A harsh reality of exile and lost independence awaits a nation whose choices have made their punishment inevitable. The very land that was denied its rightful rest will finally lie quiet, but it will do so without its inhabitants. Freedom that was taken for granted and abused will be violently replaced by servitude under a foreign power.
The primary approach among commentators is that this looming exile is a direct consequence of violating the Sabbatical year. Because the people refused to pause their agricultural work and willingly let the land rest, they will be forcibly uprooted and removed from their inheritance [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת דוד, צאינה וראינה]. This abandonment is entirely self-inflicted, a tragedy brought about by their own hands [ביאור שטיינזלץ].
The loss extends far beyond the physical borders of their territory, operating on two distinct levels. The people will be stripped of their homeland, but they will also be stripped of their personal autonomy, losing their freedom to become the property of a foreign master [מלבי״ם]. This duality also reflects the two specific Sabbatical commandments that were broken: the release of the land and the release of financial debts, which is a personal obligation. Originally, the Sabbatical year was designed to benefit the people without causing them any true harm. Now, however, their punishment will mirror their crime, resulting in a devastating and absolute loss [אהבת יהונתן].
Historically, this tragic sequence is linked to the surviving remnant of the people who fled to Egypt following the assassination of Gedaliah son of Ahikam. By running away, they actively abandoned the land where they could have safely remained. Consequently, they lost their freedom and were enslaved when Nebuchadnezzar ultimately conquered Egypt [מלבי״ם].
The resulting punishment involves being driven to a distant, unfamiliar country to work foreign soil [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This will be an intense, forced servitude. Being compelled to perform backbreaking labor entirely against their will constitutes the most agonizing and severe form of slavery [אהבת יהונתן]. Ultimately, the people's continuous disobedience has ignited a fierce fire of divine anger [רש״י, ביאור שטיינזלץ, רד״ק, מצודת ציון]. This profound fury will not extinguish quickly; rather, it is destined to burn against them for a very long time, spanning many difficult years [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].