מיכה, פרק ד׳, פסוק ג׳

The vision of the end of days presents a reality of global peace where human conflicts are resolved through justice and moral guidance rather than violence. The primary approach among commentators is that the Messiah king will serve as the supreme judge and leader for all nations, who will come to him to settle their disputes. However, other perspectives suggest that the judge is God Himself, His divine word, or even the city of Jerusalem and its inhabitants [אבן עזרא, אברבנאל, שטיינזלץ].

The process of judging involves clarifying the truth, resolving disagreements, and teaching morality [רש״י, מצודת ציון, שטיינזלץ]. This justice will reach a diverse array of populations. It will encompass nations that are massive in population or ruled by powerful kings, as well as mighty empires or even lesser, distant nations that willingly accept the moral guidance [אברבנאל, מלבי״ם]. By addressing the root causes of disputes, whether they stem from religious differences, legal and political clashes, or internal rebellions, this supreme guidance will restore justice and bring true reconciliation between parties [מלבי״ם]. Unlike past empires such as Rome, this global rule will not be achieved through military might or physical force, but rather through the holiness and spirit of God, which will naturally inspire the nations to submit [אברבנאל].

With peace firmly established, weapons of war will lose their purpose. The nations will actively crush and break their instruments of destruction [מצודת ציון, מצודת דוד]. Swords will be repurposed into digging tools for working the soil, and spears will be turned into pruning hooks used to trim vines and trees [רד״ק, מצודת ציון, שטיינזלץ]. Ultimately, nations will no longer raise arms against one another [שטיינזלץ]. Beyond the cessation of active fighting, they will completely abandon the study of military tactics and stop training for battle [מלבי״ם, מצודת דוד]. This promise marks an unprecedented shift in human history, as until that era, not a single generation had ever lived without the presence of war [אבן עזרא].