ישעיהו, פרק ס״ו, פסוק ו׳

A dramatic moment of divine justice and retribution emerges from the most sacred spaces, accompanied by intense, echoing sounds. God's arrival to deliver judgment brings a massive uproar, signaling a sudden shift in reality and the delivery of payback to the wicked. While God's presence is usually not marked by loud noise, the execution of justice against the wicked is accompanied by a great commotion [אהבת יהונתן, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This noise resembles the intense roar of a massive crowd [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The prophecy unfolds in stages, presenting three separate sounds that merge into a complete system of punishment [מלבי״ם]. The sound first rings out from the holy city of Jerusalem, and then it becomes more focused, echoing directly from the Temple [אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד]. The primary approach among commentators is that this points to a future era during the days of the Messiah. The roaring noise from Jerusalem serves as a declaration of war and a severe threat against the nations of the world, specifically Gog and Magog [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, צאינה וראינה]. The scope of this event may be even broader, as the source of the sound could also refer to the heavenly Temple, allowing God's voice of retribution to be heard across the entire world [אבן עזרא].

Because the historical destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple already served as an atonement for the sins of the Israelites, this new uproar is directed exclusively at the foreign nations, serving as payback to His enemies [אהבת יהונתן]. These enemies are identified either as Gog and Magog or as the wicked individuals who actively cast out and distanced the faithful believers [אבן עזרא].

An alternative approach gives the three sounds a deep historical and moral meaning, viewing them as distinct cries demanding justice. The sound from the city represents the blood of the murdered in Jerusalem crying out from the earth. The sound from the Temple is the agonizing cry of the sanctuary burning down. Finally, the voice of God represents the ultimate response to the heresy and lies that the nations spoke against His divinity. God now reveals Himself to exact punishment for these three specific wrongs [אברבנאל].

While most view this as a future event, a different perspective places the prophecy in the historical period of Manasseh, King of Judah. According to this view, the warning is directed at the wicked people of that specific generation who mocked the true believers, letting them know that a day of disaster is imminent. Only following this specific warning does the focus shift toward future promises of redemption [שד״ל].