ישעיהו, פרק כ״ב, פסוק ו׳

A terrifying coalition of foreign armies converges on Jerusalem, bringing together specialized military forces to form a highly organized war machine. At the forefront of this assault are the people of Elam, a nation absorbed into the vast Assyrian or Babylonian empire [אבן עזרא, שד״ל, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Known as master archers, the Elamite soldiers advance toward the city equipped with quivers full of arrows [רש״י, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The sheer volume of ammunition they carry is so massive that they require specialized transport vehicles just to move the arrows to the front lines [מלבי״ם]. These forces arrive in chariots designed to carry both infantrymen and accompanying cavalry units [מצודת דוד, שד״ל, מלבי״ם].

While the archers of Elam manage the long-range attack, the next phase of the battle relies on heavy defense and direct charging. The primary approach among commentators is that a second group, from a northern city or nation under Assyrian control known as Kir, joins the siege. As they prepare for combat, these soldiers expose their shields, stripping away the leather covers that protect the gear during peacetime [שד״ל, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Together, these armies execute a coordinated tactical maneuver. The troops from Kir hold up their bare shields, forming a protective barrier to shelter the Elamite archers as they fire upon the city [מלבי״ם].

A distinctly different perspective suggests that this defensive maneuver does not involve a second foreign army, but rather focuses directly on the physical wall of Jerusalem itself. In this scenario, the attacking soldiers press themselves against the city wall and lock their shields together. This formation creates a protective roof, allowing the invaders to safely dig beneath the wall's foundations without being harmed by the defenders above [רש״י, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Adding another layer to the historical picture, a unique tradition notes an alternate account involving an Arabian nation called Eifah. According to this view, the forces of Kir and Eifah work side by side, carrying their shields together as they march against the city [שד״ל].