A profound divine hesitation and emotional turmoil surrounds the fate of the Kingdom of Israel. Despite the heavy sins of the people and the severe punishment they rightfully deserve, deep mercy awakens, preventing their absolute destruction. An intense internal struggle unfolds between strict justice and boundless compassion.
God questions how He can possibly surrender His people and hand His heritage over to foreign nations. The distinction drawn between Ephraim and Israel reflects a specific dynamic: Ephraim represents the king and the royal tribe who incited the nation to sin, while Israel represents the rest of the people whose guilt is lesser [מלבי״ם, אברבנאל]. The act of surrendering them is viewed as a harsh, direct transfer into the hands of the enemy [מלבי״ם].
The difficulty intensifies as God considers whether He can reduce the nation to the state of Admah and Zeboiim. These were neighboring cities of Sodom and Gomorrah that were completely overturned and destroyed in divine anger [מצודת ציון, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The specific mention of these cities occurs because the prophet Isaiah had already used Sodom and Gomorrah as a metaphor for the Kingdom of Judah, leaving Admah and Zeboiim as the parallel symbol for the Kingdom of Israel [אברבנאל]. Although the people deserve total annihilation just like those ruined cities [רד״ק], God struggles to bring such absolute and final destruction upon them [מלבי״ם].
At this juncture, a profound emotional shift occurs, marking a total change of divine will. Despite the initial anger and the decision to punish, God's heart turns toward pity, ensuring that a remnant will survive and the nation will not be entirely wiped out [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The awakening of this mercy is described as a burning, searing heat, illustrating the sheer intensity of compassion aroused by the sight of the people, though it is also understood as a sudden stirring and rolling forth of emotion [רד״ק, אברבנאל]. Speaking in human terms, all attributes of mercy heat up and rise together, completely overwhelming any opposing force of strict justice and expressing profound regret over the planned devastation [אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד].
A deeply complex and tragic dilemma emerges from this situation. God desires to return to the city of Samaria to protect it, preventing the king of Assyria from annihilating it completely. However, if God were to descend directly into a city so consumed by wickedness, the attribute of strict justice would demand that He overturn and destroy it Himself, just as He did to Sodom. Thus, God is caught in a profound conflict: His heart turns toward the good, wishing to save them from Assyria, yet His compassions burn with painful hesitation, knowing that if He personally descends to rescue them, their severe sins will force Him to destroy the city with His own hands [מלבי״ם].