Mereka menjawab raja, “Ada seorang laki-laki naik menemui kami dan berkata kepada kami: ‘Pergilah, kembalilah kepada raja yang mengutus kamu, dan katakanlah kepadanya: Beginilah firman Yang Mahakekal: Apakah karena tidak ada Allah di Israel, maka engkau mengutus orang untuk bertanya kepada Baal-Zebub, allah Ekron? Oleh karena itu, engkau tidak akan turun lagi dari tempat tidur yang telah kaunaiki itu, sebab engkau pasti mati.’”
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.