ירמיהו, פרק ל״ז, פסוק י׳

The impending fall of Jerusalem is presented as an absolute, unavoidable reality. Military victories and strategic defenses hold no power to alter a fate sealed by God. To illustrate the futility of resistance, an extreme, hypothetical scenario is offered. Even if the defending army of Judah were to completely defeat the attacking Chaldean forces, leaving behind only severely wounded men pierced by swords and spears [מצודת ציון, שטיינזלץ], the city would still face destruction. The primary approach among commentators is that this striking image is an intentional exaggeration meant to drive home a profound spiritual truth.

The core message is that human effort, no matter how skilled or successful on the surface, is entirely useless when it contradicts a divine decree. As noted by [מצודת דוד] and [חומת אנך], when a decree from God is absolute, any human diligence to counter it is ultimately an illusion.

The imagery becomes even more dramatic by noting that these mortally wounded soldiers would act from the very confines of their tents. According to [מלבי״ם], these defeated men would not even need to march into Jerusalem. They would simply rise up and burn the city to the ground while remaining far away in their encampments. This is because the true force fighting against the city is God Himself. Consequently, even the broken, wounded bodies of the enemy army are perfectly capable of serving as His faithful messengers, fully equipped to carry out the mission He has assigned to them.