ירמיהו, פרק כ״ה, פסוק י״ב

The Babylonian empire, despite its immense power, has a strict limit set upon its rule. Although it served as a tool to punish other nations, it must eventually face divine judgment for its own actions and suffer total destruction. The allotted time of seventy years marks the absolute end of an era, reflecting a precise historical calculation based on the reigns of three Babylonian kings [רד״ק]. Nebuchadnezzar ruled for forty-five years, followed by his son Evil-Merodach for twenty-three years. Finally, his grandson Belshazzar ruled for two full years before being killed in his third year. Together, their reigns equal exactly seventy years.

Once this specific period concludes, God will recall their sins and bring about their punishment [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This severe judgment will fall upon the king of Babylon, the Babylonian people, their capital city, and the entire land of the Chaldeans [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The primary offense that seals their fate is the widespread ruin and destruction they inflicted upon other nations [מלבי״ם]. Ultimately, this divine judgment will reduce the king, his people, and his land to a permanent, eternal wasteland [ביאור שטיינזלץ].