A profound sense of shock and astonishment accompanies the prophecy of Edom's absolute and unprecedented destruction. To illustrate the magnitude of this disaster, everyday imagery of thieves and agricultural workers is used. When thieves operate in secret, or night robbers use the cover of darkness out of fear of being seen by day [אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד], they typically take only what they can carry or what satisfies their immediate needs. They naturally leave some things behind [רד״ק, מצודת ציון]. Similarly, when workers gather grapes from a vineyard, they always overlook small, inferior clusters hidden beneath the leaves [רד״ק, מצודת ציון]. In both scenarios, a remnant survives the intrusion.
The enemies who descend upon Edom operate entirely differently [רש״י, מצודת דוד]. They will leave absolutely nothing behind, meticulously searching out and emptying even the most deeply hidden treasures [רש״י, רד״ק]. The nature of this downfall is understood in two distinct ways. The primary approach among commentators is that Edom faces total destruction and doom [רד״ק, אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון]. This complete end is spoken of as if it has already happened, a prophetic method used to emphasize the absolute certainty of a future event [מצודת דוד]. Alternatively, the description points to a state of silence and deep slumber. From this perspective, a mocking question is posed to Edom: How could a nation fall into such a deep, silent sleep that it failed to hear the noise of the invaders and did not rise to defend its own wealth? [רש״י, מלבי״ם].
On a historical level, this contrast highlights the difference between Edom's past hardships and its ultimate collapse. In earlier times, various nations conquered and looted Edom, but they acted like common thieves and grape gatherers. They caused damage but left the nation standing. The current prophecy, by contrast, foretells a final, absolute destruction from which Edom will never recover [אברבנאל].
On a deeper conceptual level, the imagery of the thief provides a decisive response to the ancient claim made by Esau, the forefather of Edom, who accused Jacob of stealing his blessings. The nature of a thief is to take only a portion of a treasure to satisfy a specific need. A person who empties an entire treasure is not a thief but the rightful owner clearing out his own property. The fact that Jacob received all the blessings without exception proves that he is not a thief, but rather the true and rightful owner of the blessings given by God [אהבת יהונתן].