A complex relationship unfolds between God and the Israelites, blending divine comfort with gentle rebuke. God reminds the people of His unconditional kindness during the Exodus from Egypt, contrasting His steadfast protection with their recurring lack of faith in the wilderness.
The primary approach among commentators is that when the Israelites were crushed by the weight of slavery, they cried out in their distress. God responded to their agony, pulling them out of their confinement and rescuing them from bondage [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ, מאירי].
The nature of this divine response is understood in several distinct ways. Some commentators see a powerful contrast between how the Israelites prayed and how God saved them. While the people cried out privately and in secret, God answered them with the force of thunder, performing massive, public miracles for all the world to witness [רש״י, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ].
A second, widely accepted approach suggests that God answered the people by physically sheltering them from destruction. Whether during the plagues in Egypt or the splitting of the Red Sea, the thunderous ruin struck only the Egyptians. Meanwhile, God acted as a protective shield, hiding the Israelites from the storm [אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד, מאירי, רד״ק].
From a more emotional perspective, this divine shelter represents God suppressing His own anger. Even though the people merely cried out in pain rather than praying properly, and sometimes even spoke harshly, God did not thunder at them in frustration. Instead, He held back His anger and saved them out of pure love [אלשיך]. Additionally, this moment is seen by some as a subtle reference to the revelation at Mount Sinai, where God spoke to the nation from a hidden place amid the sound of thunder [ביאור שטיינזלץ].
Following this miraculous rescue, the relationship was put to the test. God led the people into the desert and tested them with severe thirst to see if their faith would hold firm. Ultimately, they failed this test, arguing bitterly with God and His prophets [רד״ק, מאירי, אבן עזרא]. Conversely, other commentators view this moment not just as a failure of the people, but as a profound expression of divine foresight and grace. God rescued the Israelites from Egypt and the sea fully knowing that they were destined to rebel and argue with Him in the wilderness [רש״י, מצודת דוד].
The narrative concludes with an ancient musical marker that also serves as an enduring confirmation of truth and eternity [ביאור שטיינזלץ, אבן עזרא]. It highlights an everlasting reality about God's nature: it is His eternal way to save those who call out to Him in their darkest times, even when He knows they will inevitably stumble again [מצודת דוד].