ירמיהו, פרק ד׳, פסוק כ״א

A profound sense of despair washes over the prophet as he faces a relentless military threat, prompting him to plead with God to remove His anger from the people of Israel and cancel the harsh decree [רד״ק, מצודת דוד]. He is completely exhausted from the burden of repeatedly experiencing the sheer terror of war [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The terrifying sights and sounds he describes are not necessarily unfolding in his immediate physical reality; rather, he experiences them intensely through a prophetic vision, watching helplessly as the enemy draws near [מצודת דוד].

Within this vision, the prophet observes the systematic stages of military alarm and battle preparation, which rely on a sequence of visual and auditory signals. The warning begins visually with a battle flag [ביאור שטיינזלץ] hoisted high on a long pole [מצודת ציון]. Guards stationed on high towers or mountain peaks raise this flag the moment they spot the approaching enemy. This silent alarm serves to alert people scattered in the distance, directing them to a central assembly point for the impending conflict [רש״י, רד״ק, מלבי״ם]. Once the people have gathered, the second stage begins with a piercing sound. A horn is blown to sound a battle cry, warning the assembled crowd and rousing them to take up their weapons for the fight ahead [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם].