שְׁלִשִׁ֗ית בָּא֤וּר תַּבְעִיר֙ בְּת֣וֹךְ הָעִ֔יר כִּמְלֹ֖את יְמֵ֣י הַמָּצ֑וֹר וְלָֽקַחְתָּ֣ אֶת־הַשְּׁלִשִׁ֗ית תַּכֶּ֤ה בַחֶ֙רֶב֙ סְבִ֣יבוֹתֶ֔יהָ וְהַשְּׁלִשִׁית֙ תִּזְרֶ֣ה לָר֔וּחַ וְחֶ֖רֶב אָרִ֥יק אַחֲרֵיהֶֽם׃
Tu en feras brûler un tiers dans le feu au milieu de la ville, quand seront révolus les jours du siège; puis tu en prendras un tiers, que tu frapperas avec le glaive tout autour, et tu en disperseras un tiers au vent, et je tirerai le glaive derrière eux.
Rashi on Ezekiel
in the midst of the city that you inscribed on the brick, as the completion of the days of the siege. This is a sign that a third of them will perish in the heat of hunger in its midst, which is like fire, in the same way that it says (Lam. 5:10): “Our skin is parched as by a furnace because of the heat of hunger.”
Rashi on Ezekiel
with a sword all around it Around that brick, symbolizing those who flee from the city, whom the Chaldeans will overtake and slay in the environs of Jerusalem.