ירמיהו, פרק י״א, פסוק כ״ב

The people of Anathoth face total devastation across all generations as a direct result of God entering into a conflict with them. When God turns His attention toward this community, it is to recall their actions and deliver a severe punishment [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ, מלבי״ם].

The impending disaster unfolds in two distinct arenas, ensuring no age group escapes. The first arena is the battlefield outside the city. The young men, trusting in their physical strength, march out to fight and ultimately fall by the sword. The second arena is within the walls of the besieged city itself, where the small children left behind face a grim death by starvation [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם].

The specific focus on the starvation of children, rather than adults, highlights the horrifying reality of a prolonged siege. In such desperate conditions, if any small amount of food is found, the fathers will consume it themselves, prioritizing their own survival over that of their children. As the famine reaches its absolute peak, the adults will be driven to the unthinkable extreme of consuming the flesh of their own sons and daughters [רד״ק].