A profound moral failure inevitably fractures the delicate balance between humanity, the earth, and the animal kingdom. Total destruction threatens the entire environment due to the people's sins. The punishment unfolds as a gradual, worsening process: it begins with the earth itself, moves to the human population, and ultimately spreads to the wild beasts, the birds, and even the fish of the sea [מלבי״ם]. This specific progression is highly intentional. The ruin of the earth is a direct consequence of sins related to the land, while the removal of its inhabitants serves as the penalty for offenses committed between people [אברבנאל].
The impending tragedy brings more than just profound sadness; it brings absolute desolation, corruption, and ruin to the land, accompanied by widespread mourning [רש״י, מצודת ציון, רד״ק]. The fate of the inhabitants is absolute death and removal [אבן עזרא, מצודת ציון, רד״ק, שטיינזלץ], resulting in a complete loss and a final end to their existence [רש״י, אבן עזרא, מצודת ציון, שטיינזלץ].
The inclusion of all living creatures in this downfall can be understood in several ways. On a literal level, it describes a severe ecological disaster. As human settlements collapse, the animals that rely on them, including domestic cattle, wild beasts, and birds that feed on agricultural crops, will simply starve [אבן עזרא, רד״ק]. This devastation reaches even the oceans, where God's curse strikes the sea floor, stopping underwater plant growth and killing the fish [רד״ק]. This total annihilation implies that the sins of this era are even worse than those of the generation of the Flood; while fish survived the biblical Flood, here they too are wiped out [אבן עזרא]. Alternatively, the sweeping mention of all wildlife may be a deliberate exaggeration meant to emphasize the sheer magnitude of the destruction, showing that absolutely nothing will remain untouched [מצודת דוד, רד״ק].
Beyond the physical environment, the destruction of the animal kingdom carries deep symbolic meaning. Historically and politically, the beasts and birds represent ruthless foreign empires, such as those of Nebuchadnezzar and Sennacherib, who attack with the ferocity of lions and eagles. The fish represent the vast enemy armies gathering from every direction, or perhaps the Israelites themselves, trapped like fish in a net and dragged into exile. On a spiritual level, the comparison to animals highlights the ultimate loss of the soul. Because the people abandoned the Torah, they forfeit their eternal life. Their souls will perish entirely alongside their physical bodies, suffering the same permanent end as the beasts of the field, the birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea [אברבנאל].