יחזקאל, פרק ט״ז, פסוק מ׳

The severe punishment detailed for the city operates on two distinct levels, blending the imagery of a public execution for infidelity with the harsh reality of a military siege. The enemies assemble a massive crowd, drawing in other nations to wage war and participate in a public trial [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, רד״ק, שטיינזלץ]. This gathering is described as an upward movement because the Land of Israel is regarded as elevated above all other lands [רד״ק].

Once the vast crowd has gathered, the attack begins with a barrage of stones. On a legal and symbolic level, this mirrors the traditional court-mandated penalty of stoning administered to an adulterous woman [מלבי״ם, רד״ק]. However, on a practical and military level, the stoning serves as a metaphor for a brutal siege, where massive boulders are hurled from siege engines to shatter the city's defensive walls [רד״ק].

Following the bombardment, the attackers strike with their swords. This action represents a violent cleaving, tearing, and ripping apart of the body [רש״י, מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, מלבי״ם, רד״ק]. The sheer force of this tearing is compared to the splitting of the Red Sea [מצודת ציון], serving as a clear representation of capital punishment by the sword [מלבי״ם].

Ultimately, the goal of these harsh judgments—the battering with stones and the piercing with swords—is not merely to bring about death, but to inflict profound humiliation and disgrace. The city, personified as a prostitute, is beaten and degraded until she becomes utterly despised by all who see her. As a result of this extreme public shaming, no former lover will ever desire to approach her again, bringing a definitive end to her past behavior [רד״ק].