Commentators note the verse's powerful language. Instead of saying 'people swear and lie,' the prophet lists the sins as nouns: 'swearing, and lying, and killing...' This paints a picture of a society where sin isn't just an occasional act but the constant, overwhelming reality. Scholars use the image of a river bursting its banks to describe how Israel had 'broken out' from all moral and divine restraints, leading to a flood of violence where 'blood toucheth blood.'