ישעיהו, פרק כ״א, פסוק ט״ו

A tragic reality of war refugees unfolds, capturing the terror and overwhelming military force that compels people to abandon their homeland and run for their lives. The primary approach among commentators is that these individuals are fleeing against their will from an advancing enemy, likely the army of the Assyrian king [אבן עזרא, אברבנאל, מלבי״ם]. Specifically, these wanderers are identified as the residents of Arabia, Kedar, and Tema [שד״ל].

However, an alternative tradition suggests the wanderers are actually the Israelites who were exiled from their land. In this context, the narrative highlights the cruelty of the local Arabians. When the Israelite refugees passed through the territory and begged for water, the locals deceitfully fed them salty food and handed them empty, air-filled waterskins to cause their death [רש״י, אברבנאל]. In sharp contrast, a surprising perspective views this event as a praise of the Arabian people. Having previously suffered the horrors of war, starvation, and thirst as wanderers themselves, they developed a deep sense of kindness and generosity. Consequently, they would rush to provide bread and water to any refugee passing through their land [אברבנאל].

The destruction that leads to this mass flight is detailed through the specific weapons and stages of combat. The onslaught of swords serves as a general representation of the absolute ruin brought about by war [אברבנאל]. This violence spread across the entire land, leaving the victims with absolutely nowhere to hide [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת ציון, אבן עזרא, מלבי״ם]. Other commentators understand this threat specifically as sharpened, drawn weapons ready for slaughter, creating a natural parallel to the other dangers of the battlefield [רש״י, רד״ק, שד״ל, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The terror continues with long-range combat, characterized by soldiers stepping on their bows to pull the strings back tightly, allowing them to fire arrows over great distances [מצודת דוד]. Even though the defenders were highly skilled archers themselves, their military expertise could not save them, as the invading enemy arrived fully equipped to match their tactics [מלבי״ם].

Ultimately, the refugees are forced to flee from the sheer intensity and crushing weight of the battle [מצודת דוד]. The local forces did not surrender or run away at the first sign of conflict. They fought back with all their might, only retreating when the enemy completely overpowered them [מלבי״ם]. This heavy burden of war also encompasses the prolonged suffering, agonizing sieges, distress, and starvation that accompany a lengthy military campaign [אברבנאל].

Taking these descriptions of combat into a different dimension, a unique interpretation applies them to the end of days. In this view, the battles hint at three apocalyptic wars of chaos that the descendants of Ishmael are destined to wage in the future: one at sea, a second on land, and a third in the great city of Rome [אברבנאל].