צפניה, פרק ב׳, פסוק י״ד

A once-magnificent and bustling city is reduced to a haunting wasteland, entirely reclaimed by the forces of nature. Where people once walked, herds of livestock and wild beasts now roam and rest [רש״י, רד״ק, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. These include the grazing animals of various surrounding nations [מצודת ציון, אברבנאל]. The sheer emptiness draws desert birds and nocturnal creatures that naturally seek out ruins [מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. These birds build their nests and roost high up in the upper lintels of the city's gates and doors. Originally, these architectural features were grand and heavily decorated with carved flowers and round, apple-like spheres. The sight of wild birds taking shelter in such strong, luxurious decorations highlights the sheer scale of the city's tragic reversal [אבן עזרא, רד״ק, אברבנאל].

The silence of the ruined streets is broken only by the sounds of these birds. Instead of the familiar noise of human life, their chirping and singing echo through the windows of the abandoned homes [רש״י, מצודות, אברבנאל]. The devastation is obvious right at the very entrances, etched into the thresholds and doorposts of the houses. Alternatively, this ruin can be understood as a profound dryness, like an empty drinking vessel, reflecting the total lifelessness of the abandoned city [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The ultimate collapse of these grand structures began from the top down. The massive cedar beams that once formed the ceilings of the homes were completely uprooted and destroyed [רש״י, מצודת ציון, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The primary approach among commentators is that enemy forces tore away these cedar roofs, leaving the interiors and doorways completely exposed to the harsh elements. Battered by wind and rain, the buildings were condemned to a slow, inevitable, and absolute collapse [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, אברבנאל].