Could this really have happened?

Was pharaoh so dumb that he wouldn’t have asked “why do they need midwives then?

How dumb is this passage asking us to believe that the Philistine’s were?

Brian writes:For example, is the following quote at all plausible?
Exodus 1:15-19--The king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, whose names were Shiphrah and Puah, "When you help the Hebrew women in childbirth and observe them on the delivery stool, if it is a boy, kill him; but if it is a girl, let her live."The midwives, however, feared God and did not do what the king of Egypt had told them to do; they let the boys live. Then the king of Egypt summoned the midwives and asked them, "Why have you done this? Why have you let the boys live?"
The midwives answered Pharaoh, "Hebrew women are not like Egyptian women; they are vigorous and give birth before the midwives arrive."Was pharaoh so dumb that he wouldn’t have asked “why do they need midwives then?Another example would be Samson.Judges 16:17-22--So he told her everything. "No razor has ever been used on my head," he said, "because I have been a Nazirite set apart to God since birth. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man."When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines, "Come back once more; he has told me everything." So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands. 19 Having put him to sleep on her lap, she called a man to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him.Then she called, "Samson, the Philistines are upon you!"
He awoke from his sleep and thought, "I'll go out as before and shake myself free." But he did not know that the LORD had left him.Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding in the prison. But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.How dumb is this passage asking us to believe that the Philistine’s were?If you read all of Chapter 16 you will see that it took a few attempts to find out the secret of Samson’s strength. So, after the secret is discovered the Philistines just sit back and watch Samson’s hair grow! Sounds just a little too silly for me.So, does anyone have any similar examples? If I could get a few for Friday it would be appreciated. I am going to discuss this with a few students and I’ll let you know how things go.I am open to the possibility that these narratives are completely plausible as I may be overlooking something, so I welcome any clarification of the cited passages, or any new passages donated by other members.

Well, maybe everybody was just dumber in those days?

Because that's not the only function of a midwife?

The power is in the hair dude

No. The midwives were basically saying that the boys were born before they had a chance to interfere....it was a basic excuse.

Yes. This one could be a bit silly. I always assumed that Samson left the area of confrontation for a few weeks while his hair grew...then came back into the area and confronted the Philistines, but what do I know>?

This is a classic example of TRYING to find something wrong. That's shown true in your very first statement, "What I am looking for are a few examples from the Bible of narratives that don’t quite sound plausible."

Well, I guess in your own mind, you may have found them,

but you're asking the wrong questions. I guess what you should be doing, is looking at the government officials alive NOW, and wondering, "Why aren't they any smarter now, then they were during the Bible times?" After all, they have such great examples of what NOT to do.

It is true, that it is easier to see the foolish mistakes of others, but don't come across like we are any smarter now.

I think you also would have done well to look up what midwives do. My sister has had a midwife for all three of her children, and they don't just leave you hanging after the birth.

What you want us to answer here, is so impossible,

that we can only do what I have done, and used the good sense that God has given us.

My question: You seem to see it so clearly, that these Biblical people are "dumb", based on them not seeing the evident truth around them.

Then, what are you to the people who see the answers to your questions so clearly?

I thought about that and dismissed it because of what the text says earlier in the book.

Indeed, so why did the Philistines allow it to grow back?