When Moses gave the order to turn back toward Egypt — seemingly marching straight into danger — the people obeyed without argument. The Mekhilta says: "And they did so." Three words that reveal the extraordinary wisdom of Israel.
The people could have panicked. They could have said: "How can we turn back toward our pursuers?" They could have openly questioned the strategy, demoralizing the women and children among them. But they did not. They understood that broadcasting fear would be more destructive than any external enemy.
The Mekhilta offers a second interpretation that captures a different kind of wisdom. The people said among themselves: "Whether we like it or not, we must do only as the son of Amram says." The "son of Amram" is Moses. They recognized that in a moment of crisis, unity matters more than individual judgment. Even if the order seemed counterintuitive, following Moses — the man who had already brought them out of slavery — was the only rational course of action.
This passage paints a portrait of a people who understood leadership and trust at a critical moment. They did not demand explanations. They did not form committees. They looked at the man God had appointed and they followed. That discipline — that willingness to act on faith in a proven leader — is what the Mekhilta calls wisdom.