Exodus 1 · a question people ask
Did the midwives lie to Pharaoh, and did God reward it?
The midwives tell Pharaoh, "Because the Hebrew women aren’t like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them" (1:19). Exodus reports their answer without saying whether it was true, and it says, "God dealt well with the midwives" (1:20), and gives a reason: "Because the midwives feared God, he gave them families" (1:21). Protestants read their answer in different ways.
How Christians read it
Where Christians differ, Favor sets out the main views side by side and doesn't pick one.
An untrue answer, and still wrong
Those who hold this view take the answer as untrue and hold that deceiving was still wrong, since God's law says, "You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor" (Exodus 20:16), and "Lying lips are an abomination to the LORD" (Proverbs 12:22). They note that 1:21 gives the midwives' fear of God, not their answer, as the reason he gave them families.
Exodus 20:16 · Proverbs 12:22 · Exodus 1:21
Deceiving to save life was right here
Those who hold this view point to Rahab, who hid the spies on her roof and told the king's men, "Where the men went, I don’t know. Pursue them quickly" (Joshua 2:4-6), and whom the New Testament commends: "By faith Rahab the prostitute didn’t perish with those who were disobedient, having received the spies in peace" (Hebrews 11:31), and she was "justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way" (James 2:25). They read the midwives the same way: they refused a command to kill (1:17) and answered the king so the boys would live (1:18-19).
Joshua 2:4-6 · Hebrews 11:31 · James 2:25 · Exodus 1:17-19
Their answer may have been true
Those who hold this view note that Exodus never calls the answer a lie (1:19), and that the people were multiplying fast (1:12, 20). On this reading the midwives told the king what was so, at least in part, without telling him everything they had done (1:17).
Exodus 1:12 · Exodus 1:17 · Exodus 1:19-20
The verses
“But the midwives feared God, and didn’t do what the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the baby boys alive. The king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said to them, “Why have you done this thing and saved the boys alive?” The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women aren’t like the Egyptian women; for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” God dealt well with the midwives, and the people multiplied, and grew very mighty. Because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.”