When a nation abandons its moral compass and foundational teachings, the resulting spiritual decay inevitably brings about severe consequences. A pattern of escalating disasters unfolds, serving as a direct response to a society's persistent wrongdoings [רש״י, אבן עזרא]. God's reaction is depicted much like a person raising a hand to strike a friend [מלבי״ם], delivering a blow so intense that it seems to shake the very foundations of the earth. The primary approach among commentators is that this trembling is a vivid illustration of a physical strike so powerful that the mountains quake and the earth threatens to swallow its inhabitants. Conversely, others view these shaking mountains as a metaphor for the highest levels of leadership. In this light, the trembling represents the sudden collapse of the kings of Judah and their ministers [רש״י, מצודת דוד], or specifically the kings of Israel who fell to the sword one after another [אברבנאל].
The aftermath of this devastation brings profound humiliation, leaving the fallen scattered in the open streets. Commentators offer varying perspectives on the exact nature of this disgrace. One approach compares the bodies to discarded filth, treated like trash or refuse thrown contemptuously into the public squares [רש״י, מצודות, שד״ל, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Another perspective suggests they are like chopped thorns, cut down and tossed aside carelessly [רד״ק, אבן עזרא, מלבי״ם]. A third, distinct view explains that the tragedy lies in the lack of a proper burial, with the bodies of fallen kings left completely exposed in the city streets [אברבנאל].
Despite these overwhelming tragedies, the divine anger does not subside, and God's hand remains poised to strike again. This relentless judgment continues because the people stubbornly refuse to repent and correct their behavior [רש״י, רד״ק]. Consequently, they face even harsher trials. The impending punishment will expand beyond the royal leadership to engulf all the tribes [אברבנאל]. Ultimately, the nation is destined to fall into the hands of cruel, distant enemies, such as the Babylonians or the King of Assyria [רש״י, שד״ל, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Being handed over to flesh-and-blood enemies is considered an even more terrifying and severe fate than suffering a punishment delivered directly from heaven [מלבי״ם].