פּירוש אויף שמות 14:8

ויחזק ה׳ את לב פרעה AND THE LORD ALLOWED THE HEART OF PHARAOH TO BE HARDENED — the meaning is, that he was in doubt whether to pursue or not, and He hardened his heart to pursue (Mekhilta).

ביד רמה, “fully confident;” they thought that they had nothing to fear as they had left Egypt with permission.

ובני ישראל יוצאים ביד רמה, the meaning of the word רמה here is similar to the meaning of the same word in Deuteronomy 32,27 ידינו רמה, where it means: “our own hand has prevailed.” At the time of their departure they had been confident of their ability to defeat Pharaoh and his military machine as they were much stronger in numbers. The verse teaches that they were relying on their numbers instead of considering their total lack of experience in the art of war. They would have had every reason to fear the numerically inferior Egyptians who had all this experience going for them.

ביד רמה WITH A HIGH HAND — with high and open daring (cf. Mekhilta).