דברי הימים ב, פרק ל״ו, פסוק י״ז

The fall of Jerusalem stands as a devastating fulfillment of ancient prophecies, marked by absolute ruin and unparalleled cruelty. The crushing defeat of the Israelites was not simply a matter of shifting military power. Rather, it was a deliberate divine act. God delivered the people and their Temple into the hands of a ruthless enemy as a direct punishment for their sins.

It was God who stirred the heart of the Babylonian king to launch a war against Judah [מצודת דוד]. The specific choice of the Chaldeans to execute this judgment was deeply intentional. Known as a lowly and degraded nation, their rise to power over the Israelites fulfilled an ancient warning given by Moses, who foretold that God would punish His people and provoke their anger by handing them over to a foolish nation [רש"י].

The resulting massacre unfolded as a strict measure-for-measure consequence. Because the people had defiled God's Temple, their punishment was to be slaughtered right inside its walls. This grim reality matched Ezekiel's prophecy, which warned of a merciless slaughter taking place directly within the city and the sanctuary [רש"י].

The brutality of the invading army shattered all accepted rules of warfare. Typically, victorious soldiers execute enemy combatants while sparing women, young people, and the elderly. In this invasion, however, the destruction was entirely indiscriminate. The enemy showed no pity, wiping out young men and women, as well as the oldest members of society [רש"י]. Such absolute devastation and military success were only possible because God orchestrated the entire event. He handed everything, without a single exception, over to the Chaldean king, leaving the nation entirely defenseless [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].