The Midwives of Egypt

This illustration accompanies the Signpost on Shiphrah and Puah, the Hebrew midwives who defied Pharaoh’s command to kill Israelite sons (Exodus 1:15–21).

The image underwent numerous revisions before arriving at its final form. Early concepts explored different compositions, levels of tension, and the visual portrayal of Pharaoh himself. One of the central questions was how to depict power and threat without allowing violence to dominate the scene.

The final composition places the viewer’s attention not on Pharaoh, but on the women and the children they protect. Pharaoh remains present, watchful, and imposing, yet he occupies the background. The infants—and the quiet courage of those who preserve them—remain the focal point.

Considerable effort was also devoted to historical details, including clothing, color palette, and the visual language of ancient Egypt. While the image is not intended as a strict archaeological reconstruction, it seeks to evoke the world of the story while remaining faithful to its themes.

More than an illustration of political oppression, this image is a meditation on faithful resistance: two ordinary women choosing obedience to God over obedience to power.

This was one of the first Signpost illustrations developed for the book and served as a proving ground for much of the visual style that followed. The images in this gallery span both early experiments and later refinements, capturing the process of exploring ideas, testing compositions, researching historical details, and gradually discovering what the finished image wanted to become.