נחום, פרק ג׳, פסוק י״ב

A vivid agricultural metaphor illustrates the ultimate frailty of seemingly impenetrable defenses. Fortified cities, built to withstand heavy assaults and protect their inhabitants, offer no real security. Instead of putting up a fierce resistance, these strongholds will be incredibly easy to conquer and loot [רש"י, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The collapse will be so effortless that the cities will appear to fall and be captured almost entirely on their own [אבן עזרא].

To capture this sudden defeat, the defensive structures are compared to fig trees heavy with fully ripened, early-season fruit [רש"י, מצודת ציון]. When fruit reaches its peak maturity, it loses its strong grip on the branch. Whether the tree experiences a gentle sway [רד"ק, מלבי"ם] or is violently shaken by a human hand [רש"י], the ripe figs simply detach and drop. In the same way, the mighty fortresses will give way at the slightest pressure.

These falling figs drop directly into the waiting mouth of a hungry person, symbolizing how easily the cities will collapse straight into the hands of the conquering enemy, Nebuchadnezzar [מצודת דוד]. There is also a deep psychological element to this imagery regarding the enemy's intense craving. Early-season figs are known to drop more easily than the later crop [מלבי"ם]. Just as a person eagerly anticipates and desires the very first fresh fruits of the harvest, the enemy forces deeply covet these specific strongholds, which will ultimately fall into their possession without any effort [רד"ק].