An approaching enemy army is a terrifying sight, especially when it operates as a relentless, highly advanced war machine ready to unleash immediate destruction. The invading forces arrive fully prepared for battle, with their weapons set for action. Their arrows are fully sharpened [מצודת ציון, אברבנאל], and their bows are tightly drawn and ready to fire [מצודת ציון, שטיינזלץ]. The primary approach among commentators is that this state of constant readiness emphasizes the absolute speed and efficiency of the invaders. They will not need to waste precious time on the battlefield preparing their weapons; everything is set in advance to strike without delay [מלבי״ם, רד״ק, שד״ל, אברבנאל].
The physical strength of the army's horses adds to this terrifying image, though commentators offer different perspectives on the exact nature of their power. The primary approach among commentators is that the horses' hooves are as hard as solid flint. In ancient times, horses were not fitted with iron horseshoes, meaning a war horse's value depended entirely on the natural hardness of its hooves [שד״ל]. These animals possess hooves so strong and rock-like that they will never be damaged by rough terrain, stumble during a charge, or require any protective covering, even while galloping at full speed [רש״י, רד״ק, מלבי״ם, אבן עזרא]. Taking a different approach, other scholars suggest the horses are trained to act as weapons themselves. In this view, the animals are conditioned to kick and trample maliciously, turning their very hooves into a deadly, independent enemy on the battlefield [שטיינזלץ, אברבנאל].
Carrying the army forward are the wheels of the heavy war chariots and wagons [רש״י, מצודת ציון, שד״ל]. These wheels spin with the massive speed and destructive force of a violent storm [מצודת דוד, אברבנאל]. The speed of the chariots is so extreme that they appear to fly across the battlefield like straw caught in the wind [רד״ק, אבן עזרא], moving so fast that it seems as though the wheels are carrying the heavy wagons through the air all on their own [מלבי״ם]. Ultimately, this highly exaggerated imagery serves to show the sheer power, cruelty, and terrifying speed of the invading force [רד״ק, מלבי״ם].