ירמיהו, פרק כ״ה, פסוק ט״ו

A prophecy of destruction and divine anger unfolds through the vivid image of a poisoned cup. God commands Jeremiah to deliver a decree of disaster to the nations of the world, warning them of their upcoming ruin at the hands of the Babylonian king. The primary approach among commentators is that this command was not a physical event. Instead, Jeremiah experienced this entirely within a prophetic vision [רד״ק, אברבנאל]. It would be impossible for the prophet to travel to every foreign king and physically force them to drink from his hand [אברבנאל].

The wine within this visionary cup serves as a powerful symbol for the prophecy itself, representing divine anger and poison [רש״י, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Just as heavy drinking confuses the mind, this cup represents a heavenly decree of disaster that will strike the nations, leaving them completely bewildered and disoriented by God's wrath [מצודת דוד, אברבנאל].

While this represents a punishment decreed from above, another perspective deepens the metaphor to include internal chaos. The intoxicating wine does not merely symbolize an external attack, but also the rebellions and riots that will erupt from within the nations. Plunged into internal wars, they will turn their weapons against one another, sinking into a chaotic drunkenness of total self-destruction [מלבי״ם].

In practical terms, the command to make the nations drink is an instruction for Jeremiah to voice this harsh prophecy aloud [מצודת דוד]. The message he delivers is absolute and final. It signals a devastating blow from which these nations will never recover or rebuild [רש״י], much like victims forced to swallow a deadly, poisoned drink against their will [ביאור שטיינזלץ].