In moments of severe national crisis, a society naturally turns to its leaders for guidance, strategy, and spiritual comfort. Yet, a time of such profound destruction will arrive that the entire leadership structure will completely collapse, and every political, religious, and spiritual pillar of support will fail simultaneously. During a war, responsibilities are typically divided: the king and his ministers develop strategy and boost the nation's morale, the priests stand in the Temple to pray, and the prophets are sought out for God's guidance [מלבי״ם, רד״ק]. However, on this day of ruin, the entire system will shut down.
The political leadership will lose its courage entirely. Instead of instilling confidence, the king and his officials will be struck by panic, terror, and confusion, entirely stripped of bravery and direction [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The specific identity of this king is a matter of discussion. Some identify him as Zedekiah, the king of Judah, who will be paralyzed by fear in the face of the advancing enemy [רד״ק]. Another perspective places this event during the era of King Josiah. In this view, the overwhelming shock and loss of direction stem from the people's reaction to the sudden, tragic death of the righteous Josiah. The nation could not understand why such a just king was punished. They were unaware that the people of that generation were still sinning in secret, hiding idols on their door hinges to conceal them from the king who was desperately trying to rid the land of idol worship [רש״י].
The collapse extends to the religious and spiritual realms as well. The priests and prophets will be left in a state of absolute desolation and helplessness, unsure of how to act or what to do [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון]. When the people turn to them for answers, they will have no solutions to offer [ביאור שטיינזלץ, מלבי״ם]. This failure is specifically tied to the corrupt nature of these leaders. These are not faithful guides, but rather priests who served at illegitimate altars and false prophets. Having falsely promised peace and safety, they will be left speechless and thoroughly confused when the harsh reality shatters their lies [רד״ק, מלבי״ם].
The severity of the shock experienced by each group directly reflects their spiritual standing. The king and his ministers, who are deeply immersed in material pursuits, will suffer a total internal collapse. The priests, holding a slightly higher spiritual status, will experience a lesser degree of devastation. Finally, the prophets, who are the most detached from the material world, will experience the lightest impact, reacting with deep bewilderment rather than complete ruin [חומת אנך].