יחזקאל, פרק ט׳, פסוק ח׳

In the middle of a devastating vision, the prophet faces a scene of total destruction and finds himself completely alone against the force of strict divine judgment. As the destroying angels carry out their mission throughout the city and the temple courtyards, he looks around at the fallen and makes a chilling discovery: he is the only survivor. It becomes clear that not a single resident of Jerusalem was found righteous enough to receive the mark of life on their forehead [מלבי״ם, אברבנאל, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The harsh reality of this judgment is that even those who did not actively participate in the sins of the city are punished alongside the wicked, simply because they failed to speak out and protest against the wrongdoing [מצודת דוד].

While the angels strike the people, the prophet actively looks around, wondering if anyone else will survive the onslaught. Ultimately, his search ends in the painful realization that he alone is left [רד״ק]. Overwhelmed by deep sadness and a sense of absolute ruin, he falls to his face and lets out a loud, wailing cry [מצודת ציון].

His desperate shout to God stems from a fear for the future of the entire nation. He questions whether God intends to wipe out the very last remnant of Israel. Because the other tribes have already faced exile or perished through war and starvation, the people of Jerusalem represent the final remaining piece of the nation. To destroy them would mean the complete extinction of the people [רד״ק, אברבנאל]. Pleading for mercy, the prophet begs God to soften the harsh judgment. He asks that God pour out His intense anger on the physical structures of Jerusalem, destroying the wood and stones of the city itself, so that His wrath might be satisfied and the surviving remnant of the people can be spared [מלבי״ם, חומת אנך].