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Ramban on Exodus 18:11/רמב"ן על שמות י״ח:י״א

אכִּי בַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר זָדוּ עֲלֵיהֶם פֵּרוּשׁוֹ בַּדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר הֵזִידוּ הַמִּצְרִים עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל יָדַעְתִּי שֶׁהוּא גָּדוֹל מִכָּל הָאֱלֹהִים. וְטַעַם זֶה, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהַשֵּׁם גָּזַר עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל "וַעֲבָדוּם וְעִנּוּ אוֹתָם" (בראשית טו יג) וְלֹא הָיָה עַל הַמִּצְרִים בָּזֶה הָעֹנֶשׁ הַגָּדוֹל, אֲבָל הֵזִידוּ עֲלֵיהֶם וְחָשְׁבוּ לְהַכְרִית אוֹתָם מִן הָעוֹלָם, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר (שמות א':י') "הָבָה נִתְחַכְּמָה לוֹ פֶּן יִרְבֶּה", וְצִוָּה לַמְיַלְּדֹת לְהָמִית הַבָּנִים, וְגָזַר עֲלֵיהֶם "כָּל הַבֵּן הַיִּלּוֹד הַיְאֹרָה תַּשְׁלִיכֻהוּ" (שם כב), וּמִפְּנֵי זֶה הָיָה עֲלֵיהֶם הָעֹנֶשׁ הַמַּשְׁחִית אוֹתָם לְגַמְרֵי. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר "וְגַם אֶת הַגּוֹי אֲשֶׁר יַעֲבֹדוּ דָּן אָנֹכִי" (בראשית טו יד), כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁתִּיו (שם ולעיל יב מב). וְהִנֵּה הַשֵּׁם רָאָה מַחְשַׁבְתָּם, וְנָקָם מֵהֶם עַל זְדוֹן לִבָּם. וְכֵן אָמַר הַכָּתוּב עוֹד "כִּי יָדַעְתָּ כִּי הֵזִידוּ עֲלֵיהֶם" (נחמיה ט י), כִּי הָעֹנֶשׁ בַּעֲבוּר הַזָּדוֹן שֶׁחָשְׁבוּ לַעֲשׂוֹת לָהֶם. וְהִנֵּה ה' רוֹאֶה לַלֵּב וְעֹשֶׂה מִשְׁפַּט הָעֲשׁוּקִים, וְנוֹקֵם וּבַעַל חֵמָה, וְאֵין מוֹחֶה בְּיָדוֹ. וְאוּנְקְלוֹס (תרגום אונקלוס על שמות י"ח:י"א) שֶׁאָמַר "אֲרֵי בְּפִתְגָמָא דְּחַשִּׁיבוּ מִצְרָאֵי לְמֵדַן יָת יִשְׂרָאֵל בֵּהּ דָּנִנּוּן", יִרְצֶה לוֹמַר כִּי הָיָה עָנְשָׁם עַל טְבִיעַת הַיְּלָדִים בַּיְאוֹר, שֶׁאֵינֶנּוּ בִּכְלַל "וַעֲבָדוּם וְעִנּוּ אוֹתָם", וְעַל כֵּן אִבְּדָם בַּמַּיִם:

1FOR IT IS IN THE THING THAT ‘ZADU’ UPON THEM. The meaning of this is that in the matter wherein the Egyptians premeditated⁶⁷ on the basis of zadon (premeditated, conscious sin), as is explained further in the text. [their wickedness] against Israel, I [Jethro] now know that the Eternal is greater than all gods. And the purport thereof is as follows: Due to the fact that G-d had decreed upon Israel, and they shall enslave them, and they should afflict them,⁶⁸ there would have been no great punishment meted out to the Egyptians. But they acted presumptuously against them, and intended to eradicate them from the world, just as they said, Come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply.⁶⁹ Pharaoh commanded the midwives to kill the male children,⁷⁰, Verse 16. and he decreed upon [all his people, saying], Every son that is born [unto the Israelites] ye shall cast into the river.⁷¹, Verse 22. It was due to this that there came upon the Egyptians the kind of punishment which utterly destroyed them. It is this principle which is expressed in His words, And also that nation that made slaves of them will I judge,⁷² as I have explained.⁷³ (Vol. I, pp. 203-205.) Now G-d saw their intentions, and He took vengeance upon them for the wickedness of their hearts. And thus does Scripture say again, And Thou didst show signs and wonders upon Pharaoh… for Thou knowest that they dealt insolently against them,⁷⁴ for the punishment was because of the wicked plans they devised to carry out against the Israelites. Thus the Eternal looketh on the heart,⁷⁵ and executeth justice for the oppressed,⁷⁶ avengeth and is full of wrath,⁷⁷ and no one can deter Him.Now Onkelos translated [the above Scriptural expression] thus: “for by that very thing with which the Egyptians thought to judge Israel, they themselves were judged.” By this rendition, Onkelos meant to say that their punishment came because of the drowning of the [Hebrew] children in the river, which was not part of the Divine decree, and they shall enslave them, and they shall afflict them.⁶⁸ Therefore, He destroyed them by water.