But the midwives feared God, and did not as the king of Egypt commanded them, but saved the men children alive.
The story behind The Protector
The scriptural account tells us that Shiphrah made the decision to defy Pharaoh because she feared God. Proverbs 14:26 tells us that "fear of the Lord is strong confidence: and his children shall have place of refuge." It is this confidence, borne of faith, that gives Shiphrah the courage to defy Pharaoh. Her righteousness in this moment, which surely tested her character and faithfulness, results in the Lord blessing she and Puah with "houses" (Exodus 1:21). Just as the Savior promises that He will "prepare a place" for His disciples (see John 14:2), a "place" was provided for these noble women because of their courage.
Symbolism in The Protector
The almost minimalist treatment of Shiphrah's costume and adornment lends to the emphasis on her act of courage, rather than herself. The viewer's eye is drawn directly to the child and Shiphrah's tender expression, rather than to her appearance. Both midwife and child are bathed in a warm, ochre light, rather than a pale or silvery light, symbolizing the watchful eye of the Lord and the rewards he had in store for these righteous women.
Copyright and terms of use
© By Elspeth Young, All Rights Reserved. You may not print, copy, or reproduce this artwork or make derivative works from it without the prior written consent of the copyright holder. For permissions, please review our FAQ page.From the Newsroom
By Al R. Young
only high-end custom frames
We have framed our own artworks for more than 30 years, and during that time we have provided a variety of framing services to patrons upon request. For many reasons—including constant changes in the availability of moulding styles—we cannot offer off-the-shelf framing options or response times typically associated with such a service. Of necessity, all of our framing projects are aproached, priced, and billed as constuling projects... Read more »
Tags: Into The West, Spring Rain, North Country, The Grey Havens, Journey's End, Looking Back, Enchanted Stillness, Bedtime Story, In The High Valley, The Daydream, Before The Ball, Old Shannon, Pavane, Sweet Brier, Legend, Mountain Home, And I...
By Al R. Young The Old Testament Made Easy by David Ridges, published by Cedar Fort Publishing and Media, featured nine paintings by Elspeth Young. The paintings are part of Al Young Studios' Women of the Bible Fine Art Collection.... Read more »
Tags: The Protector, By The River's Brink, Waiting For The Promise, Charity Never Faileth, Is Anything Too Hard For The Lord, Treasure The Word, The Daughters Of Zelophehad, I Arose A Mother In Israel, Many Sorrows, 3rd-party Publications, 2013, News
By Al R. Young By Elspeth Young
John Steinbeck once said: "We do not take a trip; a trip takes us." Throughout the years in which I have been a professional artist, I have found that every painting is a "trip," and that each artistic endeavor is an exodus to new realms of understanding, delight, challenge, and opportunity.
Today commemorates the ninth anniversary of the beginning of the Women of the Bible Project—a collection of oil paintings celebrating women of the Old and New Testaments... Read more »
Tags: The Protector, 2012, Studios anniversaries, Women of the Bible Art Collection
By Al R. Young The 2010 Calendar: Women of the Old Testament, published by Deseret Book, featured 13 original oil paintings by Elspeth Young. All of the paintings are part of Al Young Studios' Women of the Bible Fine Art Collection.
Commentaries (in the calendar) accompanying each painting provide a reference passage from the Bible, a summary of the character featured in the painting, and an artist's commentary concerning the painting itself. The calendar also features a biographical sketch about the artist and a list of research sources that figured in the artist's work... Read more »
Tags: The Protector, By The River's Brink, What Is To Be Done For Thee, Charity Never Faileth, A Lamp Unto My Feet, Is Anything Too Hard For The Lord, Treasure The Word, The Daughters Of Zelophehad, The Struggle Within, For Such A Time As This,
By Al R. Young Women of the Old Testament by Camille Fronk Olson is the companion volume to Women of the New Testament, published by Deseret Book in 2014.
The Old Testament volume features fifty six illustrations from the Artists of Al Young Studios, listed here under the Studios' fine art collections and portfolios to which they belong.
From the Women of the Bible Fine Art CollectionFull-color details (cropped images) from the following 17 paintings appeared in the book (in the order in which they appear here)... Read more »
Tags: The Mother Of All Living, The Joy Of Our Redemption, The Protector, Blessed, By The River's Brink, What Is To Be Done For Thee, Charity Never Faileth, A Lamp Unto My Feet, Is Anything Too Hard For The Lord, God Liveth And Seeth Me, Treasure...
By Al R. Young In the September 2006 issue of the Ensign Magazine, published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a section entitled "She Shall Be Called Woman: Women of the Old Testament," featured five of Elspeth Young's original oil paintings from the Women of the Bible Fine Art Collection:... Read more »
Tags: The Protector, Waiting For The Promise, Charity Never Faileth, A Lamp Unto My Feet, Is Anything Too Hard For The Lord, 3rd-party Publications, 2006, News
By Al R. Young
High-resolution digital copies are available from the Studios for use as illustrations. Use the serial number—appearing below the thumbnail—in requesting permission from the Studios (see links at the bottom of this page for detail).
The correct form of attribution when publishing an image is specified in the license agreement issued to the publisher by Al Young Studios.Guidelines for requests to copy or publish artworks created by the Artists of Al Young Studios
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The original image is available for sale, please contact us for details... Read more »
By Al R. Young The Protector is the newest oil painting to be added to the line of original artworks from Al Young Studios.
Click here to see a larger image of the new painting, read the artist's commentary, and look at the selection of prints--if any are available.... Read more »
Tags: The Protector, 2003, Elspeth C. Young, Legacy, News, Oil paintings and prints, Women of the Bible Art Collection