ירמיהו, פרק מ״ב, פסוק י״ח

A stern warning is issued to the remaining people, drawing a direct parallel between the recent destruction of Jerusalem and the disaster that awaits them if they choose to flee to Egypt. God declares that His intense anger will pour down upon them just as it did upon Jerusalem, striking with the force of a heavy, relentless rain [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The impending punishment in Egypt will not be a random tragedy or an accident of history. Rather, it will be a deliberate act of direct Divine providence, mirroring the exact precision of the judgment executed upon Jerusalem [מלבי״ם].

Beyond the physical devastation, the survivors will suffer a complete social collapse and public humiliation. They are destined to become a symbol of absolute astonishment, leaving observers amazed at the sheer scale of their downfall. Furthermore, they will be reduced to a state of utter disgrace and public shame before everyone who sees them [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון].

The warning includes multiple expressions of cursing to capture the depth of their ruin. While some commentators view the repeated concepts simply as a way to emphasize the extreme severity of the punishment [רד״ק], others draw a sharp distinction between the ideas. In this view, their tragic fate will become a standard figure of speech used in daily life. When taking an oath, a person will swear by saying that if they are acting falsely, their fate should be like those who went down to Egypt. Similarly, they will become the ultimate model for a curse, so that anyone wishing harm upon an enemy will ask that they be cursed just like this fallen group [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The prophecy concludes with a final and absolute decree regarding the land of Judah. Once they make the choice to leave for Egypt, their departure will be completely irreversible. They will meet their end in a foreign land devoid of any honor, and they will never again return to see their homeland [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].