ירמיהו, פרק ח׳, פסוק כ׳

The changing of the seasons often brings a sense of anticipation, but when expected relief fails to arrive, the passage of time only deepens despair. The primary approach among commentators is that the agricultural cycle serves as a powerful metaphor for prolonged, unfulfilled hope and the crushing weight of delayed salvation. In the natural order, the grain harvest is followed by the late summer, a period dedicated to cutting, gathering, and drying figs [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. These agricultural milestones are traditionally times of joy and security against drought and famine. Just as a person eagerly anticipates these seasons for physical survival, the people waited for God to save them from their enemies. However, the periods marked for joy and rescue came and went, leaving them completely helpless [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, צאינה וראינה].

The imagery builds a gradual but intensifying sense of hopelessness. The late summer occurs after the harvest, showing a continued passage of time. Furthermore, the progression moves from a season simply passing by to a season coming to a complete and absolute end, highlighting a profound and final loss of hope [מלבי״ם, מצודת ציון].

Beyond the general metaphor, this deep disappointment is tied to specific historical and political events. One perspective suggests it captures the crushed expectations of the people of Judah, who desperately waited for military assistance from Egypt. They assumed the Egyptian army would be available to fight once their agricultural work was finished. Yet, the harvest in the month of Iyar passed, and the summer in the month of Tammuz ended, but the promised Egyptian aid never materialized [רש״י]. Alternatively, this profound despair reflects the tragic realization of the exiled Ten Tribes. After waiting a very long time for their own salvation, they witnessed the fall of the kingdom of Judah, leading them to the painful conclusion that all hope was entirely gone [מלבי״ם].