יואל, פרק ד׳, פסוק י״ט

In the ultimate future, the historical reality of the world will completely reverse. While the land of Judah is destined to flourish and thrive, the great empires that oppressed the Israelites will suffer a crushing blow from God and be reduced to a wasteland. This ultimate punishment comes as divine retribution for the immense suffering these nations inflicted upon the Israelites throughout history.

There are different perspectives on when this destruction occurs and who exactly is targeted. One approach views this as a historical event that already took place during the days of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, noting that the modern nation of Egypt is not the ancient Egyptian empire [אבן עזרא]. However, the primary approach among commentators rejects this view, understanding the events as an absolute promise for the future era of redemption and the ultimate global conflicts. According to this perspective [אברבנאל, רד״ק, מלבי״ם], these specific nations represent the major world powers that dominate history until the Messianic age. Egypt symbolizes the Ishmaelite nations, tracing back to the Egyptian origins of Hagar and Ishmael's wife, while Edom represents the Roman Empire.

The linking of these two specific empires is explained in two main ways. The first relies on an ancient historical tie: during the reign of King David, Egypt provided a safe haven for Edomite refugees fleeing the sword of his general, Joab. Had Egypt not sheltered them, Edom would not have survived to become a bitter adversary to the Israelites during King Solomon's reign. Because of this shared history of sustaining an enemy, God will eventually wipe them both out together [רש״י]. The second explanation envisions a massive future global war between these two superpowers. The descendants of Edom will launch a campaign against the Ishmaelites and lay waste to Egypt. Following this, eastern nations will rise to take revenge and completely wipe out Edom, resulting in the two empires bringing about each other's mutual destruction [מלבי״ם, אברבנאל].

The downfall of these empires will come as a direct punishment for their profound corruption, specifically their crimes of robbery, theft [מצודת ציון], and the spilling of innocent blood. This horrific bloodshed took place primarily within the land of Judah, though some suggest it also includes innocent blood spilled within the borders of the enemy nations themselves [רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The focus of this future retribution is explicitly on the people of Judah, with no mention of the Ten Tribes. This distinction exists because the Ten Tribes were exiled much earlier by Assyria and did not suffer directly under the rule of Rome or the Ishmaelites. Edom, representing Rome, is the power that destroyed the Second Temple, relentlessly spilled the blood of Judah, and drove them into exile. The Egyptians are included alongside them because, during that era, they were subjects of the Roman Empire and actively participated in the siege and destruction of Jerusalem [רד״ק, אברבנאל]. Furthermore, since the prophet's entire message is centered on Judah and Jerusalem, it is only natural that the promised justice focuses entirely on avenging the violence committed against them [אברבנאל].