יחזקאל, פרק ט״ו, פסוק א׳

The elders listening to the prophet harbored a lingering, false hope. They believed that God would spare a portion of Jerusalem's people, anticipating that righteous, God-fearing leaders might emerge from these survivors in the future. To dispel this illusion, a new prophetic message arrives, revealing the true spiritual state of the nation through the imagery of a grapevine [אברבנאל].

The nation of Israel is compared to a vine, a plant whose value lies entirely in its produce rather than its physical structure. Unlike other trees, the wood of a vine is entirely useless for building or crafting. Its sole purpose and uniqueness come from its fruit and wine, which represent good deeds and devoted service to God. When the nation abandons its proper path, it strips itself of its only true purpose. Without its spiritual fruits, the nation becomes like the barren wood of the vine—useless for anything other than fuel for a fire.

This fire is not just a future threat, but a present reality. The flames that have already consumed the ends of the vine represent the foreign enemies who previously destroyed the surrounding tribes of Israel. The charred, remaining center of the wood symbolizes Jerusalem itself. The divine message carries a harsh but logical conclusion: if the people of Jerusalem failed to repent when their nation was whole and secure in their land, they certainly will not change their ways now that they are broken and battered. As a result, they face complete destruction at the hands of the king of Babylon [אברבנאל].