יחזקאל, פרק כ״ג, פסוק ט׳

A tragic irony unfolds when a nation seeks security in foreign alliances rather than spiritual faithfulness. The very empire the Israelites courted and desired ultimately becomes the weapon of their own destruction. This harsh reality is a direct consequence of their actions. By losing their trust in God, abandoning His service, and leaning entirely on the Assyrians while adopting their idols and terrible practices, the Israelites seal their own fate [רד״ק, אברבנאל]. God responds by handing them over entirely into the power of these same Assyrian allies they so desperately pursued [מצודת דוד].

God orchestrates the political landscape so that the King of Assyria views the Israelites as traitors. After a period where the Israelites deeply desired the Assyrians and willingly submitted to their authority [מצודת דוד, אברבנאל], they eventually attempt to rebel by seeking the protection of Egypt. This shift provokes the Assyrian king to seek swift revenge [מלבי״ם]. Historically, this devastation takes shape when Sennacherib invades and forces the Israelites into exile [רש״י].

The collapse does not happen overnight but unfolds in painful, calculated stages. The tribes of Gad and Reuben are taken first, followed by the destruction of the territories of Zebulun and Naphtali, culminating finally in the fall of Samaria [אברבנאל]. The profound tragedy is that the Israelites' earlier devotion to Assyria earns them no mercy. Instead of showing pity, the Assyrians exploit the complete weakness and helplessness of the Israelites, brutally dragging them away from their homeland into exile [אברבנאל].