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Ramban on Exodus 14:5/רמב"ן על שמות י״ד:ה׳
אוַיֻּגַּד לְמֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם כִּי בָרַח הָעָם אִיקְטוֹרִין שָׁלַח עִמָּהֶם, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁהִגִּיעוּ עַד שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים שֶׁקָבְעוּ לֵילֵךְ וְלָשׁוּב וְרָאוּ שֶׁאֵינָם חוֹזְרִים לְמִצְרַיִם חָזְרוּ וְהִגִּידוּ לְפַרְעֹה בַּיּוֹם הָרְבִיעִי, חֲמִישִׁי וְשִׁשִּׁי רָדְפוּ אַחֲרֵיהֶם, לֵיל שְׁבִיעִי יָרְדוּ לַיָּם, בְּשַׁחֲרִית אָמְרוּ שִׁירָה, וְהוּא יוֹם שְׁבִיעִי שֶׁל פֶּסַח, לְכָךְ אָנוּ קוֹרִין הַשִּׁירָה בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי. זֶהוּ לְשׁוֹן רַשִׁ"י (רש"י על שמות י"ד:ה'), וְכֵן הוּא בַּמְּכִילְתָּא (כאן). וְעַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט הוּא אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר ה' וְאָמַר פַּרְעֹה לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, כִּי כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ כֵּן בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְשָׁבוּ וְחָנוּ לִפְנֵי פִּי הַחִירֹת לִפְנֵי בַּעַל צְפֹן, הֻגַּד זֶה לְמֶלֶךְ מִצְרַיִם וְאָמַר כִּי בָרַח הָעָם וְהֵם נְבֻכִים בַּמִּדְבָּר וְאֵינָם הוֹלְכִים אֶל מָקוֹם יָדוּעַ לִזְבּוֹחַ. וְזֶה טַעַם "וּבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יֹצְאִים בְּיָד רָמָה" (שמות י"ד:ח'), שֶׁעָשׂוּ לָהֶם דֶּגֶל וְנֵס לְהִתְנוֹסֵס, וְיוֹצְאִים בְּשִׂמְחָה וּבְשִׁרִים בְּתֹף וּבְכִנּוֹר כִּדְמוּת הַנִּגְאָלִים מֵעַבְדוּת לְחֵרוּת, לֹא כַּעֲבָדִים הָעֲתִידִים לָשׁוּב לַעֲבוֹדָתָם, וְכָל זֶה הֻגַּד לוֹ:
1AND IT WAS TOLD THE KING OF EGYPT THAT THE PEOPLE HAD FLED. “He sent guards with them, and as soon as they had reached the three days’ journey that was fixed for them to go and return, and [these guards] saw that they were not returning to Egypt, they went and reported to Pharaoh on the fourth day. On the fifth and sixth days, the Egyptians pursued after them. On the night of the seventh day, they went down into the sea, and on the following morning, the Israelites uttered the Song, and this was the seventh day of Passover. It is for this reason that [during the Synagogue service] on the seventh day of Passover, we read [the Scriptural portion containing] the Song at the Red Sea.” This is the language of Rashi. And so it is also explained in the Mechilta.27In line with the plain meaning of Scripture, the verse here is to be understood in the light of that which G-d said, And Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel: They are entangled in the land.28 When the children of Israel [indicated that this was] so, and they turned back and encamped before Phi-hahiroth before Baal-zephon,29 this was reported to the king of Egypt. He said that the people were fled and entangled in the desert, and that they were not going towards a definite place to offer sacrifices for G-d. And this is the intent of the verse, and the children of Israel went out with a high hand.30 This means that they made themselves a flag and a banner for display, and they went out with mirth and with songs, with tabret and with harp,31 like people who are redeemed from bondage to freedom, and not like slaves who expect to return to their servitude. All this was told to Pharaoh.