A profound state of astonishment, confusion, and emotional numbness overtakes the people. The primary approach among commentators is that this serves as a sharp rebuke to the people of Judah for their spiritual blindness, as they have abandoned the true prophets to blindly follow false ones [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, אברבנאל]. However, others suggest a different historical backdrop, viewing the scene as the stunned reaction of the people of Judah witnessing the miraculous, unbelievable defeat of the Assyrian army led by Sennacherib [מלבי״ם]. Another perspective reads the prophecy as a bitter mockery directed at those who dismiss the prophet's warnings, cautioning them that their willful ignorance will ultimately bring about their own downfall [שד״ל].
The people are urged to stop, wait, and observe their surroundings carefully. Most commentators explain that this deliberate pause for reflection will inevitably lead them to a state of great shock, either over their own moral corruption or the dramatic events unfolding around them [רש״י, רד״ק, אברבנאל, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Alternatively, this call is not about waiting at all, but rather serves to emphasize a state of absolute, unmitigated astonishment [שד״ל]. As they process what is happening, several distinct reactions emerge. Some are told to continue ignoring the truth, with the warning that their chosen blindness will eventually leave them truly blind and stumbling [רש״י, רד״ק, שד״ל]. Others repeatedly turn away in pure disbelief at what their eyes are seeing [מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Different interpretations view their reaction as a bitter cry and weeping over impending destruction [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון], or conversely, as an invitation to look closely, engage, and deeply discuss the meaning behind the events [אברבנאל].
Ultimately, this disorientation culminates in extreme mental confusion. The people stagger and fall, completely unstable, much like drunks. Yet, this intoxication does not come from drinking wine or aged, strong liquor; rather, it is born entirely from madness and a total lack of understanding [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, אברבנאל, מלבי״ם באור המילות]. This overwhelming confusion is attributed to various groups: the false prophets who are entirely incapable of grasping the truth [רד״ק], the general public who are bewildered by the mysteries of the prophecy [אבן עזרא], or the Assyrian soldiers who are struck with sudden shock by God [מלבי״ם]. While this staggering drunkenness is widely understood as a description of their current condition, a specific reading tradition frames it as a direct command, instructing them to become entirely intoxicated by their own overwhelming confusion [מנחת שי, שד״ל].