The image of a dying tree serves as a powerful metaphor for absolute ruin. When destruction strikes both the hidden depths beneath the earth and the visible canopy above, the devastation is total, leaving no hope for survival or future growth. A vivid picture of simultaneous devastation unfolds, where sulfur burns and dries out the roots from below, causing them to wither completely. At the exact same time, the branches above are severed, stripping the tree of its ability to ever produce fruit again [תקות אנוש].
Beyond the physical imagery, the primary approach among commentators is that this dying tree represents the ultimate fate of a wicked person. However, different perspectives explore exactly what the roots and branches symbolize in a human life. One perspective views the tree as a representation of a person and his family line. The withering of the roots below symbolizes the death of the individual himself, while the severing of the branches above represents the tragic loss of his children and the end of his entire lineage [רמב״ן].
In contrast, another approach shifts the focus entirely to the individual's personal essence and his impact on the world. From this viewpoint, the hidden roots represent the physical body, while the visible branches stand for all of his actions and deeds. Ultimately, both his physical existence and the legacy of his life's work are doomed to fade away [מלבי״ם].
Taking the metaphor into a deeper, spiritual realm, the imagery can also reflect the state of the human soul. While a righteous person's soul is rooted in purity in the higher spiritual realms, a wicked person's soul is planted below, steeped in impurity. The drying up of the roots below describes the loss of any remaining trace of holiness from the wicked person's spirit, a direct result of his negative desires. Meanwhile, the cutting of the branches above represents his physical body being removed from this world. In the end, his entire being remains completely submerged in a state of impurity [אלשיך].