Introduction: The Continuation of Yechezkel's Sign and the Sentence of Tzidkiyahu
In this part of the chapter, we continue the prophecy concerning the prince, namely Tzidkiyahu, king of Yehudah, for whom Yechezkel was instructed to serve as a sign by digging through the wall, carrying his gear upon his shoulder, and covering his face. From here onward, the prophet lays out the details of the decree itself: the king's capture, the scattering of his forces, the siege and famine in Yerushalayim, and finally a sharp response to those who reassured themselves by claiming that the prophecies would not come to pass or were meant for the distant future.
"And I Will Spread My Net Over Him" - The Deer on the Roof of the Cave
וּפָרַשְׂתִּי אֶת רִשְׁתִּי עָלָיו וְנִתְפַּשׂ בִּמְצוּדָתִי, וְהֵבֵאתִי אֹתוֹ בָבֶלָה אֶרֶץ כַּשְׁדִּים, וְאוֹתָהּ לֹא יִרְאֶה וְשָׁם יָמוּת׃ - And I will spread My net over him, and he shall be taken in My snare; and I will bring him to Bavel, to the land of the Chaldeans, yet he shall not see it, and there he shall die.
Rashi cites the words of Chazal: Tzidkiyahu had a cave extending from his palace all the way to the plains of Yericho, and he fled through it. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He brought a deer before the Chaldean army, and the deer ran before them along the roof of the cave while they pursued it. When Tzidkiyahu emerged from the cave in the plains of Yericho, they saw him coming out and seized him.
Such an occurrence has no other explanation than "And I will spread My net over him." The timing - pursuing a deer at that exact moment, arriving right at the mouth of the cave, and having him emerge just then - is timing that unquestionably reflects a net spread by the Holy One, blessed be He, for Tzidkiyahu, on account of his ignoring the deeds of the people.
In the verse itself lies a paradox: "And I will bring him to Bavel, the land of the Chaldeans, yet he shall not see it." Concerning the generation of the wilderness, who brought forth an evil report about the Land, one could say, "I swore that they shall not see it," for they would die in the wilderness and never see the Land. Whoever enters the Land inherits it and sees it. But how is it possible that one could be brought to Bavel, yet not see it? Chazal explain that this seemed incomprehensible until Nevuchadnetzar himself explained it in practice: he blinded his eyes. Thus both parts of the verse were fulfilled simultaneously - he was brought there, yet he did not see it.
And how did it come to this? As we saw in Rivlah in the land of Chamat, Nevuchadnetzar "passed judgment upon him." It is related that Tzidkiyahu saw him eating a live hare and went and revealed it, and as a consequence, Nevuchadnetzar judged him: he slaughtered his sons before his eyes, then blinded his eyes, and then brought him to Bavel, as recorded in Sefer Melachim and Sefer Yirmiyahu.
The Second Parable: Falling Like Ripe Fruit Without Understanding How
The Malbim explains that "And I will spread My net over him" is the second parable, corresponding to covering the face and the lack of sight: I will spread the net over him, and he will neither see nor understand how he suddenly fell like ripe fruit into the hands of the enemy.
Judging Tzidkiyahu Favorably: The Atmosphere of That Generation
To understand Tzidkiyahu's actions, one may suggest in his defense that he was simply unable to stand against the people dwelling in Tzion. The general mindset, way of life, and conviction of the people was that there would be no exile, and that one should not listen to the prophets who were merely frightening them. Consequently, anyone who spoke otherwise put his life in danger, and Yirmiyahu himself was repeatedly just a hair's breadth from death. Had Tzidkiyahu attempted to express the view that they were destined for exile and ought to submit willingly because such was the will of God, he most likely would not have survived on the throne for another moment. They would have staged a revolt and declared: A king who, instead of strengthening us and standing in the breach, tells us to go into exile, cast off the crown, and surrender our hands? That is no king! Thus, even had he wanted to exert influence, it is very likely he would have been powerless to bring the people to accept exile willingly.
