ירמיהו, פרק נ׳, פסוק י״ג

The total collapse of a powerful empire is not a random event of nature but the direct result of divine anger, leaving behind ruins that shock anyone who sees them. The primary cause of Babylon's downfall is God's wrath, directed at the empire because it had deeply angered Him [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. As a result, the city will become completely uninhabitable. References to the city itself are actually directed at its people, emphasizing that human life will no longer exist within its borders [רד״ק].

There is a sharp difference between the ruins of Babylon and the ordinary emptiness of a desert. A desert is desolate by nature, whereas Babylon is destroyed specifically because of God's anger. Furthermore, while a natural desert might still contain small and scattered settlements, Babylon will be entirely wiped out, leaving absolutely no trace of civilization [מלבי״ם]. To illustrate the absolute nature of this destruction, the later city of Babylon, which existed during the times of Cyrus and Darius, was never built upon the original ruins. Instead, the original site remained permanently empty, and a brand new city was simply established in the same valley and given the same name [רד״ק].

The sight of this destruction will provoke a strong reaction from travelers. A person walking through a desert expects to see emptiness and is not surprised by it [מלבי״ם]. However, anyone passing by the remains of Babylon will be struck with complete shock. They will react by whistling, a natural sound made by pursing the lips when witnessing the loss of something massive and highly important [מצודת ציון]. This deep astonishment comes from the impossible contrast between what Babylon used to be, a royal capital and the center of a mighty empire, and the pile of rubble it has become [ביאור שטיינזלץ].