ירמיהו, פרק ט״ז, פסוק ט״ז

A vivid, two-stage picture of coming destruction unfolds, illustrating the thorough and inescapable nature of the approaching enemy. God will awaken the spirit of foreign nations, drawing them in as if He had issued a direct and explicit call for them to arrive [רד״ק]. The first phase of this devastation is compared to fishing [רד״ק, מצודת ציון]. The primary approach among commentators is that this represents an initial, large-scale attack on the population. Just as a fisherman casts a wide net into the water to gather a massive number of fish all at once, the invading forces will first trap the multitudes gathered within the city. This fishing metaphor also carries a lethal reality. Because a fish dies the moment it is pulled from its natural environment, this initial wave of capture symbolizes the masses who will be killed instantly by the sword [רש״י, רד״ק].

Following this overwhelming first strike, a small number of people will manage to slip through the nets and escape [מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. For these survivors, God will send hunters of wild animals [מצודת דוד]. This second phase shifts from a mass gathering to a highly specific, individual pursuit. The enemy forces will track down the fleeing individuals, searching every mountain, hill, and rocky crevice to find where they are hiding [מצודת ציון]. They will be hunted with the same relentless focus required to chase wild game through rugged terrain [מצודת דוד]. In contrast to fish, animals are typically captured alive. Therefore, this hunting stage represents the fate of the survivors who are caught and taken alive into captivity and exile [רש״י, רד״ק].