יחזקאל, פרק כ׳, פסוק ח׳

Even during their enslavement in Egypt, the Israelites displayed a deep stubbornness and rebellion against God, refusing to let go of the local idolatrous practices. This defiance was so severe that God considered punishing them with complete destruction before the redemption could even begin.

The nature of their defiance took two distinct forms. On one hand, they actively rebelled by committing acts that God had explicitly forbidden. On the other hand, they passively refused to listen, failing to fulfill the positive actions God required of them [מלבי״ם]. This rebellious attitude was not limited to a few individuals; it characterized the wicked majority of the nation. As a result of this widespread disobedience, these rebels died in Egypt during the plague of darkness, leaving only a small minority who ultimately merited to leave Egypt [רש״י].

Their attachment to Egyptian culture also manifested in two different types of sin. First, there were physical acts of immorality and corruption, which required a conscious, active effort to cast away. Second, there was the core belief in idolatry itself. This was not just a physical action but an entire way of life and mindset that needed to be completely abandoned [מלבי״ם].

Because the people failed to rid themselves of these sins, God considered pouring out His anger to destroy them while they were still in Egypt [מצודת דוד]. The intensity of this planned punishment is described through a dual expression of pouring out wrath and bringing anger to its completion. Some commentators view this simply as a repetition for emphasis, comparing it to a person pouring out the contents of a vessel until it is completely empty [רד״ק]. Another approach draws a sharp distinction between the concepts: one represents God's internal anger, while the other refers to the external punishment that makes this anger visible. When external punishment is fueled by such profound internal wrath, the result is absolute and total destruction [מלבי״ם].