ירמיהו, פרק כ״א, פסוק ז׳

The prophet’s response to the king’s ministers, who had asked him to pray on their behalf, carries a devastating message of defeat, destruction, and death [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. After making it clear that there will be no salvation, God details the grim fate awaiting those who manage to survive the initial waves of disaster. The message carefully outlines the specific groups destined to fall into enemy hands. This includes Zedekiah, the king of Judah, along with his servants, which refers to the ministers who will attempt to flee with him [רד״ק]. It also encompasses the general public—the original citizens of Jerusalem—as well as the remaining refugees who are not native to the city [מלבי״ם].

These individuals are the remnants who outlast the plague, the famine, and the sword. At this stage, the sword represents the battles fought on the city walls [רד״ק], or even internal warfare between different factions within the nation itself [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. However, surviving these horrors only means they will fall into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and their enemies. The warning of being struck by the sword does not exclusively mean execution. Rather, it signifies absolute control over their destiny: the Babylonian king will execute whoever he chooses and send into exile whoever he chooses [רד״ק].

Their ultimate fate is sealed with a promise of absolute cruelty. They will face captors entirely lacking in pity, compassion, and mercy. While this repetition is generally understood as a way to emphasize a total lack of feeling [מצודת ציון], a deeper reading reveals a precise parallel between the types of enemies and the specific kinds of mercy they will withhold [מלבי״ם]. First, they will experience a complete lack of pity. Pity typically prevents a person from destroying something they can personally use, much like someone protects their own property. Nebuchadnezzar will show no such pity, refusing to spare the people even as useful assets. Second, they will face a lack of compassion. Compassion is usually granted when one recognizes the inherent value of another. The enemies, blinded by hatred, will see no worth in the people and will therefore withhold this feeling. Finally, they will be denied mercy. Mercy is the natural human response to witnessing another’s suffering. Those actively seeking their lives are fundamentally cruel and destructive, completely stripped of basic empathy.

This total absence of kindness and mercy took on a chilling historical reality when the city was finally conquered. The Babylonians slaughtered Zedekiah’s sons right before his eyes and showed absolutely no compassion to the ministers and elders of Judah [רד״ק].