ירמיהו, פרק נ״ב, פסוק ג׳

The destruction of Jerusalem and the exile of Judah were the tragic outcomes of a long spiritual and political decline that eventually reached a point of no return. King Zedekiah's rebellion against Babylon served as the practical catalyst that triggered the final collapse and the expulsion of the people from their land. These devastating events unfolded specifically because of the deep divine anger provoked by the nation [מצודת ציון].

There are different ways to understand the exact relationship between God's anger and the king's rebellion. One perspective views the events as a direct divine chain of cause and effect. God's anger over the conduct in Jerusalem and Judah grew so intense that He resolved to cast the people away and remove them from His presence. To put this decree of exile into motion, God Himself stirred Zedekiah's heart to rebel against the king of Babylon. In this light, the rebellion was simply the instrument used by God to bring about the exile and the beginning of the destruction [רש״י, מצודת דוד, חומת אנך].

On the other hand, another approach focuses on human responsibility. The people living under Zedekiah's rule acted intentionally to anger God, and their ongoing moral decline did not stop until exile became entirely unavoidable. According to this line of thought, the political crisis that led to the destruction was the result of a deliberate human choice. Even though Zedekiah had sworn loyalty to Nebuchadnezzar, who had originally placed him on the throne, the king chose to listen to his advisors. He formed alliances with other kings and launched an active rebellion against the Babylonian empire [ביאור שטיינזלץ].