This was especially true since in that generation there were people who gave a very convincing impression of being prophets - of people who spoke with apparent authority and knowledge. They possessed great skill in using the exact same expressions the true prophets used. At times they said things that actually came to pass, because they took parts of the true prophets' words, which were authentic, and used them, and when those events unfolded they claimed, "Look, I predicted that!" In this way, they gained reputations as true prophets. They also "wore a hairy mantle to deceive" (Zechariah 13:4) - they maintained the outward trappings that projected the image of a prophet. Tzidkiyah ben Kena'anah made iron horns for himself and proclaimed, "With these you shall gore Aram" (I Kings 22:11), meaning they also made use of visual aids and dramatic props: a bubbling pot, "portray for yourself a city," engraving it upon a brick, and all the tangible demonstrations the true prophets used - they copied them to the letter. Consequently, it was extremely difficult to distinguish between the genuine article and the substitute, between the truth and the cheap imitation.
From here one can understand why the people flocked after the false prophets. This was compounded by the fact that it was unpleasant to listen to the words of the true prophets, who continually warned and threatened: it will be bad, it will be worse, there will be exile, it will be terrible. It was far more pleasant to listen to the false prophets, who constantly stroked the people's ego and reassured them: "Do not worry, nothing will happen; we are delivering a prophecy to you from Hashem; you can rest easy; all will be well; we have the Beis HaMikdash!" In such an atmosphere, it was not easy for Tzidkiyahu to lead and exert influence.
"And He Shall Be Caught in My Snare" - Two Roots and Two Truths
The Malbim examines the precise wording of "metzudati" (My snare/stronghold). There is a metzudah derived from the root matzad, as in "a rocky stronghold" (metzad selaim) and "exalted in a fortress" (nisgav b'metzudah), meaning a fortified, secure place in which one can take refuge. There is also a metzudah derived from the root tzud (to hunt or trap), like a net used to catch fish. Here, both aspects are true: the prison where kings were incarcerated was built as a heavily fortified stronghold from which escape was impossible, and there is also "I will spread My net over him" - the hunting net in which he would be ensnared. Thus, "metzudati" is explained according to both nuances simultaneously.
"And All Who Are Around Him to Help Him" - The Helpers Who Brought Harm
וְכֹל אֲשֶׁר סְבִיבֹתָיו עֶזְרֹה וְכָל אֲגַפָּיו אֱזָרֶה לְכָל רוּחַ, וְחֶרֶב אָרִיק אַחֲרֵיהֶם׃ - "And all who are around him to help him, and all his troops, I will scatter to every wind; and I will unsheathe a sword after them."
"And all who are around him to help him" - these were the ones around him who aided him in resisting surrender to the Chaldeans, urging him not to make peace with them or yield, but rather to fight against them. They violated the words of the prophet, for the prophet had explicitly told him: "If you surrender to the officers of the king of Babylon, your soul shall live." And to the people he had said: "Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him and his people, and live." And if not - the opposite. Yet there were many surrounding him who helped him adopt the contrary approach: "Why should we ever surrender? You hold royal power in your hand, and you would go and grovel before the enemy?"
"And all his troops [agapav]" - several interpretations are offered for this term. One explanation: agapav refers to his armed forces, as is said regarding the future war of Gog, "you and all your troops [agafecha]," which Targum Yonasan renders as mashryatei, his armies. Rashi explains: his officers. The Radak cites in the name of his father that agapav is related to gapav, with an elided aleph, and gapav means wings, as in "and the spread of its wings shall fill the breadth of your land." Armies are referred to as wings because they would deploy like two outspread wings and conquer in that formation - hence the phrase "the army spread its wings." Similarly, national emblems often depict an eagle spreading its wings, representing military conquest. The prophet tells him: your armies, spread out like wings, I will scatter to every wind.
