איוב, פרק ט״ו, פסוק ל׳

The ultimate fate of a wicked person is one of total destruction, leaving no possibility for recovery. His downfall is compared to a tree whose tender shoots are scorched by fire and whose remains are blown away by the wind. Once this descent begins, he is trapped in an inescapable gloom, unable to return to his former state of success [מצודת דוד, רמב״ן]. This darkness takes various forms. It can represent a shadowy hiding place where he seeks refuge [מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ], the actual day of his catastrophic ruin [תקות אנוש], or the ultimate spiritual punishment of Hell [אלשיך].

The destruction is absolute, targeting the very sources of his vitality. Like a soft sapling or a root drawing moisture from the earth, his tender shoots are withered by a consuming flame [מצודת ציון, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This scorching heat symbolizes the complete loss of his worldly achievements [מצודת דוד]. More specifically, the severed branches represent the tragic death of his children [רמב״ן]. Within the specific story of Job, this directly recalls the fire that fell from the sky, destroying his flocks and servants [מלבי״ם]. Other interpretations suggest the flame consumes the person's very face [תקות אנוש]. On a spiritual level, the tender branch can also symbolize a righteous son, whose good deeds might manage to slightly cool the flames of Hell for his wicked father [אלשיך].

Following the fire, whatever remains is swept away by a passing breath. The primary approach among commentators is that the wicked are uprooted from the world by the breath of God, enacted by His direct decree [רש״י, רמב״ן, ביאור שטיינזלץ, תקות אנוש]. Conversely, the destruction can be viewed as entirely self-inflicted. A person is punished by the breath of his own mouth because he spoke evil [רש״י], or because his own corrupt actions fan the flames that consume him [רמב״ן, מלבי״ם]. From a physical perspective, the dried branch becomes so fragile that even the lightest puff of wind is enough to blow it away and erase the last traces of his success [מצודת דוד, אבן עזרא]. Yet, within this bleak picture, there remains a narrow path to salvation. A person might only escape this consuming darkness if the breath of his mouth was spent studying Torah [אלשיך].