דברים יא ,ד: וַאֲשֶר עָּשָּה לְחֵיל מִצְרַיִם לְסוּסָּיו וּלְרִ כְבוֹ אֲשֶר הֵצִיף אֶת -מֵי יַם-סוּף עַל-פְנֵיהֶם בְרָּדְפָּ ם אַחֲרֵיכֶם וַיְאַבְדֵם ה' עַד הַיוֹם הַזֶה:
Baal HaTurim observes that the same word appears in Iyov (12:23) "He causes nations to err then destroys them". This hints to the Medrash which explains how, as the walls of water of the Reed Sea came crashing down, the male horses on which they were riding mistook the waves of as female horses - with the result that, instead of obeying their riders' orders to turn around and flee, they increased their speed and headed straight for the turbulent waves. Thus, was the Egyptian army dragged to its doom.
In similar vein, the Mechilta explains how G-d deliberately left the idol Ba'al Tz'fon standing, exactly where Yisrael were encamped in front of the Reed Sea. By so doing, the Egyptians were led to believe that their great god had trapped Yisrael in front of the Reed Sea, thereby encouraging him to come chasing after Yisrael. This in turn, was merely to lure Par'oh to the Reed Sea and kill them there, before the very eyes of Yisrael.
