יחזקאל, פרק ה׳, פסוק י״ז

A heavy and absolute punishment is decreed upon the nation, unfolding as a chain of deadly disasters that includes famine, wild beasts, disease, and war. This devastation brings widespread death and complete destruction [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The tragedy focuses specifically on the loss of children. While starvation and wild beasts will certainly harm adults, they will strike the young most severely. Children lack the physical strength to endure the agony of starvation, and they are unable to defend themselves with weapons against animal attacks [רד״ק].

The impending doom also involves massive bloodshed from those killed in battle [מצודת דוד]. The warning describes this violence in a seemingly repetitive manner, referring to both widespread bloodshed and an invading sword. This dual description can be understood simply as a way to emphasize the severity of the violence [מצודת דוד]. However, it also points to two distinct types of military threats. The first is an incidental conflict with an enemy force traveling through the region on its way to another destination, without an initial plan to fight the nation. The second is a direct, calculated attack by an enemy whose spirit God specifically awakened to wage war against the people and drive them into exile [רד״ק].

The decree concludes with a firm declaration from God. It emphasizes that because He is the one who ordered this disaster, He possesses the absolute power to carry it out, ensuring that the punishment will undoubtedly come to pass [רד״ק, מצודת דוד].