ירמיהו, פרק כ״ה, פסוק ל׳

A severe message of disaster is delivered through intense, vivid imagery of sound. God's voice breaks forth as a mighty roar from the sky, carrying themes of destruction, judgment, and deep mourning. The sound originates from the high heavens and His holy dwelling [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Some draw a careful distinction between these two realms. The high heavens represent the natural, constant order of the universe, while the holy dwelling symbolizes a hidden, supreme providence that is now awakening to make its voice heard with overwhelming force [מלבי״ם]. This force is expressed as a roar, which is much stronger and more severe than simply speaking or calling out [מלבי״ם].

This roar is directed at God's own home, the Temple in Jerusalem [מצודת ציון, רד״ק]. The primary approach among commentators is that this sound represents a harsh decree of ruin and destruction upon the city. However, others view this roar as a direct summons, calling the foreign nations to come and destroy the Temple [רד״ק]. In contrast, a different perspective sees the roar as an expression of profound pain, depicting God mourning and crying out repeatedly over the loss of His home [רש״י, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The imagery then shifts to a loud, distinct shout, the kind made by laborers engaged in heavy work. Specifically, it compares the sound to the rhythmic cries of workers treading grapes in a winepress to extract wine. These shouts were traditionally used to urge, encourage, and give strength to one another during the grueling physical labor, and responding to the shout simply means raising a loud cry of one's own [רש״י, מצודת ציון, רד״ק]. This vivid picture illustrates how God will raise His voice against all the inhabitants of the earth to decree their end, much like the grape treaders raising their voices in the press [מצודת דוד]. Furthermore, just as the initial shout of the first treader is immediately answered by the rest of the workers with cries of encouragement, God's initial roar will be answered. The destructive forces arriving to execute the judgment will join in, echoing His call as they carry out the decree [מלבי״ם].