The use of the words "destruction" and "break down" are probably a hendiadys to emphasize how hard the men were working to destroy the wall. They were probably using a log with metal at one end. Many men would run with the log and hit the wall with the metal end until it broke down. Alternate translation: "were doing all they could to break down the wall." (See: [[rc://en/ta/man/jit/figs-hendiadys]])