Midras Ulangan 4:31: Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael, Devarim Rabbah & Midrash Tanchuma

(Exod. 1:1:) NOW THESE ARE THE NAMES OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. This text is related (to Ps. 48:11 [10]): AS YOUR NAME, O GOD, SO DOES YOUR PRAISE < REACH > TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH <YOUR RIGHT HAND IS FULL OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. >¹Tanh., Exod. 1:2. When a king of flesh and blood enters a country, they praise²Gk.: kalos. him for being mighty while he is actually frail. They praise him for being merciful while he is actually cruel. They praise him for being handsome while he is actually ugly. They give him much praise for such things. With the Holy One, however, such is not the case. Rather, whenever anyone praises him, he exceeds the praise. How so? They praise him for being mighty; and he is mighty, as stated (in Deut. 10:17): THE GREAT, THE MIGHTY, AND THE AWESOME GOD. They praise him for being handsome; and he is handsome, as stated (in Cant. 5:10): MY BELOVED IS BRIGHT AND RUDDY. They praise him for being merciful; and he is merciful, as stated (in Deut. 4:31): FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD IS A MERCIFUL GOD …. Ergo (in Ps. 48:11 [10]): LIKE YOUR NAME, O GOD, SO DOES YOUR PRAISE < REACH > TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH. R. Judah b. R. Shallum the Levite said: See what is written (in Exod. 15:11): AWESOME IN PRAISES < AND > DOING WONDERS. Huna bar Abbin the Priest said: What is the meaning of AWESOME IN PRAISES? God is awesome over <and above > all your praises. Ergo (in Exod. 15:11): AWESOME IN PRAISES. R. Simon said: See what David said (in I Chron. 29:11) TO YOU, O LORD, BELONG THE GREATNESS, THE MIGHT…; YOUR NAME IS EXALTED AS HEAD OVER ALL.³The Masoretic Text here reads somewhat differently. <Here is> the greatness for which we praise you.

"I shall sing to the L–rd," for He is merciful — (Exodus 34:6) "Hashem, Hashem, the G–d who is merciful and gracious", (Devarim 4:31) "For a merciful G–d is the L–rd your G–d", (Psalms 25:6) "Remember Your mercies, Hashem, etc.", (Ibid. 145:8) "Good is the L–rd to all, and His mercies are on all his works", (Daniel 9:9) "To the L–rd our G–d is mercy and forgiveness."

Another matter: Rabbi Elazar said: When Israel was redeemed from Egypt, they were redeemed only due to these five matters: Due to distress, due to repentance, due to the merit of the patriarchs, due to mercy, and due to the end.⁴⁶According to this view, God had decreed that Abraham’s descendants would be “strangers in a land that is not theirs…four hundred years” (Genesis 15:13), and that this period began from the birth of Isaac. Therefore, once that time period ended, it was time for Israel to be redeemed (Etz Yosef). Due to distress, as it is written: “The children of Israel sighed” (Exodus 2:23). Due to repentance, as it is written: “Their plea rose to God” (Exodus 2:23).⁴⁷The fact that their pleas rose to God and were accepted indicates that they had repented. Alternatively, see Etz Yosef based on the Jerusalem Talmud. Due to the merit of the patriarchs, as it is written: “God remembered His covenant [with Abraham, with Isaac and with Jacob]” (Exodus 2:24). Due to mercy, as it is written: “God saw the children of Israel” (Exodus 2:25).⁴⁸He saw their plight and had mercy on them. And due to the end, as it is written: “And God knew” (Exodus 2:25).⁴⁹He knew that the time had come to fulfill His promise to Abraham (see Shemot Rabba 1:36).
In the future, too, they will be redeemed only due to those five matters: Due to distress, as it is written: “When you are in distress” – that is due to distress. “You will return to the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 4:30) – that is due to repentance. “As the Lord your God is a merciful God” (Deuteronomy 4:31) – that is due to mercy. “Nor forget the covenant of your fathers” (Deuteronomy 4:31) – that is due to the merit of the patriarchs. “And all these matters befall you by the end of days” (Deuteronomy 4:30) – this is due to the end.
David articulated them: “He saw their distress” (Psalms 106:44) – that is due to distress. “When He heard their cry” (Psalms 106:44) – that is due to repentance. “He remembered His covenant for them” (Psalms 106:45) – that is due to the merit of the patriarchs. “He caused them to receive mercy” (Psalms 106:46) – that is due to mercy. “Save us, Lord our God, and gather us in and save us from the nations” (I Chronicles 16:35)⁵⁰See also Psalms 106:47. – this is due to the end.