ישעיהו, פרק כ״ב, פסוק ז׳

The prophet speaks directly to Jerusalem, painting a terrifying picture of an enemy army closing in on the city. The choice valleys surrounding Jerusalem suddenly overflow with enemy war chariots [מצודת דוד, שטיינזלץ, אבן עזרא]. The enemy gathers in these specific locations due to the local topography. War chariots cannot navigate the mountainous terrain of Jerusalem, forcing the army to assemble in the lower valleys [רד״ק]. Alternatively, this gathering might not refer to geographic valleys at all, but rather to the vast military camps established by the enemy forces [רד״ק]. This sudden, overwhelming sight highlights the deep complacency of the city's residents. They ignored the looming danger and completely failed to prepare for war, only realizing their peril at the exact moment they saw the valleys filled with chariots and horsemen advancing toward them [מלבי״ם].

As the invasion progresses, the focus shifts to a direct assault on the city gates. The primary approach among commentators is that the enemy horsemen deliberately positioned themselves and set their faces toward the entrances of the city in preparation for battle [מצודת ציון, שד״ל, מצודת דוד, רד״ק, שטיינזלץ]. Other perspectives suggest a more entrenched attack, viewing this action as the imposition of an actual physical siege on the gates [רש״י]. This aggressive tactic involves setting up destructive weapons, erecting siege towers, and building dirt ramps to breach the city walls [אבן עזרא, רד״ק]. Additional interpretations propose that the forces engaged in active combat right at the gates, or that the enemy appointed military commanders to take strict control over all entrances to the city [רד״ק].