יחזקאל, פרק י״א, פסוק י׳

A harsh prophetic judgment is set to unfold, not within the familiar walls of the city, but far out at the very edges of the land. The devastating punishment of the sword will strike the people only after they have left the city behind [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This tragedy is destined to take place at the national border, either at the exact edge of the political boundary [רש"י] or just outside of it [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון].

The commentators agree that the impending doom targets a specific location: the city of Riblah in the region of Hamath. This area is historically recognized as the extreme limit of the land of Israel, a border previously noted in earlier events such as the mission of the spies. Some identify this city specifically as Antioch [רש"י]. The prophecy materialized with chilling accuracy when King Zedekiah, his sons, and the officers of Judah were captured and brought to Riblah to face Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. There, directly on the border of the land, the officers of Judah were executed, Zedekiah's sons were slaughtered, and the king himself was blinded [רש"י, רד"ק, מצודת דוד, מלבי"ם].

This severe judgment serves a profound purpose. The ultimate goal of the event is to bring about a deep recognition of divine justice. As the exiles face this devastating punishment [ביאור שטיינזלץ], they will come to fully realize that God is absolutely faithful in delivering the exact consequences their actions deserve [מצודת דוד].