וַתֵּ֛רֶא אֶת־עֳנִ֥י אֲבֹתֵ֖ינוּ בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם וְאֶת־זַעֲקָתָ֥ם שָׁמַ֖עְתָּ עַל־יַם־סֽוּף׃
Engkau telah melihat kesengsaraan nenek moyang kami di Mesir, dan Engkau telah mendengar seruan mereka di tepi Laut Teberau.
Rabbeinu Bahya
A different wording of this event is presented by the same section of the Mechilta on the words (verse 13 התיצבו, “stand firm”). There were four groups. The first group preferred death to captivity or death at the hands of the Egyptians. They wanted to drown themselves in the sea. This was the group to whom Moses said: “stand firm! Behold the salvation which will emanate from Hashem!” This was the group about which the psalmist had said that they rebelled. The second group wanted to return to Egypt. Concerning this group the Torah (Moses) gave the assurance that the Israelites would never again see the Egyptians pose a threat to them as they did at that moment (verse 13). The third group wanted to join battle with the Egyptians. Moses told them not to bother, that “Hashem will fight on your behalf.” The fourth group were those who relied on praying to G’d as we read: “The Children of Israel cried out (prayed) to Hashem.” Moses told them to be silent (verse 14).
Onkelos translates the word ויצעקו as וזעיקו, that their outcry was one of accusation. [We find in Mechilta that these people complained that not only did they already mourn the 80% of their brethren who had died during the plague of darkness, but now even they were threatened; this is why they said it would have been better for them to have remained in Egypt in the first place. Ed]. We have the expression זעקה in that sense in Samuel II 13,19 when Tamar yelled after having been raped by her half-brother Amnon. The expression ויזעק also occurs in Judges 4,10 when it describes Barak as issuing a call for mobilisation of several tribes. We also find the expression in Nechemyah 9,9 “You heard their outcry at the Sea of Reeds.” Our sages understood it as an expression of prayer as I explained already.
Onkelos translates the word ויצעקו as וזעיקו, that their outcry was one of accusation. [We find in Mechilta that these people complained that not only did they already mourn the 80% of their brethren who had died during the plague of darkness, but now even they were threatened; this is why they said it would have been better for them to have remained in Egypt in the first place. Ed]. We have the expression זעקה in that sense in Samuel II 13,19 when Tamar yelled after having been raped by her half-brother Amnon. The expression ויזעק also occurs in Judges 4,10 when it describes Barak as issuing a call for mobilisation of several tribes. We also find the expression in Nechemyah 9,9 “You heard their outcry at the Sea of Reeds.” Our sages understood it as an expression of prayer as I explained already.