ישעיהו, פרק ל״ג, פסוק י״ט

A prophetic promise guarantees total liberation from an overwhelming enemy force whose very presence and unfamiliar language struck fear into the people. These invading armies will disappear from the land entirely without the need for direct combat. Some identify this miraculous retreat with the sudden fall of the Assyrian army [מלבי״ם, מצודת דוד, שטיינזלץ], while others suggest it refers to the Babylonians [רש״י, רד״ק]. The primary approach among commentators is that this enemy was a fierce, powerful, and cruel nation [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, רד״ק, שד״ל]. However, others describe them primarily as a strange and alien people [אבן עזרא], or specifically as a nation speaking a foreign language rather than the holy tongue [רש״י, שד״ל], a view that is strongly debated [אבן עזרא]. Ultimately, the promise ensures that these massive military forces will no longer be seen within the borders [שד״ל, מצודת דוד], as they will be completely destroyed, humbled, and driven away [מלבי״ם, רש״י].

Beyond the physical threat, the terror of this enemy was deeply rooted in their cultural strangeness, particularly their incomprehensible speech. Their language is described as being incredibly difficult to grasp, as if its meaning were hidden away in a deep, inaccessible place [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון]. The barrier is not a matter of failing to physically hear their voices, but rather an absolute inability to decode or make sense of the words [מצודת ציון, רד״ק]. When people listen to a completely unknown language, the unfamiliar sounds often seem like clumsy, backwards, and meaningless babble that sounds almost ridiculous to the listener [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, שד״ל, אבן עזרא]. In the end, this foreign tongue, much like ancient Aramaic, creates a total barrier where no mutual understanding or direct communication is possible [רד״ק, שטיינזלץ].