What about Bithiah?

 

Before we answer the question of Bithiah, we need to ask: What about Mered? Because the answer to Mered will partially answer the question of Bithiah.

Mered appears in the first book of Chronicles, in chapter 4 verse 17, as it is written,

The sons of Ezrah:

Jether, Mered, Epher and Jalon. (NIV) 

Mered descended from the tribe of Judah (v 1) and had two wives. One, an unnamed Judean woman and the other was Bithiah.

(His wife from the tribe of Judah gave birth to Jered the father of Gedor, Heber the father of Soko, and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah.) These were the children of Pharaoh’s daughter Bithiah, whom Mered had married. – 1 Chronicles 4:18 (NIV)

Long story short…

According to the above verse, Bithiah was Pharaoh’s daughter, therefore she was an Egyptian but no ordinary Egyptian, Bithiah was royalty.

Jewish tradition suggests that Bithiah was the one who discovered the baby Moses among the reeds in the Nile however, in Exodus, Pharaoh’s daughter is not named.

Bithiah, an Egyptian princess whose name means “daughter of God”, married a Hebrew who would have undoubtedly worshipped God.

Was Bithiah’s naming prophetic, a sign of her change of allegiance from the idolatrous worship of the gods of Egypt to the God of the Hebrews? We can only speculate, for the bible does not say, so we do not know and will never know because Bithiah’s biblical story ends as quickly as it begins.

Something else we do not know, is why only one of Mered’s wives was named, but there is something to be learnt from his marriage to Bithiah.

This was a marriage not just between two people, it was a marriage between two countries, two very different cultures and two drastically different religious beliefs.

Theirs was like so many marriages these days where Christians marry non-Christians. I know of several couples like this and have often wondered but never asked for details on how it works.

For Bithiah, it appears that she adopted her husband’s culture and religion, as 1 Chronicles 4:17 (NIV) tells us that their children bore Hebrew names, Miriam, Shammai and Ishbah.

Some changes in life bring changes in allegiance. For Bithiah, her Egyptian heritage was changed to the Jewish way of life, so much so that she is included in the genealogy of Judah.

It wasn’t too long ago that persons who married Roman Catholics were required to leave their denomination and join the Roman Catholic church or, failing that, raise their children in the faith. Is this still a requirement?

Many years ago, when I got married to a Catholic, he expected that we would raise whatever children we would have as Roman Catholics. I am not Roman Catholic and as an active member of the denomination to which I belonged, refused. This became an issue for us as a newly married couple but after discussion and prayer, we came to a decision that worked for both of us and the two children that we eventually had.

In this instance both people belong to the Christian faith, but as more and more couples mix cultures and religions through marriage, important decisions must be made even before their lives are joined.

Questions concerning worship must be answered. The Word of God speaks of being unequally yoked.

Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers [do not make mismated alliances with them or come under a different yoke with them, inconsistent with your faith]. – 2 Corinthians 6:14 (AMPC)

Mismatched spiritual alliances can become extremely complicated. When fundamentally different religious perspectives are combined, friction can ensue and couples and families are torn apart especially if children are involved. Which religion the children follow becomes a bone of contention.

How is this reconciled?

As Christians, our allegiance is to God through Jesus Christ our Saviour. So, if we find ourselves in such a situation, we must take it to God in earnest prayer even before it escalates, to ask for His guidance.

Beloved, life happens and it’s not impossible to find yourself in a conflicting position as far as love and marriage and raising children are concerned. These concerns must be addressed before you take the proverbial plunge; decisions that will affect your individual life as well as your spiritual life must be taken into account.

Continue to worship God with heart, mind, soul and strength and to trust Him to lead you in the way you must go.

Amen †

Shelley Johnson “What about Bithiah?” ©2026 May 17, 2026