ישעיהו, פרק מ״ז, פסוק י״א

A total and unavoidable destruction is destined to fall upon the mighty empire of Babylon. The impending collapse will not just be a defeat, but a shocking display of absolute helplessness. This downfall is portrayed as a relentless sequence of sudden disasters, leaving no room for defense, foresight, or escape.

A day of terrible trouble will arrive [רד״ק, אבן עזרא]. This disaster will be marked by a profound sense of disorientation. Some commentators explain that the trouble will strike with the suddenness of a breaking dawn, arriving entirely without warning [רד״ק, שד״ל]. Others view it as a darkness so deep it resembles a night without a dawn, offering no hope of ever stepping back into the light [אבן עזרא, רד״ק, מלבי״ם]. Taking a different approach, some suggest that the confusion will revolve around finding a savior, as the people will simply not know who to seek out or ask for rescue [רש״י, מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון]. Furthermore, the sheer nature of the crisis will be entirely beyond their understanding, leaving them unable to decode what is actually happening [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Following this initial confusion, a severe and sudden disaster will crash down upon them. When this catastrophe hits, there will be no way to undo it. The primary approach among commentators is that the empire will completely fail to wipe away or remove the threat [רש״י, מצודת ציון, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Others note that wealth will be useless, as no financial ransom will be accepted to cancel the decree [אבן עזרא]. Additionally, the collapse will be so overwhelming that the people will be unable to protect themselves or even hide their humiliating defeat [שד״ל, מלבי״ם].

Finally, total desolation and emptiness will sweep over the land [מצודת ציון, רד״ק, אבן עזרא]. This ruin will strike so rapidly that it will catch the empire in a state of complete unreadiness, arriving before anyone even has the chance to realize the danger or prepare a defense [מצודת דוד, שד״ל, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

This sequence of unavoidable doom maps perfectly onto the actual historical night when Babylon fell [מלבי״ם]. The incomprehensible trouble mirrors the mysterious writing that appeared on the wall of Belshazzar's palace, which his wisest advisors could not decipher. The sudden disaster that could not be hidden or undone reflects the assassination of the king by his own ministers later that very night. Ultimately, the sudden and complete ruin was the silent and unexpected invasion of the Medes and Persians into the heart of the city, catching the entire empire completely by surprise.