A prophet is commanded to perform a multi-stage public display to show the harsh reality of being uprooted from home. This dramatic presentation serves as a powerful warning to both the king and the people about the impending future.
In the first phase of this public display, the prophet gathers and prepares his belongings for a long journey in broad daylight. He acts exactly like a person packing up their life for exile, carrying a sack on his shoulder and a walking stick in his hand [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Doing this out in the open during the day represents the finality of a permanent banishment, where a person takes everything they own because they know they will never return home [מלבי״ם].
After completing these daytime preparations for all to see, the prophet moves to the next stage. In the evening, he leaves his home, carrying the bags and tools he prepared earlier [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. He takes on the role of the people who are marching away on their journey [רש״י, רד״ק].
Commentators offer different perspectives on the exact nature of this evening departure. One approach views the prophet as acting out the angry and bitter mood of the exiles [רד״ק]. In this scenario, the people are forced into banishment in such a rush that they must leave in the dark of night, unable to even wait for the morning light [מצודת דוד].
A contrasting perspective suggests that the prophet's actions represent a willing escape rather than a forced march. Instead of joining the exiled masses, the prophet acts out the role of a man trying to run away from the enemy's forced deportation. To do this, he sneaks out secretly in the evening, heading in a completely different direction than where he placed his bags during the day. This specific behavior is a precise prophetic warning about King Zedekiah. When the walls of Jerusalem are finally breached, the king will attempt to flee in secret under the cover of darkness, desperately hoping to avoid being dragged into the Babylonian exile alongside his people [מלבי״ם].