THEOSISCyrill of Alexandria
Even though they witnessed numerous miraculous signs from God and experienced His immense power, they still feared that God might grow weary of providing their daily needs, including food and water. Their cowardice overwhelmed them, reflecting a childish and fragile mindset. When faced with even minor hardships, they would turn against their leader, unjustly accusing him for being the very one who guided them toward freedom. They idealized those who had succumbed to their own fear, recalling how they craved Egyptian delicacies and ended up consuming toxic fare, which led to their condemnation.
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They lamented, saying, "Oh, if we had died then, when our brethren died before the Lord, why have you brought the company of the Lord into this wilderness, that we and our cattle should die here?" Such cowardice reveals an impatience and a troubling inclination towards complacency. When they experienced even slight thirst, they preferred the horrors of Egypt to the divine provisions. The painful bonds of slavery, once intolerable, now appeared appealing. They no longer found Pharaoh's cruelty detestable; instead, they overlooked the harshness of their taskmasters, and their former suffering now seemed pleasant. This illustrates the extent to which their mental weakness drives them into madness.