the sons of Issachar, one of the twelve tribes of Israel. In the genealogical records, Puah is mentioned as a descendant of Issachar, contributing to the tribe's lineage and heritage. The tribe of Issachar is known for its wisdom and understanding of the times, as noted in 1 Chronicles 12:32.

The mention of Puah in this context highlights the continuity of God's promises to the patriarchs and the fulfillment of His covenant with the tribes of Israel. The genealogies serve as a testament to God's faithfulness in preserving His people and their heritage throughout generations.

In summary, the name Puah appears in various contexts within the biblical narrative, each contributing to the overarching account of God's interaction with His people. Whether as a courageous midwife, a father of a judge, or a member of a tribal lineage, Puah's legacy is woven into the fabric of Israel's history and God's redemptive plan.
Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary
Puah

mouth; corner; bush of hair

Smith's Bible Dictionary
Puah

(splendid).

  1. The father of Tola, a man of the tribe of Issachar and judge of Israel after Abimelech. (Judges 10:1) (B.C. 1211.)
  2. The son of Issachar, (1 Chronicles 7:1) elsewhere called Phuvah and Pua.
  3. One of the two midwives to whom Pharaoh gave instructions to kill the Hebrew male children at their birth. (Exodus 1:15) (B.C. 1571.)
Easton's Bible Dictionary
Splendid.

(1.) One of the two midwives who feared God, and refused to kill the Hebrew male children at their birth (Exodus 1:15-21).

(2.) A descendant of Issachar (Judges 10:1).

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
PUAH; PUVAH

pu'-a, pu'-va: (1) pu'ah: One of the Hebrew midwives whom the king of Egypt commanded to kill all male children of the Hebrews at birth. The midwives, fearing God, refused to obey, pretending that the children of the Hebrew women were usually born before they arrived. Their act is spoken of as being meritorious in the eyes of the Lord, who is said to have rewarded them by making "houses" for them (Exodus 1:15-20). In the Midrash, Ex Rabba', Puah is identified with Miriam, and Shiphrah, the other midwife, with her mother Jochebed. According to another tradition Puah was a proselyte.

(2) pu'ah, in 1 Chronicles 7:1; puwwah, in Genesis 46:13 Numbers 26:23; written also "Pua" the King James Version, and "Puvah" Revised Version: Second son of Issachar, ancestor of the Punites, enumerated in the desert census taken by Moses and Eleazar.

(3) pu'ah: Member of the tribe of Issachar, mentioned (Judges 10:1) as the son of Dodo and the father of Tola, the judge.

Ella Davis Isaacs

Strong's Hebrew
6326. Puah -- an Israelite midwife
... 6325, 6326. Puah. 6327 . an Israelite midwife. Transliteration: Puah Phonetic
Spelling: (poo-aw') Short Definition: Puah. ... midwife NASB Word Usage Puah (1). ...
/hebrew/6326.htm - 5k

6312. Puah -- a man of Issachar
Puah or Puvvah. 6311, 6312. Puah or Puvvah. 6313 . a man of Issachar.
Transliteration: Puah or Puvvah Phonetic Spelling: (poo-aw') Short Definition: Puah. ...
/hebrew/6312.htm - 6k

6324. Puni -- descendant of Puvah
... Puni. 6325 . descendant of Puvah. Transliteration: Puni Phonetic Spelling:
(poo-nee') Short Definition: Punites. Word Origin probably from Puah Definition ...
/hebrew/6324.htm - 6k

Library

Some General Matters and Some Biblical Characters. The Bible Book ...
... (8) Dinah, Gen.30:21; 34:11. (9) Adah, Gen.36:2. (10) Asenath, Gen.41:45. (11) Shiphrah
and Puah, Ex.1:15. (12) Jehochebed, Ex.6:20. (13) Miriam. ...
/.../chapter viii some general matters.htm

Chapter xlvi
... I Chron.). "Puvah" (v.13) and "Job" have parallels "Puah" and "Jashub" (I
Chron.). These variants need disturb no one. The similarity ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/leupold/exposition of genesis volume 1/chapter xlvi.htm

