צפניה, פרק ב׳, פסוק י״ב

The prophetic vision expands its focus, moving past the immediate eastern and western neighbors of Judah to address nations much further away. The judgment reaches southward toward distant lands, specifically targeting the people of Cush, who lived in the region of Egypt [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

Despite their great geographical distance from the Land of Israel, these people are not exempt from judgment. Their punishment is a direct result of their cruelty toward the Israelites [רד״ק]. When Israel suffered defeat, these distant nations rejoiced [מצודת דוד] and actively mocked them [מלבי״ם]. Furthermore, their inclusion in this prophecy is tied to the harsh reality that Israelites were exiled to those remote territories beyond the rivers of Cush [רש״י].

A different approach suggests that the prophecy is not speaking to the actual nation of Cush at all. Instead, the name is used as a symbolic reference to the previously mentioned nations of Ammon and Moab, sealing their fate to fall on God's great day of judgment [אברבנאל].

The divine warning is delivered with a subtle shift in perspective, moving from addressing the people directly to speaking about them in the third person. While this reflects a common prophetic style [אבן עזרא, רד״ק], it also carries a deeper comparative meaning. The message links their destinies together, warning these distant people that they will be struck down by God's sword in the exact same manner as Ammon and Moab, who were condemned to destruction right before them [אבן עזרא, רד״ק].