"And my wrath shall burn" — Rabbi Yishmael connected this phrase to a parallel verse in Deuteronomy through a gezeirah shavah, drawing devastating consequences for the affliction of the vulnerable.
(Deuteronomy 11:17) says: "And the wrath of the Lord shall burn in you, and He will shut up the heavens, and there will be no rain, and the land will not give its produce, and you shall perish quickly from the good land." That verse explicitly links divine wrath to the withholding of rain, agricultural failure, and exile from the land.
Since "burning of wrath" appears in both contexts, Rabbi Yishmael transferred the consequences from Deuteronomy to Exodus. When God says "my wrath shall burn" against those who afflict widows and orphans, He means: rain will stop, crops will fail, and exile will follow.
The Exodus verse adds its own specific consequence: death "by the sword." Rabbi Yishmael transferred this back to Deuteronomy as well. The two passages mutually enrich each other. Deuteronomy contributes drought and exile. Exodus contributes violent death. Together, they describe the complete catastrophe that befalls a society that mistreats its most vulnerable members.
The message is stark: afflicting widows and orphans is not merely a personal sin. It triggers national consequences — drought, famine, war, and exile. The welfare of the weak determines the fate of the entire nation.