וַיֹּאמְר֨וּ אֵלָ֜יו אִ֣ישׁ ׀ עָלָ֣ה לִקְרָאתֵ֗נוּ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלֵינוּ֮ לְכ֣וּ שׁוּבוּ֮ אֶל־הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אֲשֶׁר־שָׁלַ֣ח אֶתְכֶם֒ וְדִבַּרְתֶּ֣ם אֵלָ֗יו כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה הַֽמִבְּלִ֤י אֵין־אֱלֹהִים֙ בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אַתָּ֣ה שֹׁלֵ֔חַ לִדְרֹ֕שׁ בְּבַ֥עַל זְב֖וּב אֱלֹהֵ֣י עֶקְר֑וֹן לָ֠כֵן הַמִּטָּ֞ה אֲשֶׁר־עָלִ֥יתָ שָּׁ֛ם לֹֽא־תֵרֵ֥ד מִמֶּ֖נָּה כִּֽי־מ֥וֹת תָּמֽוּת׃
And they said unto him: ‘There came up a man to meet us, and said unto us: Go, return unto the king that sent you, and say unto him: Thus saith the LORD: Is it because there is no God in Israel, that thou sendest to inquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from the bed whither thou art gone up, but shalt surely die.’
Akeidat Yitzchak
(5) Their understanding of "I shall deal severely with Pharaoh," had been quite different from the way G-d had meant it. G-d had been waiting for Israel to appeal to HIM, as Shemot Rabbah 21, explains the words "let Me hear your voice." (Song of Songs 2,14) Israel had to be reminded continuously that they were in need of G-d’s personal intervention. One of Israel's constant worries was that maybe G-d had meant for them to be free in Rameses, and that Moses had taken it upon himself to lead them out of Egypt, and that their various difficulties were all due to Moses having exercised his own volition. The Israelites' fear of dying without burial in the desert overcame them. If they would die in Egypt, they would be buried at least, if only to remove the stench of their rotting bodies. Moses now denied them even such elementary human dignity, they claimed. Slavery in Egypt would have been a price worth paying, if it meant avoiding death without burial in the desert. Moses replied that G-d’s rescue would be total. Once you will witness it, Moses said, tacharishu you will keep silent, will criticise no longer.