יחזקאל, פרק י״ב, פסוק י״ט

A prophetic message directed to the exiles in Babylon reveals the bitter reality awaiting their brethren left behind. It draws a clear line between the moral corruption of the people and the physical and mental destruction that will inevitably follow. The prophet addresses the people, specifically speaking to those who have already been banished from their homeland [רד״ק, מצודת דוד]. The message they receive concerns the residents of Jerusalem who are still living in the land of Israel, just before their own impending exile.

The prophecy captures the sheer terror that will grip the nation during the coming siege [מלבי״ם]. Basic daily routines will be shattered; the people will eat and drink in a state of profound worry, sadness, and shock. This intense anxiety and the pressures of the siege will eventually leave Jerusalem and the land of Israel completely desolate, emptied of their inhabitants. Everything that once brought life to the region—its wealth, property, and human abundance—will be entirely lost [רש״י, רד״ק].

The primary approach among commentators is that this absolute devastation serves as a direct punishment for the rampant robbery and oppression committed by those living in the land. Adding a deeper layer to how these events unfold, [מלבי״ם] explains the political reality behind the destruction. If the residents of Jerusalem had chosen to make peace with the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar instead of rebelling, their homeland would have been spared. However, as a consequence for their past crimes of theft and injustice, God placed the desire to wage war into their hearts. This doomed rebellion is what ultimately brought about the suffocating siege, the existential dread, and the total ruin of their country.