Indeed, some of them descended to Egypt, as it is written, "and all his army was scattered from him" - Yochanan ben Karei'ach and the army commanders who fled to Egypt. And there, the sword of Nevuchadnetzar overtook them when he later invaded Egypt to lay it waste. This is the meaning of "and I will unsheathe a sword after them": I will scatter them to every wind, but that dispersion will not serve as salvation for them, because in those very places the sword of the enemy will overtake them. And so it occurred, as they were slain by the sword in the lands to which they were dispersed.
"And They Shall Know That I Am Hashem" - A Double Gain
וְיָדְעוּ כִּי אֲנִי יְהֹוָה בַּהֲפִיצִי אוֹתָם בַּגּוֹיִם וְזֵרִיתִי אוֹתָם בָּאֲרָצוֹת׃ - "And they shall know that I am Hashem, when I scatter them among the nations and disperse them among the lands."
וְהוֹתַרְתִּי מֵהֶם אַנְשֵׁי מִסְפָּר מֵחֶרֶב מֵרָעָב וּמִדָּבֶר, לְמַעַן יְסַפְּרוּ אֶת כָּל תּוֹעֲבוֹתֵיהֶם בַּגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר בָּאוּ שָׁם, וְיָדְעוּ כִּי אֲנִי יְהֹוָה׃ - "And I will leave of them a few men from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence, so that they may recount all their abominations among the nations where they come, and they shall know that I am Hashem."
When the prophecy comes to pass, "they shall know that I am Hashem." Radak explains that among the nations where they arrive, they will recount to one another all the abominations they had committed, and through this they will realize that everything that befell them came as a punishment, just as Hashem spoke through His prophets. And "they shall know that I am Hashem" - that Hashem foresaw everything in advance, and warned you, but you did not listen.
The Malbim adds that there will be two gains here. The first gain: they themselves will recognize that I am Hashem. The second gain: "Yet I will leave a few men of them" - I will leave over even from among the wicked in exile, even from those who did not acknowledge Hashem, like those who went down to Egypt and burned incense to the queen of heaven, so that they will recount their abominations to the nations. The nations will then understand that everything that happened to Israel was justly deserved through true judgment, and "they shall know that I am Hashem" - that there is a Judge over all the earth. Thus, the gain is twofold: for those who will be inspired to awaken through this, and for those who did not awaken, but will nonetheless recount their abominations, so that at the very least the nations will understand that what took place here occurred through divine justice.
"When I Scatter" and "When I Disperse" - Two Stages of Dispersion
The Malbim already explained this distinction earlier, and here he elaborates further. "To winnow" (lezarot) means to scatter things that are not joined together, whereas "to shatter" or "scatter" (nafetz / hefitz) applies to connected things, as in "You shall smash them like a potter's vessel" - the vessel is whole, and I smash it. We always describe the exile in two stages: "among the nations" refers to those nearby, and "throughout the lands" refers to those far away. Initially, they were whole like a vessel, and I shatter and scatter them like an exploding vessel, dispersing them to the nearby countries. Afterward, like a person winnowing wheat to the wind to separate the chaff from it, there is no longer a need to shatter a whole entity, but only to scatter them further apart - and that is "and disperse them throughout the lands," the second stage.
"Eat Your Bread with Quaking" - The Sign of the Siege
בֶּן אָדָם, לַחְמְךָ בְּרַעַשׁ תֹּאכֵל, וּמֵימֶיךָ בְּרָגְזָה וּבִדְאָגָה תִּשְׁתֶּה׃ - "Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and with anxiety."
Radak explains "with quaking" - with bodily trembling and shaking, eating it in dread, as in the phrase "and the king trembled." And the Malbim explains that this manner of eating and drinking is like someone terrified, in dread and trembling over the arrival of the enemy.
