A sharp turning point shifts the prophetic vision from destruction and deep despair to a sudden dawn of hope and redemption. Following the sincere repentance of the people, God is stirred by two powerful emotions that drive their ultimate salvation: a fierce zeal for the honor of His land and a profound compassion for His nation. Although this redemption is a future event, prophetic vision often perceives divine decrees as absolute certainties, presenting them as events that have already taken place [אבן עזרא, אברבנאל].
The primary approach among commentators is that God's zeal is directed entirely for the sake of the land. He takes the distress of the land directly to His heart, stepping forward to fight its battles and provide for its needs [רש"י]. This passionate awakening is triggered by the desecration of His honor and the disgrace His people suffer among the nations. God looks upon His desolate and cursed land, now suffering under the control of harsh masters, and is moved to act. This feeling is especially intense when He sees foreign lands overflowing with abundance while His own land lies in ruins [רד"ק, מצודת דוד, אברבנאל, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Alternatively, this expression of zeal can be understood as a strict warning, where God commands the devastating locust plague to stop and refrain from destroying His land [רש"י].
Alongside this protective zeal for the physical land, God feels a deep pity for His people, who are living as humiliated subjects among foreign nations [אברבנאל]. There is a delicate but crucial distinction between God merely sparing a nation and God showing true compassion. At times, God will deliver a people simply to spare His own great name from being disgraced among the nations, even if the people themselves are unworthy of salvation. In this instance, however, because the people have achieved complete and genuine repentance, God operates from a place of pure compassion. He rescues them because of their renewed righteousness and inherent worth, acting out of a deep love for His people and His heritage, rather than merely protecting His own honor [מלבי"ם].