יחזקאל, פרק כ״ב, פסוק ה׳

Nations across the globe, both near and far, will eventually witness the tragic fall of Jerusalem. Instead of offering pity, they will look upon its lowly state with deep mockery, ridiculing and humiliating the Israelites [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ, צאינה וראינה].

The primary target of their scorn is the city's terrible reputation among the nations. The damage goes far beyond physical impurity or individual bad deeds; it is a profound corruption of their very identity and public standing [רד״ק, צאינה וראינה]. There was a time when the Israelites were known as a holy nation and the children of God. However, through their continuous wrongful actions, they ruined this noble status, earning instead the title of a people with impure lips [רש״י].

Alongside this ruined reputation, the city is defined by its overwhelming chaos. Commentators offer different perspectives on the nature of this turmoil. Some explain that it refers to the sheer number of disasters destined to strike the city, such as famine, war, and plague [רד״ק]. Others view the chaos as an internal, moral breakdown within the wild city itself. In this view, the turmoil is the actual sound of wailing and crying from the many oppressed individuals suffering within its walls [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

These two defining features—the ruined reputation and the internal chaos—are deeply connected, painting a complete picture of moral collapse. Often, when a place develops a bad name, people might assume the rumors are blown out of proportion and do not reflect the true reality. To counter this, the loud cries of the oppressed and the noise of the city's sins serve as dark proof. They show that Jerusalem's terrible reputation is completely justified and not an exaggeration in the slightest [חומת אנך].