ירמיהו, פרק י״ז, פסוק י״ט

A harsh decree of destruction hangs over Jerusalem, but God's mercy offers a simple path to salvation: observing the Sabbath. Because keeping the Sabbath serves as a clear testimony that God created and oversees the world, it holds the power to offset the severe sin of idolatry and cancel the impending ruin [מלבי״ם].

To deliver this urgent message, the prophet is instructed to stand in the busiest public areas of the city where he can reach the largest audience [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. His mission begins at the main entrance of Jerusalem, known as the gate of the children of the people, where the masses constantly gather [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Despite its name, which comes from the commoners who live nearby and use it daily [רד״ק], this is actually the royal gate used by the kings of Judah. The reference to multiple kings includes the active ruler as well as his sons who are destined to succeed him. The decision to start the rebuke at this specific location is highly deliberate. The senior leadership must be warned first, as it is their core responsibility to correct the nation and set the standard for Sabbath observance [רד״ק, מלבי״ם]. The prophet is tasked with confronting these leaders repeatedly, warning them every time they enter and exit the city [מלבי״ם].

After addressing the royal family, the prophet must continue to all the other gates of Jerusalem to warn the rest of the nation [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם]. This specific focus on the city gates is not simply because they are natural gathering places, but because they are the exact sites where the Sabbath is being violated. The primary issue during this era was the transport of loads in and out of the city. Within the walls of Jerusalem, carrying items was not strictly a violation of the public domain laws, because the city doors were locked at night. Therefore, the prophet's rebuke targets the gates themselves, as these were the entry points where villagers from the surrounding countryside would haul their commercial goods and grain into the large city on the day of rest [רד״ק].