"Measure for measure"--as they had drowned the men
children of the Israelites, so they were drowned.[22]

Pharaoh now took steps looking to the faithful execution
of his decree. He sent his bailiffs into the houses of the
Israelites, to discover all new-born children, wherever they
might be. To make sure that the Hebrews should not succeed
in keeping the children hidden, the Egyptians hatched
a devilish plan. Their women were to take their little ones
to the houses of the Israelitish women that were suspected
of having infants. When the Egyptian children began to
cry or coo, the Hebrew children that were kept in hiding
would join in, after the manner of babies, and betray their
presence, whereupon the Egyptians would seize them and
bear them off.[23]