The looming destruction of Jerusalem brings with it the chaotic sounds of war and a mounting sense of dread as time slips away. The invading forces gather with fierce determination, urgently pushing one another to prepare for the assault on Zion [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת ציון, מלבי״ם]. They deliberately plan their attack for the middle of the day [מצודת ציון]. Midday is selected either because it offers the most practical and suitable conditions for fighting [מצודת דוד], or because the intense afternoon hours represent a time of harsh suffering and oppressive hardship [רד״ק].
As the sun begins to set, the day turns toward evening and the shadows stretch long into the distance [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון]. A cry of despair rings out over the fading light, though there are different perspectives on who is shouting and why. One approach suggests this is the frustrated cry of the enemies themselves. Driven by a stubborn desire to ruin the city, they complain that the day has passed and evening is falling before they could finish conquering Jerusalem [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].
Conversely, this agonizing cry may belong to the Israelites. As the light fades, the nation is left entirely helpless and abandoned in the dark facing their attackers [רד״ק]. Historically, this twilight hour marks the exact moment the invading forces set the Temple on fire [רש״י].
A third, highly personal approach links this moment to the tragedy of the prophet Jeremiah. God had sent Jeremiah away to the town of Anathoth, because the enemies could not breach the city as long as he remained inside. The Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, who knew the prophet from his youth, offered him a brief window—from midday to evening—to rescue people and property. Jeremiah rushed back but arrived just as the evening shadows fell. The Temple was already in flames, and it was too late to save anyone. In this light, the cry over the fading day and lengthening shadows is the prophet's own painful mourning for a lost chance to save his people [חומת אנך].