ישעיהו, פרק ל׳, פסוק כ״ב

A profound spiritual awakening brings about a complete rejection of false worship. When the people finally listen to the prophets and turn away from idolatry, their change of heart is not merely a shift in belief, but a strong physical reaction against their former practices. They will not just destroy the statues; they will develop a deep disgust for the precious silver and gold that decorate them. Even though these materials are highly valuable, the people will feel no desire to keep them. They will actively declare the idols and all their accessories as impure, treating them as disgusting objects that must be removed [שד״ל]. This mirrors the historical actions of King Hezekiah, who actively purged impurity from the house of God [רד״ק, מצודת דוד].

This intense disgust will extend to everything associated with the false gods. The people will reject the silver plating that covers statues made of wood or stone [מצודת ציון, שד״ל]. They will also cast away the idol's belt [מצודת ציון], its expensive coverings [אבן עזרא], and the jewelry that adorns molten metal figures [רש״י, מלבי״ם, מצודת ציון]. The primary approach among commentators is that because it is forbidden to derive any benefit from idols or their decorations, the people will not save these precious items but will destroy them entirely.

The people will scatter and throw these remnants far away [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, שד״ל, שטיינזלץ], an act that also symbolizes their total alienation from their past sins [מלבי״ם]. The level of repulsion will be extreme. They will avoid the idols with the same distance and caution one might use when staying away from a sick person or a menstruating woman who cannot be touched [רש״י, אבן עזרא, רד״ק, מצודת דוד, שטיינזלץ].

In their zeal, the people will command the idols to leave and stay far away [רד״ק, שד״ל, מצודת דוד]. Alternatively, another perspective rooted in tradition suggests that this final dismissal is not a command to leave, but a declaration of filth. According to this view, the people will view the once-revered statues as nothing more than literal excrement and dirt, completing their absolute break from idolatry [רד״ק, שד״ל, מלבי״ם].