ירמיהו, פרק נ״א, פסוק מ׳

The catastrophic fall of Babylon is painted with a stark and vivid picture from the animal kingdom, capturing the absolute helplessness of a once-mighty empire. The scene is set not on a battlefield of equal combatants, but at a slaughterhouse where animals are led to their end without putting up a fight. The imagery of bringing the subjects down captures the physical act of forcing livestock to the ground, laying them out to be slaughtered [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

This powerful metaphor points directly to the elite ranks of Babylonian society. It is the leadership—the princes, the mighty warriors, and the great men—who will find themselves entirely subdued and face complete destruction at the hands of the Persians [מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

To emphasize the scale and nature of this defeat, three distinct types of livestock represent those being killed. The primary approach among commentators is that the first group refers to sheep, specifically fattened ones [רש״י, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ], though an alternative tradition identifies them as bulls [רש״י]. Joining them in this grim procession are mature adult sheep [ביאור שטיינזלץ] and male goats [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Together, these animals symbolize the varied yet equally doomed ranks of Babylon's finest, all brought low in a sudden and total collapse.