A profound moral decay brings about a devastating divine response that leaves no part of society untouched. The primary approach among commentators is that the defeats suffered by the nation are a direct punishment for their widespread sins.
The judgment begins with the young and the strong [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. While human kings often spare their bravest warriors because they delight in their physical might, God does not operate this way. The idea that God will find no joy in these young men is a way of speaking in human terms. Just as an artist takes pleasure in a successful creation, God is, so to speak, saddened when people choose an evil path [אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד, רד״ק]. Because these young warriors follow their superficial desires, their physical strength is useless in saving them from disaster [מלבי״ם, רד״ק].
The death of these young men in battle directly leads to the creation of widows and orphans [שד״ל]. Typically, these vulnerable groups naturally evoke compassion, and an ordinary ruler would spare them out of pity. However, in this case, even the weakest members of society will not receive God's mercy [רד״ק, מלבי״ם]. This sweeping punishment occurs because the corruption has infected absolutely everyone, from the most powerful to the most defenseless [רד״ק].
The moral collapse of the nation unfolds in three distinct stages. First, there is a pervasive culture of falsehood. This manifests either as hypocrisy, where people outwardly pretend to be faithful servants of God while harboring evil in their hearts [אבן עזרא, מלבי״ם], or as a society where everyone flatters the wicked [מצודת דוד]. Second, this internal corruption turns into action, as people actively commit wicked deeds [רש״י, מצודת ציון, מלבי״ם]. Finally, the decay reaches their speech. They speak disgraceful things [מצודת ציון] and sink to such a low point that they are no longer ashamed to publicly announce their wicked behavior [מלבי״ם].
Despite the severe tragedies that strike them, the people refuse to take the message to heart and fail to repent [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Because of this stubbornness, God's anger does not calm down [מלבי״ם]. His hand remains outstretched, ready to strike them further [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון], and the suffering will continue to follow them even into exile [רד״ק].