יואל, פרק ד׳, פסוק ה׳

God lays out a severe accusation against the enemy nations, detailing the wrongs committed against the Israelites. When addressing the stolen wealth, God refers to the plundered property as His very own. He claims the taken silver and gold as His personal possessions because He is the one who originally bestowed this wealth upon the Israelites [מצודת דוד, רד״ק].

The manner in which this wealth fell into enemy hands is understood in a few ways. One perspective suggests that the enemies simply looted and plundered the riches on the day they arrived to destroy Jerusalem [מצודת דוד]. This act of plunder was carried out entirely on their own initiative and without divine permission. This stands in contrast to other historical events where God deliberately handed wealth over to a conqueror, such as Nebuchadnezzar [מלבי״ם]. Another approach proposes that the wealth was not necessarily seized by sheer physical force. Instead, the kings of Judah may have handed over the silver and gold as bribes, or paid it as ransom to free captive children and prisoners of war [אבן עזרא].

Beyond the silver and gold, the enemies also seized other good and precious items that God had gifted to the Israelites. The destroyers of Jerusalem carried these cherished treasures away, placing them within their own temples [מצודת דוד].