ישעיהו, פרק י״ד, פסוק ו׳

Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, stands as the ultimate symbol of unchecked tyranny and brutal military aggression. He ruled the world through sheer terror and uncontrollable rage. When he attacked other nations, he did so out of intense, burning anger [מצודת דוד]. Rather than waiting for his temper to settle, he struck at the very height of his fury, leaving a trail of massive destruction [חומת אנך]. The primary approach among commentators is that his assaults were constant and unrelenting, never giving his victims a moment to recover. However, a unique perspective suggests that his wrath was also entirely baseless. He directed his violent outbursts even at small, innocent nations that had committed no offense against him [מלבי״ם].

This dominating control was driven by an overflowing fury [מצודת ציון]. In fact, his intense rage became his most famous and defining characteristic [רד״ק]. He treated great nations with the cruelty of a harsh dictator, lashing out at them as if they were in active rebellion, even when they had completely surrendered to his control [מלבי״ם].

His reign was marked by a relentless pursuit that knew no boundaries [מצודת ציון]. According to one perspective, the nations were his perpetual targets. He hunted down every country without holding back, denying them any peace [רש״י, רד״ק]. His cruelty was so absolute that he showed no mercy to those who were already trapped with no hope of escape, ensuring they were completely wiped out [שד״ל]. He continued to crush them with anger even when they offered no resistance and were entirely willing to obey his every command [מלבי״ם]. Conversely, another approach views the king himself as the ultimate target. Because he governed with such extreme cruelty, he eventually became the hunted one, pursued endlessly until his total destruction [מצודת דוד]. Ultimately, his warlike nature trapped him in a cycle where he could never find rest, constantly chasing conflicts while being endlessly chased by them [ביאור שטיינזלץ].