וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוָ֖ה אֵלָ֑י מִצָּפוֹן֙ תִּפָּתַ֣ח הָרָעָ֔ה עַ֥ל כָּל־יֹשְׁבֵ֖י הָאָֽרֶץ׃
И сказал мне Господь: 'С севера зло распространится на всех жителей земли.
Tze'enah Ure'enah
“The Lord said to me: from the north shall disaster break loose upon all the inhabitants of the land” [1:14]. The Holy One said: the troubles from the north will be opened on all the inhabitants of the earth.
Rashi
From the north the misfortune will break forth Babylon is on the north of Eretz Israel.