ירמיהו, פרק ד׳, פסוק כ״ד

The prophetic vision of destruction reaches such extreme levels that nature itself seems to experience a deep shock. However, this natural upheaval is entirely symbolic. The violent shaking and intense tossing of the mountains serves as a metaphor for the collapse and loss of the nation's leaders and mighty heroes [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון].

Alongside the mountains, the smaller hills also experience a severe reaction [מלבי״ם]. Commentators offer different perspectives on the exact nature of this disturbance. One approach understands their fate as complete destruction and ruin [רד״ק, מצודת ציון]. Another perspective focuses on physical displacement, suggesting that the hills are violently uprooted and thrown in every direction. This chaotic movement is compared to a person wildly shooting arrows without any defined target [רש״י, מלבי״ם]. A unique explanation suggests a fundamental change in their physical properties: the hills are stripped of their natural, stabilizing weight. Lacking the heavy mass that normally keeps them grounded, they begin to shake and move about with an unnatural, extreme lightness [רד״ק].