ישעיהו, פרק ל״א, פסוק ח׳

The collapse of the mighty Assyrian empire will not be the result of military alliances or human effort. Instead, following Israel's return to God, Assyria will be defeated through a miraculous, supernatural intervention without any human involvement [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The destruction will come not from a physical weapon, but from a divine plague. The primary approach among commentators is that this heavenly strike is carried out by an angel wielding a symbolic drawn sword, completely consuming the enemy forces [אבן עזרא, רד״ק, שד״ל, מצודת ציון].

To emphasize this total lack of human involvement, the prophecy uses a dual description. Some view this simply as a repetition for added strength [מצודת דוד]. However, others see a deeper distinction in the nature of the attack. The first part of the description broadly excludes various beings, including angels, suggesting that the initial fall is orchestrated by God alone. The second part strictly excludes mortal humans, indicating that the final destruction is completed by an angel, ensuring that Israelite soldiers have no part in the victory as they did in other battles [מלבי״ם].

Despite the heavenly nature of the attack, the king of Assyria will flee as though escaping a physical battlefield. Commentators differ on what exactly prompts his escape, given the absence of a flesh-and-blood army. One perspective explains that upon witnessing the devastating plague sweeping through his camp, the king will be overcome with panic, running away as if actual soldiers with drawn swords are chasing him [רד״ק, מצודת דוד]. Another approach views his flight as a realistic outcome of the empire's sudden weakness. Devastated by the divine plague, Assyria will lose its military dominance and will be forced to retreat from actual physical armies [שד״ל], specifically running from the pursuing forces of King Hezekiah of Judah [מלבי״ם].

As for the young soldiers who survive the initial devastation, their ultimate fate is understood in two main ways. One approach points to a psychological collapse, where the hearts of the few survivors will simply melt from overwhelming fear [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון]. The second approach suggests physical subjugation, where the fleeing soldiers will be captured on the roads and reduced to forced labor [אבן עזרא, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Interestingly, one scholar noted his own shift in perspective, sharing that while he initially believed the survivors would suffer from melting hearts, he later concluded they would face actual forced slavery [שד״ל].