יחזקאל, פרק כ״ה, פסוק ט״ו

During moments of national vulnerability, the true nature of neighboring nations is often revealed. The Philistines seized upon a time of weakness for the Israelites, launching a cruel campaign driven not by political or military strategy, but by a burning hatred and a deep desire to humiliate and utterly destroy them.

The aggression was carried out with severe hostility, mimicking the actions of someone taking harsh revenge against a bitter enemy [רש"י]. However, the primary approach among commentators reveals that this vengeance was entirely based on a false narrative. The Philistines acted as though the Israelites had wronged them in the past and they were simply collecting an old debt. In reality, this was a fabricated excuse born out of pure malice and a hatred rooted in jealousy [רד"ק, מצודת דוד, חומת אנך, אברבנאל].

Historically, this hostility unfolded in distinct stages. It began during the reign of King Jehoiakim and culminated during the actual destruction of Judah. At that devastating point, the Philistines exploited the chaos to capture Judean exiles, handing them over and selling them to other nations [מלבי"ם].

This cruelty was not limited to physical violence. The attacks were laced with profound contempt, disgrace, and deep disrespect [מצודת ציון, שטיינזלץ]. The Philistines sought to inflict pain through severe psychological humiliation and emotional degradation [רד"ק, אברבנאל]. Their ultimate goal was the complete ruin and sabotage of the Israelites [רד"ק, שטיינזלץ], fueled by an intense and unyielding hatred [מצודת ציון]. They carried out their destruction with a sense of permanent hostility, acting as if there was an eternal, incurable historical feud between the two nations [מצודת דוד, אברבנאל, שטיינזלץ].