False prophets often present themselves as spiritual guides, yet their true nature is far more destructive and self-serving. They are ironically known as the prophets of the nation, a title that highlights how they appointed themselves to the role rather than being true messengers of God [רד״ק].
To expose the true character of these leaders, they are compared to foxes wandering through ruined places. This image captures their cunning methods from a few different angles. First, it points to their destructiveness. Just as foxes find a broken spot in a fence to sneak into a vineyard and ruin it, these prophets exploit the spiritual weak points within the nation. They look for people who have little faith, use them to gain influence, and flatter them. Through this manipulation, they draw the rest of the population along, ultimately bringing total ruin to the spiritual vineyard of Israel [רד״ק, מלבי״ם].
Beyond the damage they cause, the comparison also reveals their deep cowardice and helplessness. A fox hiding in a ruined building will not stay and fight when a person approaches; instead, it quickly runs away through another gap in the wall. In the same way, these false prophets do not step up to protect the people during difficult times, nor do they try to rebuild the nation's spiritual defenses. The moment they are caught in their lies or face real danger, they avoid all responsibility. They simply flee and abandon the people [רש״י, מצודת דוד, אברבנאל, מלבי״ם].
Another angle focuses on the ruined places themselves, shedding light on the timing of their appearance. By nature, foxes hide in abandoned ruins and are too afraid to enter well-established, populated areas [ביאור שטיינזלץ, אברבנאל]. Similarly, these false prophets did not dare to operate during the times of righteous kings like David and Solomon, when the kingdom was spiritually stable and properly ordered. They only emerged and gained power when Jerusalem was already suffering from severe spiritual decay and had been doomed to destruction by God [אברבנאל].