ירמיהו, פרק ט״ז, פסוק ג׳

A severe prophecy of destruction draws a sharp line between different generations and locations, determining exactly who will face the coming disaster. It creates a precise geographical and familial boundary, separating the fate of young children from that of their parents. The warning specifically addresses the sons and daughters born to these families [רד״ק], as well as the fathers who brought them into the world [מצודת דוד]. However, the tragic decree of complete ruin is not applied equally to everyone in every place.

A clear boundary is set regarding where the destruction will strike. The doom pronounced upon the young children is strictly limited to the city of Anathoth. Only the children born within the borders of this specific town are condemned to perish. In contrast, the judgment against the parents extends across the entire land. For the fathers and mothers, the decree of destruction applies no matter where they live, without any geographical restriction.

Because of this careful distinction, any children of the people of Anathoth who happened to be born in other cities were spared from the disaster. This geographical exception explains a historical reality seen generations later. During the time of Ezra, when the exiles returned to the land, there were still surviving members of the people of Anathoth. These survivors traced their lineage back to those very children who escaped the decree simply by being born outside the city limits [מלבי״ם].