ישעיהו, פרק י״ז, פסוק י״ד

The terror of a besieging army reaches its peak as darkness falls, yet it can transform into sudden and complete salvation by dawn. This sharp transition from existential dread to immediate liberation perfectly captures the downfall of those who rise up to destroy and plunder. At evening, the residents of Jerusalem were consumed by overwhelming fear of the approaching enemy [אבן עזרא, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The primary approach among commentators is that this prophecy points to the historical defeat of the Assyrian camp led by Sennacherib. However, others view it as a broader metaphor for any enemies who suddenly scatter and lose their ability to fight [שד״ל], while some suggest it also hints at the future, ultimate war of Gog and Magog [רש״י].

As night descended, a profound panic took hold. Some explain that demons and harmful spirits arrived in the dark to terrify the enemy camp [רש״י]. In a similar sense, the enemy's sudden panic is compared to the terror of night demons that rule in the darkness but vanish entirely with the morning light [מלבי״ם]. Indeed, during that very night, an angel of God went out and struck the Assyrian camp with a devastating blow. Before morning even arrived, the enemy was completely eradicated, leaving nothing behind but lifeless corpses [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, אבן עזרא, חומת אנך].

Witnessing this miraculous rescue, the prophet joyfully declares the fitting punishment for those who came to attack the nation [אבן עזרא, רד״ק, מצודת דוד]. This total defeat is understood on two levels: it represents both the downfall of the enemy's spiritual representative in heaven and the physical destruction of Sennacherib and his officers on earth [חומת אנך].

While some interpret the prophet's paired descriptions of the enemy's fate as simple repetition for emphasis [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון], others highlight precise distinctions regarding the attackers' motives and their ultimate ends. A portion refers to an outcome a person rightfully earns, whereas a lot implies receiving something by chance, regardless of merit. Furthermore, a plunderer seeks primarily to ruin and destroy property, while a looter simply wants to take the spoils for personal gain. Therefore, the attackers who came with the malicious intent to destroy received their exact, deserved portion of punishment. Meanwhile, those who joined the camp merely to loot for money, without the desire to cause destruction, were shocked to discover that it was their lot to share the exact same heavy downfall as the destroyers [מלבי״ם].