The Jewish Institutions and Laws of Far Higher Antiquity than the ...
... [2041] Abinoam; Judges 4:6. [2042] Sic. Tholeas may be the right reading instead
of Boleas. But Judges 10:1 says Tola, the son of Puah, the son of Dodo. ...
/.../the stromata or miscellanies/chapter xxi the jewish institutions and.htm

Appeal to the Christian Women of the South
... What was the conduct of Shiphrah and Puah, when the king of Egypt issued
his cruel mandate, with regard to the Hebrew children? ...
/.../an appeal to the christian women of the south/appeal to the christian women.htm

Thesaurus
Puah (5 Occurrences)
... Standard Bible Encyclopedia. PUAH; PUVAH. ... In the Midrash, Ex Rabba', Puah is identified
with Miriam, and Shiphrah, the other midwife, with her mother Jochebed. ...
/p/puah.htm - 9k

Tap'puah (5 Occurrences)
Tap'puah. Tappuah, Tap'puah. Tar . Multi-Version Concordance
Tap'puah (5 Occurrences). Joshua 12:17 the king of Tappuah ...
/t/tap'puah.htm - 7k

En-tap'puah (1 Occurrence)
En-tap'puah. En-tappuah, En-tap'puah. Enter . Multi-Version
Concordance En-tap'puah (1 Occurrence). Joshua 17:7 And ...
/e/en-tap'puah.htm - 6k

Beth-tap'puah (1 Occurrence)
Beth-tap'puah. Beth-tappuah, Beth-tap'puah. Beth-togarmah .
Multi-Version Concordance Beth-tap'puah (1 Occurrence). ...
/b/beth-tap'puah.htm - 6k

Tola (5 Occurrences)
... Numbers 26:23) whose descendants in the reign of David included 22,600 "mighty men
of valor" (1 Chronicles 7:2). (2) One of the Judges, the son of Puah, a man ...
/t/tola.htm - 10k

Puvah (2 Occurrences)
... Standard Bible Encyclopedia PUAH; PUVAH. ... In the Midrash, Ex Rabba', Puah is identified
with Miriam, and Shiphrah, the other midwife, with her mother Jochebed. ...
/p/puvah.htm - 8k

Pu'ah (3 Occurrences)
Pu'ah. Puah, Pu'ah. Public . Multi-Version Concordance ... (DBY RSV). 1 Chronicles
7:1 Of the sons of Issachar: Tola, and Puah, Jashub, and Shimron, four. ...
/p/pu'ah.htm - 7k

Midwife (4 Occurrences)
... 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 ...
/m/midwife.htm - 10k

Tappuah (8 Occurrences)

/t/tappuah.htm - 11k

Issachar (40 Occurrences)
... Judges 10:1 After Abimelech there arose to save Israel Tola the son of Puah, the
son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he lived in Shamir in the hill country of ...
/i/issachar.htm - 26k

Resources
Should the Hebrew midwives be commended for lying? | GotQuestions.org

Who were Tola, Jair, Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon? | GotQuestions.org

Who was Issachar in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org

Bible ConcordanceBible DictionaryBible EncyclopediaTopical BibleBible Thesuarus
Concordance
Puah (5 Occurrences)

Genesis 46:13
And the sons of Issachar: Tola and Puah and Job and Shimron;
(BBE DBY NIV)

Exodus 1:15
The king of Egypt spoke to the Hebrew midwives, of whom the name of the one was Shiphrah, and the name of the other Puah,
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Numbers 26:23
The sons of Issachar, after their families: of Tola, the family of the Tolaites; of Puah, the family of the Punites;
(DBY NIV)

Judges 10:1
After Abimelech there arose to save Israel Tola the son of Puah, the son of Dodo, a man of Issachar; and he lived in Shamir in the hill country of Ephraim.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE WBS YLT NAS NIV)

1 Chronicles 7:1
Of the sons of Issachar: Tola, and Puah, Jashub, and Shimron, four.
(WEB KJV JPS ASV BBE DBY WBS YLT NAS NIV)

Subtopics

Puah

Puah: A Hebrew Midwife

Puah: Father of Tola

Related Terms

Puah (5 Occurrences)

Puvah (2 Occurrences)

Is'sachar (40 Occurrences)

E'phraim (146 Occurrences)

Dyeing

Dye (1 Occurrence)

Abim'elech (58 Occurrences)

Public (99 Occurrences)

Pua
Top of Page
Top of Page