A character from the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. Puah was a Hebrew midwife who, along with the midwife Shiphrah, was commanded by the king of Egypt to kill all the Hebrew male children when they were born. They refused to do this, telling the Pharaoh that they had not killed the boys because the Hebrew women were strong, and did not require their assistance to give birth. She was rewarded by a fruitful line of descendants.