The interpretation timeline

Exod 14:15

How this passage has been read — the sources, oldest to newest.

From the early Church Fathers to now.

Exod 14:15 · Douay-Rheims
“And the Lord said to Moses: Why criest thou to me? Speak to the children of Israel to go forward.”
Patristic before A.D. 750
254
A.D.
Origen Patristic
c. A.D. 184–253
“But if the mental voice of those who pray should not be extremely loud, though it is not weak, and should they not raise a cry and shout, God still hears those who pray thus. For it is he who says to Moses, "Why do you cry out to me?" when he had not cried out audibly (for this is not recorded in Exodus), but through prayer he had cried out loudly in that voice which is heard by God alone.”
Source
379
A.D.
Basil of Caesarea Patristic
c. A.D. 330–379
“Or do you not hear how Moses, although he said nothing but met the Lord with his inexpressible groanings, was heard by the Lord, who said, "Why do you cry to me?" God knows how to hear even the blood of a just man, to which no tongue is attached and of which no voice pierces the air. The presence of good works is a loud voice before God.”
Source
420
A.D.
Jerome Patristic
c. A.D. 347–420
“The word cry in Scripture does not refer to the cry of the voice but to the cry of the heart. In fact, the Lord says to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me?" when Moses had not muttered any cry at all.”
523
A.D.
Philoxenus of Mabbug Patristic
c. A.D. 450–523
“Moses prayed the whole night with much crying out and suffering, and at the morning watch the Lord said to him, "Why criest thou before Me? Incline thy hand over the sea, and divide it, and the Hebrews shall pass over it, but the Egyptians shall be drowned therein." Now all the things which happened at that time are a type of those which shall be done unto thee. And enemies, that is, evil devils, shall gather together and crowd against thy soul, even as the Egyptians who pursued after the Jews were gathered together and crowded upon them; but as Moses forsook the fear of the Egyptians and turned himself unto prayer and unto crying out to God, do thou also forsake the anxieties and thoughts which devilish enemies make to rise up in thee. And stand thou up in earnest prayer, and cry out with deep feeling from the heart, and from the depth of the thoughts of the soul let the voice of thy cry rise up, and straightway that answer which was returned unto Moses shall also be spoken unto thee, "Why dost thou cry out before Me? Incline thy hand over the sea, and divide it"; and straightway thy afflictions will give way, and the covering which was set before thy face will be rolled up, and the terrible depths of affliction will give way, and the things which thou didst think could not be crossed over with the foot, thou shalt tread upon, and thou shalt pass over the depth thereof. And difficult things shall become easy for thee, and that wall, which is built in such a manner that thou didst think it could not be broken through, shall be immediately swept away from before thee, and thy prayer shall rend and pass over the abyss of all the wickedness which is gathered together and laid before thee.”
Source
583
A.D.
Cassiodorus Patristic
c. A.D. 487–583
“The heart reveals its silent longing, to which the Godhead listens more than to the most thundering voices of nations. He said to Moses, "Why do you cry to me?" although we do not read that Moses had said anything. So the faithful man said that his heart was speaking to the Lord, since he seemed to offer his thoughts by this means.”
Source
Modern · 1953 →

The in-app commentary runs from the Fathers to the early-modern record, then stops — that's where the public-domain sources end, not where the reading does. For the modern reading, follow the sources directly.