וְאָמַרְתָּ אֶל עַם הָאָרֶץ: כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יֱהֹוִה לְיוֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלַיִם אֶל אַדְמַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, לַחְמָם בִּדְאָגָה יֹאכֵלוּ וּמֵימֵיהֶם בְּשִׁמָּמוֹן יִשְׁתּוּ, לְמַעַן תֵּשַׁם אַרְצָהּ מִמְּלֹאָהּ מֵחֲמַס כָּל הַיֹּשְׁבִים בָּהּ׃ - "And you shall say to the people of the land: Thus said the Lord Hashem concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem on the land of Israel: They shall eat their bread with anxiety, and drink their water in desolation, so that her land may be desolate of all that fills it, because of the violence of all who dwell therein."
The prophetic sign performed by the prophet will be a portent for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that during the siege they will eat their bread in anxiety. Radak explains "desolate of all that fills it" - devoid of the people who once filled it and of the possessions that filled it; their land will become desolate of all these.
The Malbim explains the sequence of events: had there been no siege, they would not have fought against Nebuchadnezzar but would have made peace with him, as the prophet warned them. Had they listened to him, he would not have laid waste to their land. But since they refused to heed the word of the prophet and decided to fight, Nebuchadnezzar came, laid siege, and devastated the land. And all this was due to what iniquity? "Because of the violence of all who dwell therein" - on account of the sin of the violence of its inhabitants. Hashem says: this sin was upon them, and therefore I put it into their hearts to wage war against Nebuchadnezzar, so that through this their land would be laid waste, serving as their punishment for the violence they committed in the past.
וְהֶעָרִים הַנּוֹשָׁבוֹת תֶּחֱרַבְנָה וְהָאָרֶץ שְׁמָמָה תִהְיֶה, וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי אֲנִי יְהֹוָה׃ - "And the inhabited cities shall be laid waste, and the land shall be desolate, and you shall know that I am Hashem."
"The inhabited cities" - that is, the settled cities - shall be laid waste, and the land will be desolate, and through this, "you shall know that I am Hashem." Thus, there are two aspects here: a punishment for the past, "because of the violence of all who dwell therein," and another factor that will rouse them for the future to return in repentance - that they will see that this was a declaration from Hashem, and will take heed and believe in Divine Providence, and in reward and punishment.
"What is this proverb that you have" - Israel is Not Subject to the Mazal
בֶּן אָדָם, מָה הַמָּשָׁל הַזֶּה לָכֶם עַל אַדְמַת יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר: יַאַרְכוּ הַיָּמִים וְאָבַד כָּל חָזוֹן׃ - "Son of man, what is this proverb that you have concerning the land of Israel, saying: 'The days are prolonged, and every vision perishes'?"
The Malbim explains that the Holy One, blessed be He, is responding here to two claims that the people were accustomed to making. The first: the prophet's words will not come to pass at all, just like the words of stargazers, which over time prove to be groundless. The second: even if it does come to pass, it is still a vision for the distant future, many long years away; "after us, the deluge" - there is no need to worry that it will happen tomorrow or the day after. Both assertions were made to reassure themselves, to foster complacency, and to dispel fear.
They drew this proverb from the words of stargazers and astrologers, whose predictions did not always come true. The Malbim explains that these stargazers would observe the celestial bodies, seeing that one star was aligned against another, and deduce from this that the influence would be such-and-such. Astrologers engage in this to this very day. They would make long-term predictions, but over time circumstances might shift: what one sees right now indicates a certain reality, but tomorrow another star might enter the picture and produce a different influence. This is the meaning of "the days are prolonged" - there are future events that may change simply because of the passage of time.
Furthermore, they predict events based on the celestial system and natural causes, and when one of the causes changes, everything downstream changes with it. For example, if someone predicts that torrential rains will fall, leading to floods, which will cause a bridge to collapse and fortifications to crumble - the moment one link in the chain changes, all subsequent outcomes stemming from the initial cause are nullified. This is the meaning of "and every vision perishes": because one natural cause shifts, the entire prediction envisioned by those astrologers and stargazers falls apart.
