The Babylonian empire faces inevitable destruction, and a biting critique is delivered against its desperate, futile attempts to save itself. Babylon leans heavily on its accumulated wisdom of magic and astrology, yet finds no salvation. The sheer volume of advisors, magical schemes, and spells has only drained the empire, leaving it exhausted and without any real benefit [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Interestingly, while the nation was previously compared to a female sorceress, the focus shifts to address the astrologers directly. This distinction likely stems from the ancient reality that women did not generally go out into the open fields at night to observe the stars [שד״ל].
A cynical challenge is issued to these stargazers, urging them to step forward and rescue the empire. The primary approach among commentators links the nature of these astrologers to the concept of clarity, noting that their craft relies entirely on a clear, cloudless sky to calculate time and predict the future [רש״י, מצודת ציון]. Although some reject this linguistic connection [אבן עזרא], another view suggests their practice involves dividing the sky into twelve distinct astrological houses [שד״ל]. A more poetic interpretation describes them metaphorically as possessing wings, flying up to the heavens in their minds to gaze at the stars [מלבי״ם].
The methodology of these astrologers did not rely on continuous observation of the atmosphere or political events. Instead, the primary approach among commentators explains that they focused on specific cosmic moments, particularly the monthly renewal of the moon [אבן עזרא, רד״ק, מצודת דוד]. Alternatively, their predictions were based on the sun entering a new astrological house at the start of each month [שד״ל].
The ultimate value of these monthly forecasts is called into question regarding the impending disasters. One perspective suggests that during the new moon, these astrologers only manage to catch a fragmented glimpse of the future. Their vision remains incomplete, much like birds that chirp without understanding the meaning of their own sounds [רש״י]. Other commentators present a logical challenge: if these stargazers truly possess the ability to foresee the future, they should have warned Babylon before the disaster struck. Now that the threat is imminent, they are challenged to actually use their supposed power to save the city [רד״ק, אבן עזרא, מלבי״ם]. Ultimately, another approach clarifies that this is a statement of absolute sarcasm. There is no need to analyze whether their knowledge is partial or complete, because they actually know nothing at all. They merely pretend to predict what is coming, but in reality, they are entirely powerless and ignorant [שד״ל].