עמוס, פרק א׳, פסוק י״ד

The punishment destined for the Ammonite capital will not be a standard military defeat, but a fatal blow that completely shatters the nation and its grand palaces. This total, sudden, and rapid destruction serves as a direct consequence of their sins [ביאור שטיינזלץ, אברבנאל]. The impending war is compared to a spreading fire that ignites and burns fiercely [מצודת ציון]. This fire of war will break out all at once, engulfing the borders of the nation and striking its largest city and capital, Rabbah [ביאור שטיינזלץ, אברבנאל]. There is a deep symbolism in this method of destruction. Because the Ammonites centered their idol worship around rituals of fire, God will punish them with a counter-fire that will ultimately consume them [מלבי״ם].

The collapse of the city will begin with the loud shouts of battle cries as the enemy launches their initial attack [מצודת דוד]. This event directly mirrors another prophetic warning, which foretold that God would sound an alarm of war against the Ammonite capital [מלבי״ם, רד״ק]. As the invasion unfolds, the overwhelming force of the enemy is compared to fierce winds and a violent storm. This imagery illustrates the sheer power of the attack and the rapid capture of the city [מצודת ציון, רד״ק]. The disaster will fall upon the people with brutal suddenness, much like a violent tempest that breaks without warning on a completely clear day [אברבנאל]. The overlapping descriptions of storms and tempests serve to emphasize the terrifying intensity and overwhelming scale of the ruin [מצודת דוד, רד״ק].