Ethical Implications of Deceit in Religious Narratives

Abstract

This paper investigates the ethical dimensions of divine deception through a case study of the biblical story of Hebrew midwives in Exodus 1. It zeroes in on the moral dilemma faced by the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah from Exodus, who courageously defied Pharaoh’s directive to kill newborn boys. The narrative pits faith against ethics and deception against a higher moral calling, then asks whether there is any justification for lying in the latter’s execution. The midwives’ story is an object lesson in examining big-picture moral philosophy, e.g., providentialism, cross-temporal differences, or the intersection of civil disobedience and laws regarding a whistleblower concept (the ethical practice of revealing information that is believed to be evidence of wrongdoing). This mirrors the moral quandary when the authority conflicts with the moral code. By conducting contextual, interpretive, and semantic analysis, the thesis highlights the depth of the midwives’ actions and the lessons they hold for current ethical conundrums, like the ethics of civil disobedience and the moral significance of whistleblowing. It raises the question of how spirituality informs decision-making today. No matter how one interprets the moral standing behind the midwives’ decisions, the paper ultimately asserts that this is a central parable with a potent allegory about the moral crossroads one faces between justice, mercy, and supporting oppression. It ends with the lesson that deception is not a means to an end and that God does not support deception in reaching something higher. The midwives were praised for fearing God, not for lying.