יחזקאל, פרק כ״ז, פסוק ל״ה

The sudden collapse of a great superpower sends shockwaves across the globe, replacing an era of glorious wealth with a sudden wave of deep anxiety. The news of this downfall reaches the residents of distant countries [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Because the fallen empire was itself built upon an island, it is the inhabitants of other island nations who react most strongly to its ruin [רד״ק].

A profound sense of shock and disbelief grips these foreign populations. The primary approach among commentators is that this reaction is one of pure astonishment at the sheer magnitude of the collapse. The current devastation stands in sharp contrast to the past. A city that once brought great wealth and prosperity to many nations now leaves those very same nations completely stunned by its sudden ruin [מלבי״ם].

The terror extends beyond the common people to the highest levels of leadership. The kings of these nations are gripped by a trembling fear, shaken to their core as if battered by a violent storm. This deep dread is rooted in a very real threat to their own survival, as the leaders fear that the exact same destruction will soon reach their own borders.

While this stormy terror represents the hidden, internal panic of the kings, it quickly manifests in a visible way [מלבי״ם]. Externally, their faces twist into expressions of intense rage. This fury is the natural, physical reaction of people caught in a state of severe distress, lashing out in outward anger because they are inwardly terrified for what their own future might hold [מצודת דוד].