Society has fallen into a deep moral decline, a state where betrayal, gossip, and corruption are hopelessly intertwined. Violence no longer remains confined to words; it transforms into actual weapons turned inward, ultimately resulting in mutual self-destruction.
The primary approach among commentators is that the people have completely strayed from the straight path, turning instead toward twisted, rebellious behavior. Some view them not just as ordinary wrongdoers, but as the absolute greatest and most exceptional of rebels, representing the peak of defiance [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם]. Others suggest that the leaders and princes themselves are the rebels, managing a deeply corrupt hierarchy alongside their servants [רד״ק]. A unique angle presents these individuals as hypocrites. They pretend to distance themselves from the rebels by informing on one another, yet beneath this facade of justice, every single one of them is entirely corrupt [מלבי״ם].
These individuals operate as slanderers and gossipers, constantly spreading harmful rumors [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון]. Alternatively, they are driven by pure malice, acting as people of deceit and intrigue who carefully plot their destructive schemes [רש״י].
Their harmful behavior is closely linked to the imagery of copper and iron, a connection understood in several ways. Some view the metals literally, representing the actual weapons they use. These people do not merely cause harm with their speech; they are fully prepared to destroy others using strong weapons forged from a mixture of these very metals [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Others see the metals as a symbol of their stubborn character, noting that the people are as hard and unyielding as iron and copper in clinging to their lies [רש״י].
The metals also serve as a metaphor for destructive cooperation. Just as iron must be combined with another strong metal to forge a sharp, deadly tool, the corrupt leaders and their servants join forces to ruin the poor with their lies [רד״ק]. From another perspective, the gossip itself is a calculated tool designed to spark hatred and provoke conflict between powerful leaders, men who are themselves as strong and dangerous as copper and iron [רש״י].
Ultimately, this environment of total corruption creates a society where everyone acts destructively. The inevitable result is that the people turn their malice against one another, leading to a cycle where they kill and destroy each other [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].