To this, Hashem says to them: "What is this proverb that you have concerning the land of Israel?" This proverb is entirely inappropriate for you. You, the House of Israel, are not under the dominion of the mazal and are not dependent on celestial bodies, but on the Divine providence of Hashem. This is especially true concerning the land of Israel, for Eretz Yisrael itself is not governed by the celestial order - it is "a land which the eyes of Hashem your God are always upon, from the beginning of the year until the end of the year," subject to individual Divine providence. If so, neither the nation nor the land is governed by the stars; how then can you compare the people of Israel in the Land of Israel to the predictions of stargazers and astrologers?
"I will put an end to this proverb"
לָכֵן אֱמֹר אֲלֵיהֶם כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יֱהֹוִה: הִשְׁבַּתִּי אֶת הַמָּשָׁל הַזֶּה וְלֹא יִמְשְׁלוּ אֹתוֹ עוֹד בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, כִּי אִם דַּבֵּר אֲלֵיהֶם קָרְבוּ הַיָּמִים וּדְבַר כָּל חָזוֹן׃ - "Therefore say to them: Thus says the Lord God: I will put an end to this proverb, and they will no longer recite it in Israel; but speak to them: The days are near, and the fulfillment of every vision."
What was the proverb that was abolished? The claim that the prophet is like an astrologer, and that over the course of time natural shifts may occur such that the predictions will not come true. Hashem tells them: This proverb is eliminated, and they will no longer recite it. First, even according to your own premise that matters depend on celestial constellations, this does not apply here. And second, "and they will no longer recite it in Israel" - even if regarding astrologers predicting for the nations there is some substance to it, regarding Israel it has no validity whatsoever, for Israel is not subordinate to the celestial order.
There is a story told of a man who went to an astrologer, who attempted to forecast various things for him based on the positions of the stars, but to everything he predicted, the man replied that it was completely wrong. The astrologer verified his exact birth time and all the details again, and everything was precise. Finally, he asked him: "Tell me, are you Jewish?" The man replied, "Yes." The astrologer said, "Ah, why didn't you say so from the beginning? When it comes to Jews, I do not take bets. A non-Jew is subject to the celestial system, but a Jew is above the mazal."
And counter to "I will put an end to this proverb," He says: "Speak to them: The days are near, and the fulfillment of every vision." I am not speaking of distant times during which circumstances might change, but of events that are very imminent - of something immediate that will not be nullified over the passage of years.
כִּי לֹא יִהְיֶה עוֹד כָּל חֲזוֹן שָׁוְא וּמִקְסַם חָלָק בְּתוֹךְ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל׃ - "For there shall no longer be any false vision or flattering divination within the House of Israel."
"A false vision" - there will no longer be visions through the stars, which are visions devoid of truth. "And flattering divination" - there will no longer be the divination of those astrologers who speak smooth, flattering words. Their false divinations were delivered in a slippery, soothing tongue in order to persuade and flatter the people. And this was their aim: the people heard the words of the true prophets and found them unpleasant to the ear, for they spoke of bowing their heads before Nevuchadnezzar, the emissary of Divine Providence, and spoke of exile and repentance - and that was not what they wanted. Therefore, they accepted the words of the false prophets, who performed divinations for them, spoke smooth words, and gave them the feeling that everything they were doing was fine. In contemporary terms, they had "glatt divination": everything you do is glatt, there is no problem, everything is smooth, feel good about yourselves, we have a wonderful people, fantastic youth, everything is fine and dandy, rejoice and be glad, keep going just as you are.
"I will speak a word, and it shall be done" - The Speech Itself Is the Deed
כִּי אֲנִי יְהֹוָה אֲדַבֵּר אֵת אֲשֶׁר אֲדַבֵּר דָּבָר וְיֵעָשֶׂה, לֹא תִמָּשֵׁךְ עוֹד, כִּי בִימֵיכֶם בֵּית הַמֶּרִי אֲדַבֵּר דָּבָר וַעֲשִׂיתִיו נְאֻם אֲדֹנָי יֱהֹוִה׃ - For I, the Lord, will speak whatever word I speak, and it shall be done; it will no longer be delayed, for in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak a word and perform it, says the Lord God.
