general custom was for two charioteers to take turns at driving a
car, but to overtake the Israelites more surely and speedily,
Pharaoh ordered three to be assigned to each. The result was that
they covered in one day the ground which it had taken the
Israelites three to traverse.

The mind of the Egyptians was in no wise directed toward spoil
and plunder in this expedition. Their sole and determined purpose
was to exterminate Israel, kith and kin. As the heathen lay great
stress upon omens when they are about to start out on a campaign,
God caused all their preparations to proceed smoothly, without the
slightest untoward circumstance. Everything pointed to a happy
issue. [17] Pharaoh, himself an adept in magic, had a presentiment
that dire misfortune would befall the children of Israel in the
wilderness, that they would lose Moses there, and there the whole
generation that had departed from Egypt would find its grave.
Therefore he spoke to Dathan and Abiram, who remained behind
in Egypt, saying: "Moses is leading them, but he himself knows not
whither. Verily, the congregation of Israel will lift up their voice in
the wilderness, and cry, and there they will be destroyed." He
thought naturally that these visions had reference to an imminent
future, to the time of his meeting with his dismissed slaves. But his
error was profound - he was hurrying forward to his own
destruction. [18]

When he reached the sanctuary of Baal-zephon, Pharaoh, in his joy
at finding him spared while all the other idols in Egypt had been
annihilated, lost no time, but hastened to offer sacrifices to him,
and he was comforted, "for," he said, "Baal-zephon approves my
purpose of drowning the children of Israel in the sea." [19]