יחזקאל, פרק כ״א, פסוק י״ט

A physical gesture often carries the heavy weight of an inescapable disaster. The prophet is instructed to clap his hands together, a traditional practice among mourners that expresses deep sorrow and grief over the approaching ruin [רש״י, מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם, אברבנאל, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. At the heart of this prophetic warning is the declaration of a third sword, signifying that the impending violence and troubles will be doubled and tripled in their intensity [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The primary approach among commentators connects this to the waves of Babylonian exile. It represents Nebuchadnezzar's third and final military campaign against Jerusalem during the reign of Zedekiah, an assault that will be vastly more severe and cruel than his previous two campaigns against Jehoiakim and Jehoiachin [מצודת דוד, אברבנאל]. Alternatively, the concept of a third sword can be understood numerically, suggesting that the enemy will kill only one third of the people, while the remaining two thirds will perish through an internal sword of famine, plague, and civil war [מלבי״ם]. Other perspectives suggest that this new threat joins the previous swords of Babylon and Ammon [רש״י], or that the term does not imply a number at all, but rather denotes greatness and high rank, much like a military general [רד״ק].

This weapon will strike down many significant figures, including ministers and royalty. Specifically, the ultimate victim is King Zedekiah himself, who will be taken captive. Unlike previous exiles where kings were removed but the general population was largely spared from mass slaughter, this time the violence will strike both the monarch and the masses with equal force [מצודת דוד, אברבנאל]. From the perspective of internal ruin, this is the sword of the victims themselves, meaning the Israelites and their king will ultimately destroy one another from within [מלבי״ם].

The final characteristic of this sword relates to how it reaches its targets. Drawing from the Hebrew concept of a room [מצודת ציון], commentators offer several perspectives. One approach explains that the violence will relentlessly pursue those fleeing into their innermost rooms and fortified cities, even reaching those who attempt to escape to Egypt [רש״י]. Another interpretation suggests that this sword had been kept hidden in a special room until this very moment, only now emerging to strike [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, אברבנאל]. Others view it as an internal threat already present inside the rooms of the home [מלבי״ם, רד״ק], or simply as a blade that physically penetrates the bodies of the victims [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Finally, a different approach understands the description not as a room, but as a term for fear and trembling, describing a weapon that thoroughly shocks and terrifies the nation [רד״ק, אברבנאל].