מלכים ב, פרק י״ד, פסוק י״ג

The defeat of the King of Judah reaches its peak as he is taken captive, allowing the victorious king to enter Jerusalem in a dramatic show of force. Jehoash, the king of Israel, captures Amaziah at Beth-shemesh but deliberately avoids killing him [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Upon arriving at Jerusalem, Jehoash does not use the standard entrances. Instead, he breaks open a massive section of the city wall. This act is not mere destruction, but a calculated symbol of honor and dominance. It was a known custom among great kings that upon achieving a massive victory, they would bypass the regular gates of a conquered city. By tearing down part of the defenses and marching directly through the breach, they publicly demonstrated their overwhelming power and their absolute triumph over the enemy [מלבי״ם].

The resulting breach is vast, spanning four hundred cubits in length [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The destruction begins at the Gate of Ephraim, an entrance that faced the territory of the tribe of Ephraim and served as their primary access point into Jerusalem [רד״ק, רלב״ג, חומת אנך]. From there, the damage extends all the way to the Corner Gate. The primary approach among commentators is that this gate was named simply for its physical location at the corner of the city wall [רד״ק, חומת אנך, מצודת דוד]. However, a differing perspective suggests a deeper spiritual meaning. In this view, the gate was situated near the House of God and earned its name because it represented the very corner and foundation for the holiness of Israel [רלב״ג].