יחזקאל, פרק י״ג, פסוק כ״ב

False prophetesses created a severe moral distortion by completely reversing the proper spiritual order. Instead of guiding the people toward truth, their words damaged both ends of the moral spectrum. They caused needless suffering to good people while simultaneously offering a false sense of security to sinners, actively preventing them from correcting their ways.

The primary approach among commentators is that these women would falsely predict disaster and death for righteous individuals. Driven perhaps by personal gain or convenience [ביאור שטיינזלץ], they used their false visions to terrify good people, breaking their hearts and causing them deep distress. Yet, God makes it clear that He was not the source of this pain. He never spoke to these prophetesses, nor did He decree any evil or death upon the righteous. The suffering they endured was built entirely on absolute lies.

At the same time, these false prophetesses committed a second grave injustice by encouraging the wicked. While they terrorized the righteous, they promised peace and life to the sinners. This false assurance had devastating consequences. It stripped the wicked of any motivation or need to repent and change their harmful behavior. By making them feel safe in their sins, the prophetesses denied these individuals the opportunity to achieve true life through genuine correction. Ultimately, their deception brought a double evil, inflicting profound harm on both the righteous and the wicked alike [מצודת דוד].