Exodus 14:5

14:5 When it was reported ¹  to the king of Egypt that the people had fled, ²  the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people, and the king and his servants said, ³  “What in the world have we done? ⁴  For we have released the people of Israel ⁵  from serving us!”

Exodus 14:11

14:11 and they said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the desert? ⁶  What in the world ⁷  have you done to us by bringing ⁸  us out of Egypt?

Exodus 17:3

17:3 But the people were very thirsty ⁹  there for water, and they murmured against Moses and said, “Why in the world ¹⁰  did you bring us up out of Egypt – to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?” ¹¹ 

[14:5]  ¹ tn Heb “and it was told.” The present translation uses “reported,” since this involves information given to a superior.

[14:5]  ² tn The verb must be given a past perfect translation because the fleeing occurred before the telling.

[14:5]  ³ tn Heb “and they said.” The referent (the king and his servants) is supplied for clarity.

[14:5]  ⁴ tn The question literally is “What is this we have done?” The demonstrative pronoun is used as an enclitic particle for emphasis (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118).

[14:5]  ⁵ tn Heb “released Israel.” By metonymy the name of the nation is used collectively for the people who constitute it (the Israelites).

[14:11]  ⁶ sn B. Jacob (Exodus, 396-97) notes how the speech is overly dramatic and came from a people given to using such exaggerations (Num 16:14), even using a double negative. The challenge to Moses brings a double irony. To die in the desert would be without proper burial, but in Egypt there were graves – it was a land of tombs and graves! Gesenius notes that two negatives in the sentence do not nullify each other but make the sentence all the more emphatic: “Is it because there were no graves…?” (GKC 483 §152.y).

[14:11]  ⁷ tn The demonstrative pronoun has the enclitic use again, giving a special emphasis to the question (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118).

[14:11]  ⁸ tn The Hebrew term לְהוֹצִּיאָנוּ (lÿhotsi’anu) is the Hiphil infinitive construct with a suffix, “to bring us out.” It is used epexegetically here, explaining the previous question.

[17:3]  ¹¹ tn The verbs and the pronouns in this verse are in the singular because “the people” is singular in form.

[17:3]  ¹² tn The demonstrative pronoun is used as the enclitic form for special emphasis in the question; it literally says, “why is this you have brought us up?” (R. J. Williams, Hebrew Syntax, 24, §118).

[17:3]  ¹³ sn Their words deny God the credit for bringing them out of Egypt, impugn the integrity of Moses and God by accusing them of bringing the people out here to die, and show a lack of faith in God’s ability to provide for them.