הֲלֹא־זֶ֣ה הַדָּבָ֗ר אֲשֶׁר֩ דִּבַּ֨רְנוּ אֵלֶ֤יךָ בְמִצְרַ֙יִם֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר חֲדַ֥ל מִמֶּ֖נּוּ וְנַֽעַבְדָ֣ה אֶת־מִצְרָ֑יִם כִּ֣י ט֥וֹב לָ֙נוּ֙ עֲבֹ֣ד אֶת־מִצְרַ֔יִם מִמֻּתֵ֖נוּ בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃
Hindi ba ito ang sinabi namin sa iyo sa Egipto: ‹Hayaan mo na kami, at maglilingkod kami sa mga taga-Egipto›? Sapagkat mas mabuti pa sa amin ang maglingkod sa mga taga-Egipto kaysa mamatay kami sa ilang.”
Rashi
אשר דברנו אליך במצרים [THE WORD] THAT WE SPOKE UNTO THEE IN EGYPT — And where had they said this? (Exodus 5:21) “The Lord look upon you and judge!” (Mekhilta)
Ibn Ezra
Is this not the thing?: It is not explained. We only know that it was so; as how would they say something that had not happened to his face. And this thing is included in "and they did not listen to Moses."
Kli Yakar
Is this not the thing which we spoke to you in Egypt, saying. Rashi explains: And where did they speak? May the Lord look upon you and judge (Exodus 5:21). But his explanation needs explanation, for here they said it is better for us to serve Egypt than to die in the wilderness, while there they said May the Lord look upon you and judge, for you have made our scent abhorrent in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hands to kill us. And this they certainly said about the additional labor that was compared to a sword — but what is the difference between a sword and death? Also, what they said there, to put a sword in their hands, needs explanation, for Pharaoh did not seek to kill them with a sword but rather to make their labor more difficult.
It seems to me that Israel said to Moses there were two negative aspects: First, that now he [Pharaoh] would not send us away and instead made our work harder because you have made our scent abhorrent in his eyes. Moreover, even if he does send us away, we would [still] be considered as fleeing, since you told him in God’s name, Send my people so they may celebrate for Me in the wilderness. And when he realizes that we are fleeing, then without doubt he will pursue us with the sword. In this way, it is as if you have put a sword in their hands to kill us and cause our death. And this is what they say here — that they had already told him in Egypt that it is better for us to serve Egypt than to die in the wilderness — because they had already said to him, to put a sword in their hands to kill us. And they said this regarding what would eventually happen — that he [Pharaoh] would pursue them with the sword in the wilderness and kill them.
It seems to me that Israel said to Moses there were two negative aspects: First, that now he [Pharaoh] would not send us away and instead made our work harder because you have made our scent abhorrent in his eyes. Moreover, even if he does send us away, we would [still] be considered as fleeing, since you told him in God’s name, Send my people so they may celebrate for Me in the wilderness. And when he realizes that we are fleeing, then without doubt he will pursue us with the sword. In this way, it is as if you have put a sword in their hands to kill us and cause our death. And this is what they say here — that they had already told him in Egypt that it is better for us to serve Egypt than to die in the wilderness — because they had already said to him, to put a sword in their hands to kill us. And they said this regarding what would eventually happen — that he [Pharaoh] would pursue them with the sword in the wilderness and kill them.
Siftei Chakhamim
Para lamang sa mga Premium memberRav Hirsch
Para lamang sa mga Premium memberRashi
ממתנו means THAN THAT WE SHOULD DIE. If the word had been punctuated with a Melopum (our חולם i. e. מִמּוֹתֵנוּ) it would have to be explained “than our death” (מוֹתֵנוּ our death from the noun מָוֶת) but now that it is punctuated with a שורק (our Kibbutz) it must be explained by “than that we should die”. And similar is, (Exodus 16:3) “Would that מוּתֵנוּ” i. e. “that we should die”; similar is, (II Samuel 19:1) “Would that מוּתִי” in the history of Absalom, which means “that I should die”. It is an infinitive like (Zephaniah 3:8) “Until the day קוּמִי for ever”, and as (II Chronicles 18:26) “Until the day שׁוּבִי in peace” — which signify שאקום “that I shall arise”, and שאשוב “that I shall return”.