Midrash su Deuteronomio 18:17

"saying": They responded to an affirmative (i.e., "You shall, etc.") in the affirmative ("Yes") and to a negative, in the negative. R. Akiva says: to an affirmative in the affirmative, and to a negative in the affirmative. Variantly: "saying": Go and say to them (what I have told you) and return their reply to Me. And whence is it derived that He did so? From (Ibid. 19:8) "And Moses returned the words of the people to the L rd." And whence is it derived that He acknowledged their words? From (Devarim 18:17) "They have done well in speaking as they did."

(Exodus, Ibid. 16) "And they said to Moses: Speak, you, with us, and we will hear, (and let G d not speak with us, lest we die.") We are hereby apprised that they lacked the strength to receive no more than ten pronouncements, viz. (Devarim 5:22) "If we continue hearing the voice of the L rd our G d, we will die," but (Ibid. 6) you draw near," and we will hear. At that time, Israel merited the L rd's establishing prophets for them, as it is written (Ibid. 18:18) "A prophet shall I raise up for them, etc." I was destined to set up a prophet for them (later), but their merit preempted it, viz. (Ibid. 17) "And the L rd said to me: They have done well in speaking as they did" (viz. Ibid. 16). Happy are those in whose words the L rd concurs! And thus is it written (Numbers 27:7) "Rightly do the daughters of Tzelafchad speak," (Ibid. 36:5) "Rightly does the scribe of the sons of Yosef speak." Happy are those in whose words the L rd concurs! And thus is it written (Ibid. 14:20) "I have forgiven because of your (Moses') words.