Stool
## The Birthing Stool in Exodus The most significant biblical reference to a stool appears in Exodus 1:16, where Pharaoh commands Hebrew midwives: "When you are helping the Hebrew women during childbirth on the delivery stool, if you see that the baby is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live." The Hebrew term here is 'obhnayim, a dual form meaning "two stones." This suggests the stool may have consisted of two stone supports or blocks upon which a woman would squat or recline during labor. This birthing position was common throughout the ancient Near East, utilizing gravity to assist delivery.
## Linguistic and Textual Considerations The Hebrew word 'obhnayim appears only twice in Scripture. Besides Exodus 1:16, it occurs in Jeremiah 18:3, where the prophet visits a potter's house and finds him working "at the wheel" (some translations render this "on the stones"). This connection to pottery wheels—which often consisted of two stone discs—reinforces the dual-stone nature of the object. The Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament) doesn't mention the stool in Exodus 1:16, simply stating Pharaoh's command about killing male infants.
## Cultural and Historical Context Ancient Egyptian art and texts confirm the use of birthing stools, often depicting women squatting over two bricks or stone supports during delivery. Similar practices existed throughout Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean world. These stools weren't elaborate chairs but practical aids that allowed midwives better access to assist the mother. The biblical reference assumes this was standard equipment for midwives, indicating organized childbirth practices even among enslaved populations.
## Theological Significance of the Exodus Narrative The birthing stool becomes the setting for one of Scripture's earliest acts of civil disobedience motivated by faith. The midwives Shiphrah and Puah (Exodus 1:15) "feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live" (Exodus 1:17). Their defiance at the very moment of birth—the precise location Pharaoh specified for infanticide—demonstrates how ordinary objects become sites of extraordinary faithfulness. God blesses their courage, giving them families of their own (Exodus 1:21) while thwarting Pharaoh's genocidal plans.
## Other References to Seating While 'obhnayim specifically denotes a birthing stool, other Hebrew words are sometimes translated "stool" in older English versions. In 2 Kings 4:10, the Shunammite woman tells her husband, "Let's make a small room on the roof and put in it a bed and a table, a chair and a lamp for [Elisha]." Here the word kicce' means a seat or chair rather than a specialized birthing implement. Modern translations consistently render this as "chair" or "seat" to avoid confusion with the Exodus reference.
## Legacy and Interpretation Throughout church history, the birthing stool has been understood both literally as an ancient medical device and symbolically as representing vulnerable human life. The image of Hebrew women giving birth on these stools while under threat of genocide highlights God's protection of the defenseless. This object reminds readers that God's redemptive work often begins in humble, dangerous places—even at a birth stool in an oppressed community.
Biblical Context
The primary biblical reference to a stool appears in Exodus 1:16, where Pharaoh instructs midwives to kill Hebrew male infants at birth. The Hebrew term 'obhnayim specifically denotes a birthing stool. The only other occurrence of this word is in Jeremiah 18:3, referring to a potter's wheel. The stool serves as a crucial plot device in the Exodus narrative, establishing the context for the midwives' faithful disobedience and God's protection of Moses, who would be born under this decree.
Theological Significance
The birthing stool represents the intersection of human vulnerability and divine providence. In Exodus, it becomes the site where faithful midwives defy Pharaoh's genocidal command, demonstrating that obedience to God supersedes earthly authority. This object reminds us that God often works salvation through ordinary means in dangerous circumstances. The stool's association with new life—threatened but preserved—foreshadows God's pattern of bringing deliverance from places of apparent weakness and danger.
Historical Background
Archaeological evidence from ancient Egypt confirms the use of birthing stools, typically consisting of two stone or brick supports. Egyptian medical papyri describe midwives assisting women in squatting positions during delivery. Similar practices existed throughout the ancient Near East. These stools were practical rather than ceremonial, allowing gravity to assist labor and giving midwives access to manage the birth. The biblical reference assumes this was standard equipment, indicating that Hebrew midwives maintained professional practices even under oppression.