A vision of absolute and eternal annihilation unfolds, characterized by an unquenchable fire and endless desolation. The land of Edom is condemned to become permanent ruins, much like the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, leaving behind a landscape where smoke rises continuously [רד״ק, אברבנאל]. This devastating ruin serves as a direct punishment from God. Because this central city actively misled the world with false beliefs, He decreed that it must remain completely desolate, serving only as a dwelling place for impure birds [אברבנאל].
The fire that consumes this land is fundamentally different from ordinary flames. While a fire used for cooking is typically put out at night, and a fire used for light is extinguished during the day, this divine blaze burns constantly. Its sole purpose is to ensure that thick smoke billows from the ruins forever without a single moment of pause [מלבי״ם, מצודת דוד].
This profound desolation is destined to last from the initial generation of the destruction until the end of all history [רש״י, מצודת דוד]. By extending across every era, the ongoing ruin ensures that no new group of people will ever arise with the initiative to rebuild the city [מלבי״ם]. On a deeper historical level, this continuous timeline reflects God's ongoing war against Amalek. It serves as a direct continuation of the curse placed upon Amalek by Moses, spanning across the generations of Moses, King Saul, Mordechai, and extending all the way to the days of the Messiah [רש״י].
The devastation will be so absolute that the land will remain entirely empty for endless ages [אבן עזרא]. It will become so thoroughly abandoned that even casual, wandering travelers will never cross its borders. Because no human being will ever set foot there, the very idea of rebuilding the area will never cross anyone's mind [מלבי״ם, מצודת דוד].
The distinct concepts of time used to describe this ruin reveal different layers of the punishment. A description of continuous time points to the uninterrupted, endless rising of the smoke. A reference to divided time, such as passing generations, highlights that while rebuilding a city requires the collective awakening of a specific era, such an awakening is entirely denied here. Finally, the mention of endless eternity focuses on random points in time, stressing that even a chance encounter by a single passing traveler will never occur [מלבי״ם]. Conversely, another approach suggests that the idea of an endless eternity should not be understood literally, but rather as a poetic exaggeration designed to amplify the sheer magnitude of the destruction [שד״ל].