יחזקאל, פרק ל׳, פסוק י״ז

A prophecy of doom foretells the complete ruin of two Egyptian cities and the tragic fate awaiting their people. The first city is identified as On, a prominent Egyptian location known from earlier biblical history [רד״ק, חומת אנך, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. However, its name is intentionally altered in the prophecy to Aven, a term associated with sin and emptiness. This shift serves to mock the city and highlight its deep-rooted wickedness. Consequently, when the young men of the city are mentioned, the phrasing carries a dual meaning, referring not only to the local youth but also branding them as young men of wickedness [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The prophecy then turns to a second city, Pi-beseth, continuing the grim forecast for Egypt. The young warriors defending these cities are destined to fall in battle. Following this slaughter, a wave of captivity sweeps through the region. Because the prophecy uses feminine phrasing to describe those being taken away, commentators offer different perspectives on who exactly is led into exile. One approach explains that this refers to the wives of the slain soldiers. While the men perish by the sword, their widows are dragged away as prisoners of war [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, חומת אנך].

Another perspective suggests that the feminine phrasing refers to the cities themselves. In this view, after the military forces are wiped out, the entire remaining civilian population of both cities is taken captive [רש״י, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ, חומת אנך]. A third tradition understands the captives to be the devoted idol worshippers and religious servants who once maintained the spiritual centers of these fallen cities [רד״ק].