ירמיהו, פרק י״ג, פסוק כ׳

A dramatic call rings out as a kingdom stands on the brink of ruin. The leaders and the nation are forced to open their eyes and witness the impending destruction of their home and the tragic loss of their people.

The warning is delivered in two distinct ways, addressing different layers of society. On one level, it speaks directly to the leadership at the head of the nation. This refers either to the king and the queen mother, or to the great princes of Judah and the skilled craftsmen who were taken into exile [רד״ק, מצודת דוד]. On another level, the warning is directed at a single feminine figure, representing either the entire congregation of Israel [רד״ק] or the city of Jerusalem itself [רש״י].

They are commanded to look up and see an approaching threat from the north. This refers to the enemy forces of the Chaldean army, marching down to conquer the land and force its inhabitants into exile [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

As the invasion unfolds and the land is destroyed, a piercing, rhetorical question is posed regarding the fate of the people. The nation of Judah is compared to a magnificent flock that was entrusted to the leaders. It was their given mission to guide and protect this flock [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Now, as the people are led away in captivity, the leaders are stripped of their authority and left with nothing to shepherd. This harsh question about the loss of their beautiful flock will echo as a sharp rebuke against Jerusalem the moment the city is entirely emptied of its people [רש״י].