תהלים, פרק נ״ה, פסוק י״ב

Corruption and evil often hide in the shadows, but a society reaches a breaking point when these forces completely take over a city and are put on full display. In such a reality, harmful plots and widespread damage become an unavoidable part of daily life. The primary approach among commentators views this suffering as a continuous wave of disasters and terrible events [רש״י, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ], while others focus specifically on the presence of wicked schemes [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The repetition of these ideas highlights the massive scale of the phenomenon, showing how deeply the decay has settled into the community [אבן עזרא].

This evil does not just exist quietly within the city limits; it is firmly planted in the public squares and never leaves the area [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ, אבן עזרא]. People gather in the open streets to engage in their plots constantly and without any sense of shame [רד״ק, מצודת דוד]. The situation worsens significantly when respected, high-status individuals commit their crimes openly. When these elites brazenly oppose the leadership and accuse the king of wrongdoing, they set a dangerous example. The rest of the population watches and learns from their actions, creating a society so degraded that the people can no longer be corrected or rebuked for their behavior [אלשיך].

At the core of this social collapse is a deep culture of fraud and betrayal. Most commentators understand this as a network of hidden schemes [ביאור שטיינזלץ] and internal trickery. People speak kindly to one another, but their hearts hold completely different, malicious intentions. This mirrors the behavior of Absalom's men, who pretended to be loving friends while secretly organizing a rebellion [רד״ק, מצודת ציון]. However, a differing viewpoint suggests that this betrayal goes beyond hidden verbal deception, taking the form of actual physical blows and tangible, violent harm [רש״י].