The Malbim explains the difference between an astrologer who gazes at the stars and a seer who views things through the Divine Spirit. The astrologer is dependent on the arrangements of the heavenly order: one particular star aligned against another creates a certain influence, and consequently the country influenced by it will experience war. Incidentally, one must know that they knew what they were talking about; this was not like a newspaper horoscope, but genuine knowledge. Just as Pharaoh said, "See that evil (Ra'ah) is before your face" - an angel whose name is Ra'ah, and he saw correctly. He foresaw blood in the desert - and foresaw correctly. He saw that the leader of Israel would be harmed through water - and foresaw correctly, at the waters of Merivah. It was only his interpretation that was incorrect.
And in this, there are two possible errors. The first: the astrologer did not take additional factors into account. For example, country A is fighting country B, and he sees that A is stronger, concluding that A will prevail. But he did not notice that another heavenly body entered the fray, representing country C, which is stronger than A and attacks it; consequently, C strikes down A, and B is saved. Another cause and a different circumstance escaped his notice, and because of them the outcome changed. The second error: the astrologer did not determine the timing accurately. Often he thinks an event will occur in the next two years, whereas it actually pertains to the coming decade. This is what happened to Pharaoh: "the ruler of Israel is punished through water" - this occurred much later, at Mei Merivah, yet he thought it was imminent and decreed, "Every son that is born you shall cast into the river." The stars do not reveal dates to him, only celestial influences, and while astrologers make estimates, miscalculating the timing is a common error.
However, the prophecy of Hashem is not so. When Hashem speaks to bring about calamity, it does not come from natural cause, celestial bodies, or the laws of nature, but by Divine decree. And even if everything seems to point to the contrary, the decree will unfold exactly as intended, for the Holy One, Blessed be He, overturns the orders of nature, and there is none beside Him, unaffected by any of those factors. "The word of our God shall stand forever."
Furthermore, Hashem's decree is itself the deed that brings the event into reality. When Hashem speaks to the prophet and informs him that at a certain time a particular calamity will occur, this speech itself is the act that brings about the calamity; it does not depend on anything else, and it is subject to no change before Him. This is the meaning of "For I, the Lord, will speak whatever word I speak": I speak to the prophet that which I have decreed, "a word and it shall be done" - the speech itself is the deed, just as with "In the beginning God created," where the world was created through ten utterances; He said, "Let there be light," and there was light - He spoke, and it came to be. There is no need to wait for something else to happen, and no new factors can enter the picture, for in the picture there is only the Master of the Universe.
True, the Holy One, Blessed be He, sometimes shows patience and does not exact retribution immediately, in the hope that they might repent and the decree will not have to manifest with such severity. But to them He says: "For in your days, O rebellious house, I will speak a word and perform it." You are a rebellious house, related to the word mamrim, as in "you have been rebellious against the Lord," and the measure of guilt is full. There is no longer any hope that you will repent, and no further reason to extend the time; therefore, the speech itself will be the deed, and the event will come immediately.
"The Vision That He Sees Is for Many Days" - Vision and Prophecy, Days and Times
בֶּן אָדָם, הִנֵּה בֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל אֹמְרִים: הֶחָזוֹן אֲשֶׁר הוּא חֹזֶה לְיָמִים רַבִּים וּלְעִתִּים רְחוֹקוֹת הוּא נִבָּא׃ - Son of man, behold, the house of Israel says: "The vision that he sees is for many days, and he prophesies of times that are far off."
Another divine communication came to the prophet, addressing their claim. For they saw that the Holy One, Blessed be He, issues a decree and it does not come immediately. Most of the harsh prophecies concerning the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash and the tribulations had been spoken by the prophets over the course of decades, perhaps centuries, and from this arose a feeling among the people that there was nothing to worry about - that it would not happen.
The Malbim distinguishes between chazon ("vision") and nevuah ("prophecy"): a vision is what the prophet sees in a visionary sight, whereas prophecy is what the prophet is sent to say to the people, related to niv sefatayim, the fruit of the lips. Likewise, he distinguishes between "days" and "times": "days" describes a duration of time, while "time" (eit) is a specific point within time, as in "the time has not yet arrived." And so they said: the vision he sees speaks of a span of many days, and what he prophesies on his mission to the people speaks of distant times, not of any time near at hand.
There is an interesting point here. In a vision, processes that span years appear in a single moment. The prophet sleeps (and most prophecies occurred during sleep), receives a prophecy, and within a single prophecy, an extensive span of time is contained. This is like what the holy Ari told Rabbi Avraham HaLevi, who bent down to listen to what he was murmuring during his afternoon nap and heard him speaking words of Torah: Even if I were to live for eighty years, I would not manage to teach you what I learned in this half hour. We see, then, that in a vision one can perceive an extensive period of time in a fleeting moment. A similar idea is also noted regarding individuals with autism: when they perceive something, their impressions are often correct, but they misjudge the timing, thinking it will happen tomorrow, when in reality it may be twenty or fifty years away.
This was their way of reassuring themselves: the vision he beholds speaks of many days ahead. He sees that we will fall into the hands of Nevuchadnetzar and sees this immediately, but there is still a siege lasting years, famine that will arrive later, war, and eventual downfall. These are all drawn-out processes, yet in his vision everything appears in an instant. As for the prophecy, that which he was sent to announce to the people, it is spoken all at once, so they said: this is for distant times; it will not happen immediately.
לָכֵן אֱמֹר אֲלֵיהֶם כֹּה אָמַר אֲדֹנָי יֱהֹוִה: לֹא תִמָּשֵׁךְ עוֹד כָּל דְּבָרָי, אֲשֶׁר אֲדַבֵּר דָּבָר וְיֵעָשֶׂה נְאֻם אֲדֹנָי יֱהֹוִה׃ - Therefore say to them, Thus said the Lord Hashem: None of My words shall be delayed any longer; whatever word I speak shall be performed, says the Lord Hashem.
True, until now the decree was drawn out and the retribution was not immediate, in the hope that perhaps they would repent. For whenever Hashem speaks of evil, it is not for the sake of executing it; rather, the evil serves as a warning so that they might repent. However, all of this applied only before the final decree was sealed. Now, "none of My words shall be delayed any longer" - now, when I speak a word, it will truly be done, not merely as a threat intended to spur repentance, but rather the thing will actually come to pass. I no longer wait to see if they might repent, for the decree has already been sealed, and the word I have spoken will be executed immediately.
In summary:
In this part of the chapter, we saw the net spread over Tzidkiyahu until he was captured at the mouth of the cave, brought to Babylon, yet did not see it, after Nevuchadnetzar blinded his eyes. We saw the scattering of his forces to every wind and the sword pursuing them, as well as the purpose of the exile: so that they might know that I am Hashem, both the remaining people of Israel and the nations who would hear their abominations from their own mouths and understand that everything came about through divine justice. We saw the portent of eating bread with quaking and drinking water with anxiety, a sign of the siege and destruction that resulted from the sin of violence. Finally, the prophet countered the two excuses of complacency: that the prophecy would not come to pass, just as astrological visions fluctuate, and that it was far off in the future. To the first, he replied that Israel and their Land are not subject to the astrological order at all; and to the second, that Hashem's decree is not contingent upon intermediary causes or prolonged time, for the very word itself constitutes the action. And since the measure of the rebellious house has been filled and the decree sealed - "I will speak a word, and I will perform it."