זכריה, פרק י״ב, פסוק ב׳

At the end of days, a massive global conflict will erupt as the nations of the world gather to fight one another for control over Jerusalem. God declares that the city will not fall easily. Instead, it will transform into a deadly trap for any army that attempts to conquer it.

Jerusalem is likened to a vessel filled with a lethal drink. The primary approach among commentators is that this represents a cup of poison. Just as a person who drinks poison dies, all the nations that come to besiege the city will be completely destroyed [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Offering a different perspective, [אברבנאל] explains that the imagery signifies finality, meaning Jerusalem will mark the absolute end and ruin of the invading armies.

The devastation of this war will also spill over into the surrounding region of Judah. As enemy forces, whether the armies of Gog and Magog or a massive clash between Edom and Ishmael, march toward the capital, they will sweep through Judah's cities. Most commentators agree that these enemies will capture the people of Judah and force them into their ranks. Against their will, the people of Judah will be compelled to participate in the siege against their own brothers in Jerusalem, causing them immense grief and suffering during the early stages of the campaign [רש״י, אבן עזרא, רד״ק, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Other scholars present different scenarios for Judah's suffering. According to [מלבי״ם], the attacks and hardships upon Judah will take place earlier, striking them before the enemy forces even reach the gates of Jerusalem. Alternatively, [אברבנאל] suggests that the people of Judah will not be conscripted by the enemy, but will instead be trapped inside Jerusalem alongside the rest of the nation. In this view, they too will share in the intense suffering and hardship caused by the heavy siege placed upon the city.