ישעיהו, פרק י״ט, פסוק ט״ז

The collapse of a powerful empire involves more than just military defeat; it brings about a profound psychological and moral shattering. Once-brave warriors find their courage replaced by a paralyzing terror. This drastic shift occurs during the era when the Assyrian king ravages Egypt and is subsequently defeated in Jerusalem [רד״ק]. Alternatively, this profound terror strikes at the exact moment the Egyptian people witness God's decrees materializing right in front of them [אבן עזרא].

The complete breaking of their fighting spirit is expressed through imagery of sudden physical frailty. The primary approach among commentators is that this serves as a metaphor for the loss of resolve and cowardice that overtakes the soldiers, stripping them of their ability to fight. On a deeper spiritual level, this vulnerability reflects the very root of the Egyptian nation, as their spiritual guardian in the heavenly court is likened to a female when compared to the guardians of other nations [חומת אנך].

The Egyptian panic operates on two complementary levels. The first is a sudden trembling and alarm in the face of a new, tangible threat standing directly before them. The second is a continuous, daily dread of a hidden or future danger [מלבי״ם]. The root of all this terror is the realization that the devastating blow is being delivered directly by God [רד״ק, מצודת דוד]. The anxiety reaches such an extreme level that God does not even need to strike with a heavy hand. A mere hint, a slight wave of His hand, is entirely sufficient to trigger both sudden panic and a constant, lingering fear of what the future holds [מלבי״ם].