תהלים, פרק פ״ג, פסוק י״א

The absolute downfall of Israel's enemies involves more than just a military defeat; it ends in physical destruction and profound humiliation at a specific geographic location. Commentators debate which historical battle took place at Ein Dor. One perspective links this event to Gideon's battle against the Midianite army [רד״ק, אבן עזרא, מצודת דוד]. Although this location is not explicitly mentioned in the historical records of that specific war [רד״ק], it is understood as the site where the Midianites fell. Some suggest the location received its name because Gideon originally came from there [אבן עזרא].

Conversely, another approach connects the destruction to the battle led by Barak against Sisera and Jabin, the king of Canaan [מלבי״ם, מאירי]. This view is supported by geography, as Ein Dor was located in the territory of the tribe of Manasseh, near Taanach and Megiddo, areas well known as the battlegrounds of that conflict [רד״ק, מאירי]. Because the Canaanites had never been driven out of Ein Dor and continued to live there, the enemy armies naturally fled to this area to escape Barak, only to meet their ultimate destruction [מלבי״ם]. Given these two strong possibilities, some maintain that it is impossible to determine with certainty which of the two wars is actually intended [רש״י].

The final fate of these enemies is one of utter disgrace. They are described as becoming manure, refuse, or waste scattered across a field [רש״י, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This vivid imagery highlights their ultimate humiliation, as they were trampled underfoot like garbage thrown into a waste heap [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, מאירי]. In the end, their blood served as mere fertilizer for the very soil upon which they died and were completely wiped out [אלשיך, ביאור שטיינזלץ].