זכריה, פרק י״ד, פסוק י״ד

During the great future war, a complex struggle involving both external enemies and internal conflicts will unfold, ultimately ending in a dramatic reversal of fortune where the massive wealth of the invading armies falls into the hands of the Israelites. A major point of discussion surrounds the exact role the people of Judah will play in this battle. One perspective suggests that they will actually fight against Jerusalem. As foreign armies besiege the city, they will force the residents of the surrounding Judean towns to join their ranks and fight against their own brothers [רש״י, מצודת דוד]. This tragic situation will arise because Judah and Jerusalem will be governed by different authorities [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Consequently, enormous confusion will spread across the battlefield, as soldiers will be unable to distinguish between true allies and those forced to act as enemies [מצודת דוד]. Conversely, another approach rejects this idea, maintaining that the people of Judah will fight to defend Jerusalem. According to this view, the Judeans remaining in the city will launch a counterattack to destroy the besieging nations, particularly when they see God throwing the enemy camp into chaos [אבן עזרא, מלבי״ם, אברבנאל]. It is also possible that Judah and Jerusalem will simply fight side by side as a single, united front [אברבנאל].

As the conflict reaches its climax, the situation will completely turn around. The invading nations will bring their finest wealth to the campaign [מצודת דוד], but ultimately, the vast riches and property of the fallen soldiers will be gathered as abundant spoils by the Israelites [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ, אבן עזרא, מלבי״ם, אברבנאל]. The gathering of this wealth may occur in stages. First, the people of Judah who arrived with the enemy armies will collect the property after witnessing the plague God unleashes upon the invaders. Only afterward will the residents of Jerusalem venture out to take their share of the spoils [רד״ק].

The specific nature of these spoils, consisting of gold, silver, and clothing, connects deeply to the history of Israel's past wars. In earlier times, Joshua forbade taking any spoils to prevent the people from sinning, while King Saul later failed by sparing enemy animals against a direct command. In this future war, however, God will permit the taking of inanimate objects. To ensure the Israelites do not repeat Saul's mistake by taking forbidden livestock, God will send a plague that completely wipes out the enemy's horses and animals. As a result, only the permitted, inanimate wealth will remain to be gathered [אהבת יהונתן].