שופטים, פרק ו׳, פסוק ד׳

The enemy invasion into the Land of Israel was a campaign of total devastation designed to strip the territory of its resources and starve its inhabitants. The invaders were not satisfied with merely attacking the borders. Instead, they pushed deep into the region, setting up their camps directly upon the people [מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

By pitching their tents right on top of the planted fields [מלבי״ם], the invading forces systematically ruined the land's vegetation and crops [מצודת ציון, מצודת דוד]. This destruction was ruthless and thorough. The enemies did not even wait for the harvest; they cut down and trampled the grain while it was still green grass, long before it could ripen, and they actively uprooted the trees [רד״ק].

The ruin spread across a massive stretch of land, reaching all the way to Gaza, a detail presented as if speaking directly to someone familiar with the local landscape [מצודת דוד]. Because the enemy forces camped directly on the people and essentially placed them under siege, they left the Israelites with absolutely no means of survival. Every basic necessity required to sustain human life was wiped out [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. To complete this economic and existential ruin, the invaders did not just destroy the plant life. They gathered up whatever farm animals remained, driving away the sheep, oxen, and donkeys to keep for themselves [רד״ק].