ירמיהו, פרק ט״ו, פסוק ט׳

A sudden collapse of national greatness brings profound tragedy, vividly captured through the heartbreaking image of a mother losing her children and daylight abruptly turning to darkness. The nation is entirely shattered, stripped of its former glory, and forced into a harsh reality of exile and deep humiliation.

The tragedy is likened to a mother whose seven children all perish, leaving her completely cut off and destroyed [מצודת ציון, שטיינזלץ]. The primary approach among commentators is that this number is not an exact count but a symbol of a large family, representing the entire nation of Israel [רד״ק]. However, a historical perspective views the seven children as a reference to seven dynasties of wicked kings that arose in Samaria and the already exiled Northern Kingdom. Alternatively, this imagery is directed at Jerusalem, symbolizing seven wicked kings who ruled over the city [רש״י, מצודת דוד].

Overwhelmed by the intensity of these troubles, the mother reaches a breaking point where her spirit fails. The primary approach among commentators is that this portrays a state of profound sorrow, deep grief, and emotional despair in the face of disaster. Conversely, others interpret this state literally, describing the actual departure of the soul and physical death [מלבי״ם, שטיינזלץ].

The crisis is further illustrated as an unnatural and sudden crash, likened to the sun setting in the middle of the afternoon [מצודת ציון]. This serves as a metaphor for the sheer volume of troubles and the premature, rapid downfall of the nation's greatness. It is as though complete darkness has fallen while the day should still be bright and full [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת דוד, שטיינזלץ].

Following this destruction, the nation is left sitting in exile, consumed by shame and disgrace. While some commentators view the descriptions of shame as a repeated expression meant to emphasize the humiliation [רד״ק], others draw a distinction between the levels of embarrassment. According to this view, the nation progresses to a much more severe and painful level of shame, reaching a state where a person feels a desperate need to hide their face in secret out of sheer disgrace [מלבי״ם].

Finally, a grim fate is sealed for those who remain. This surviving remnant refers to the people who outlasted the initial famine and avoided exile, only to be handed over to the sword of the enemy [רד״ק, שטיינזלץ]. In the historical context of Samaria's destruction, this surviving group represents the Kingdom of Judah and a portion of the tribe of Benjamin who stayed in the land, yet they too are condemned to perish by the sword [רש״י, מצודת דוד]. Offering a completely different perspective, another interpretation suggests that this final group does not refer to survivors of the war at all. Instead, it refers directly back to the offspring of the grieving mother, who will ultimately be delivered into the hands of the enemy [רד״ק].