And he said unto his people, Behold the people of the children of Israel. [footnote states: "Ex. 9."] A Tanna taught: He [Pharaoh] originated the plan first, and therefore was punished first. He originated the plan first, as it is written: And he said unto his people; therefore he was punished first, as it is written: Upon thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants. [footnote states: "Ex. VII, 29."]
Come, let us deal wisely with him [footnote states: "Ex. I, 10. The Hebrew is literally with him."] -- it should have been with them! -- Rabbi Hama ben Hanina said: [Pharaoh meant,] Come and let us outwit the Saviour of Israel. With what shall we afflict them? If we afflict them with fire, it is written: For, behold the Lord will come with fire, [footnote states: "Isa. LXVI, 15."] and it continues, For by fire will the Lord plead etc. [footnote states: "Isa. 16."] [If we afflict them] with the sword, it is written: And by His sword with all flesh. [footnote states: "Isa. Some edd. quote as the proof text: With his sword drawn in his hand (Num. XXII, 23)."] But come and let us afflict them with water, because the Holy One, blessed be He, has already sworn that he will not bring a flood upon the world; as it is said: For this is as the waters of Noah unto Me, etc. [footnote states: "Isa. LIV, 9."] They were unaware, however, that He would not bring a flood upon the whole world but upon one people He would bring it; or alternatively, He would not bring [the flood] but they would go and fall into it. Thus it says: And the Egyptians fled towards it. [footnote states: "Ex. XIV, 27. So the Hebrew literally."] This is what Rabbi Eleazar said: What means that which is written: Yea, in the thing wherein they zadu [dealt proudly] against them? [footnote states: "Ex. XVIII, II. The verb 'they dealt proudly' resembles in form another with the meaning 'they cooked' Maccabeesusz."] In the pot in which they cooked were they cooked. Whence is it learnt that 'zadu' means cooking? -- Because it is written: And Jacob sod [wa-yazed] pottage. [footnote states: "Gen. XXV, 29."]
Rabbi Hiyya ben Abba said in the name of Rabbi Simai: There were three in that plan, [footnote states: "To destroy Israel through the decree: Every son that is born ye shall cast in the river, Ex. I, 22."] viz. Balaam, Job [footnote states: "Various opinions are expressed in the Talmud regarding the age in which he lived. According to one view he was born in the year that Jacob settled in Egypt and died at the time of the Exodus, v. B.B. 15a-b."] and Jethro. Balaam who devised it was slain; Job who silently acquiesced was afflicted with sufferings; Jethro, who fled, merited that his descendants should sit in the Chamber of Hewn Stone, [footnote states: "In the Temple where the Sanhedrin met."] as it is said: And the families of scribes which dwelt at Jabez; the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, the Sucathites. These are the Kenites that came of Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab; [footnote states: "I Chron. II, 55. The various names are understood in the sense that they were eminent scholars."] and it is written: And the children of the Kenite, Moses' father-in-law etc. [footnote states: "Judg. I, 16; v. Sanh. (Sonc. ed.) p. 722."]