ישעיהו, פרק כ״ח, פסוק כ״א

The miraculous military history of the Israelites serves as a stark warning of future divine intervention. Through the memory of past triumphs, a picture emerges of an unusually severe punishment that will catch the nation completely by surprise. The historical memory points to two foundational battles. The first is King David's miraculous victory against the Philistines at Mount Perazim, where God struck the enemies suddenly, breaking them apart like a sudden burst of water [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, אבן עזרא, שד״ל]. The second is Joshua's battle against the Amorites in the Valley of Gibeon, marked by dramatic divine intervention. During this conflict, God either cast massive hailstones down from the sky [מצודת דוד] or brought the sun and moon to a complete halt [אבן עזרא].

A unique perspective weaves these two locations together into a comprehensive system of punishment that leaves no avenue for escape. In this view, Mount Perazim symbolizes a disaster rising from the ground, such as a violent earthquake or the earth splitting open. Conversely, the Valley of Gibeon represents devastation raining down from the heavens in the form of fire and hail [מלבי״ם, רש״י].

In preparation for these events, God will rise up to strike and destroy. This action is driven by intense anger and rage [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ], or it indicates a physical shaking, movement, and trembling of nature itself [שד״ל, אבן עזרא].

The impending divine action is heavily emphasized as something entirely strange and alien. The primary approach among commentators views this as a tragic historical reversal. In the past, at Mount Perazim and Gibeon, God rose up to fight on behalf of the Israelites and destroy their enemies. Now, the act is considered alien because God will rise to fight against the Israelites themselves, bringing punishment upon them [רד״ק, אברבנאל, אבן עזרא]. Another perspective suggests the act is strange simply because it is a severe, incomprehensible disaster. The people have not experienced anything like it in a long time, making it appear bizarre and unfamiliar [רש״י, ביאור שטיינזלץ, מצודת דוד]. Finally, some draw a distinction between the types of unusual events that will occur. One aspect of the punishment refers to a rare but entirely natural phenomenon, such as an earthquake, while the other points to a completely supernatural and miraculous intervention that defies normal reality altogether [מלבי״ם].