Given Israel’s growth (Exodus 1:7, Exodus 1:12), it would have been difficult, if not impossible, for two midwives to handle all the work. Likely, these two were the senior midwives or heads of the profession who were expected to pass on Pharaoh’s orders to the others. Furthermore, Shiphrah and Puah indicate there were other midwives in their answer Pharaoh (Exodus 1:19)—they say, “when the midwife comes to them” rather than “when we come to them.”
15 Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah,