יחזקאל, פרק י״א, פסוק ח׳

A tragic irony unfolds in the actions of the people, who attempted to escape danger through political maneuvering only to meet that exact threat face to face. The residents of Jerusalem were consumed by the fear of an impending attack from the king of Babylon [מצודת דוד, רד״ק]. Driven by this deep anxiety, they turned to the king of Egypt for military support. This strategy was put into action by King Zedekiah, who rebelled against Babylon and sent messengers to Egypt in an attempt to secure horses and a massive army [רש״י, רד״ק].

However, God makes it clear that their political schemes will fail. He will ultimately bring upon them the very weapon they sought to avoid: the Babylonian army [מצודת דוד, רד״ק]. The newly formed alliance with Egypt will prove entirely useless and offer no salvation from the coming disaster [רד״ק]. Furthermore, the physical walls of Jerusalem itself will not act as a shield or provide any safe haven from the approaching enemy [מלבי״ם].