A moment of historical truth inevitably arrives, shattering comfortable illusions and forcing a nation to confront the harsh consequences of its actions. As destruction looms, the true prophets whose warnings were repeatedly rejected are finally proven right.
The arrival of this reckoning unfolds in a precise sequence. First comes a period of accounting, a time when past wrongs are brought to the forefront of memory. This is immediately followed by a time of payback, during which God collects the spiritual debt and delivers the exact punishment the people have earned for their wicked deeds [רש״י, מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם]. Only when these days arrive will the Israelites finally acknowledge the reality they have worked so hard to ignore.
As the disaster materializes, the perception of the prophets comes into sharp focus, though commentators differ on exactly how this plays out. One approach suggests that the Israelites will finally see through the deception of the false prophets who had promised them peace. They will recognize that these leaders were merely fools and madmen completely devoid of any true prophetic spirit [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, אברבנאל].
Conversely, others understand this dynamic as a reflection of how the Israelites treated God's true messengers. Because the people desperately wanted to suppress the warnings of impending doom, they mocked the true prophets, dismissing them as foolish and insane [אבן עזרא, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Delving deeper into this mockery, the people rejected the prophet's high spiritual perception as mere madness and imagination, while labeling his moral guidance as foolish talk born of ignorance [מלבי״ם]. A third, unique perspective suggests that the sheer weight of the nation's sins creates such a tragic reality that even the true prophets will literally lose their minds and be reduced to foolishness [רש״י].
This entire collapse is driven by the vast amount of intentional sins committed by the people, particularly their choice to abandon true prophets in favor of false ones [רד״ק, מלבי״ם]. This widespread corruption birthed a deep, lingering hostility. The primary approach among commentators is that this profound hatred belongs to God, reflecting His deep resentment toward the evil actions of the Israelites [רש״י, מצודת דוד, רד״ק, מצודת ציון]. However, an alternative view suggests that this intense animosity was actually harbored within the hearts of the people themselves, directed against God and the very prophets who tried to guide them back to the right path [אבן עזרא, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ].