When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famines,.... Either famine itself, which is as an arrow; it is taken out of the quiver of the Lord of hosts, and is shot by him; and moves swiftly when it has a commission; and is very destructive: or arrows which bring on a famine, such as drought, excessive rains, blasting, mildew, locusts, c. or arrows which the famine brings, as leanness, faintness, blackness, and death and, in either sense, are evil ones; and are sent of God for the following end:
which shall be for [their] destruction, [and] which I will send to destroy you; God's design in sending them was to destroy, and that was answered; and a very destroying arrow famine is, and therefore called evil:
and I will increase the famine upon you; or "gather y [it] upon", or "against you"; as if it was an army with bows and arrows:
and will break your staff of bread: take away the virtue from the little they had, that that should not nourish and satisfy;
y אסף עליכם "famen congregabo, super vos", V. L. Pagninus; "famen colligam super vos", Montanus, Polanus, Starckius.