ישעיהו, פרק ל״ג, פסוק ד׳

A dramatic turn of events unfolds as a once-powerful enemy is suddenly struck down, leaving their massive wealth abandoned and vulnerable to be plundered with ease. Commentators offer different perspectives on who is being addressed in this moment of reversal. One view suggests the message is directed at the Assyrian enemy, warning them that they will soon be robbed by the surviving Israelites [רש״י, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Another perspective views it as a promise to the Israelites themselves, delivering the good news that the riches of foreign nations will soon fall into their hands [רד״ק, אבן עזרא]. A third approach suggests the message is spoken to the various nations that Assyria had previously plundered without effort [שד״ל].

The ease of collecting this abandoned wealth is compared to the gathering of locusts [מצודת ציון]. Just as townspeople can step outside and effortlessly scoop resting locusts into containers without facing any fear or resistance, the riches of the Assyrian camp will be gathered without a struggle [מצודת דוד, רד״ק]. Others view the locust comparison differently, suggesting the looting will be absolute, wiping out the enemy camp completely, much like a swarm of locusts devours a field of crops [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. It also mirrors how an angel destroyed the Assyrian camp with the same totality as locusts ruining grain [רד״ק]. In a practical sense, the gathering of the spoils will be an individual effort, with each person collecting for themselves, similar to the summer grain harvest [רש״י, רד״ק].

The atmosphere of this massive looting is captured through vivid sensory comparisons. The primary approach among commentators envisions a scene of loud noise and commotion. The roaring sound of the masses swarming the spoils is compared to the powerful rush of water crashing down a mountain and echoing loudly as it drains into deep pools or pits [רש״י, מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, שד״ל, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Expanding on this water imagery, another interpretation explains that just as locusts drown in rainwater pits and become incredibly easy to scoop out, the enemy wealth will be completely defenseless [מלבי״ם]. A different perspective, relying on the Aramaic translation, understands the imagery not as noise, but as rapid movement. In this view, the scene describes the fast, energetic sprinting of a locust swarm, perfectly mirroring the way the people will charge at the spoils [אבן עזרא, רד״ק]. A third approach associates the event with the energy of lighting a fire [שד״ל בשם תרגום יונתן].

Beyond the physical events, the Sages uncover a deeper spiritual and legal dimension regarding the plunder of Sennacherib's camp. The Israelites hesitated, asking the prophet if they were permitted to take the spoils, knowing the camp contained wealth previously stolen from the Ten Tribes of Israel. The prophet's response used the imagery of water pools to provide a legal ruling. Just as pools of water serve as ritual baths that purify a person from spiritual impurity, the stolen wealth of the Israelites that had fallen into foreign hands was now washed clean. It had returned to a state of purity and was entirely permitted for them to take [רד״ק].