ירמיהו, פרק נ״א, פסוק נ״ו

The great Babylonian empire faces a devastating military downfall, leaving its once-mighty warriors completely helpless against the disaster brought upon them by God. The sheer force of this destruction is emphatically directed at the city itself, highlighting the absolute certainty of her collapse [רד״ק, מלבי״ם]. In the face of this ruin, the Babylonian fighters find themselves unable to fire their arrows or mount any defense. Their military strength is entirely shattered [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ], leaving them to stand utterly powerless as if their weapons have been snapped in two [מצודת דוד].

The breaking of their weaponry is understood in two distinct ways. One perspective views this as a simple reality of defeat, where the warriors' weapons are passively broken and rendered useless. However, another approach suggests a deeper, self-inflicted ruin. In this view, Babylon herself actively breaks the strength of her own defenders. Because of the city's overwhelming sins and wrongdoings, the military power of her guards is stripped away from within, ensuring their absolute defeat [רד״ק, מלבי״ם].

This total ruin is not a random accident of history, but a direct result of divine justice. God actively watches over human actions and delivers the exact punishment Babylon deserves for the evil she committed [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The payback is thorough and operates on two distinct levels. One level addresses the deep-seated hatred and hostility that Babylon harbored, serving as a divine response to her malicious intentions. The second level is a precise, calculated repayment for the actual physical destruction she carried out. Through this complete accounting, God ensures that Babylon answers fully for both her dark intentions and her cruel actions [מלבי״ם].