Experiencing betrayal is deeply painful, but it becomes entirely devastating when it comes from one's own family. The prophet faces a harsh reality of deception and danger not from distant enemies, but from his most intimate circle. These relatives are actually the priests, the descendants of Aaron living in Jerusalem [מלבי״ם]. Family members whom the prophet trusted completely turned against him, becoming actual enemies [מצודת דוד]. Behind his back, they secretly plotted to feed him deadly poison [רד״ק].
The hostility of his family took several intense forms. The primary approach among commentators is that his relatives gathered a large mob to chase after him, hoping to terrify him into silence and even attempting to kill him. Others suggest that they loudly shouted insults at him [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Another perspective interprets their shouts ironically, using a language of fullness to actually mean emptiness, much like calling a blind person someone with great sight [רד ק בשם רב האי גאון, חומת אנך]. A different view connects this to the concept of a full heart. According to this idea, his relatives whispered behind his back that his heart was full and completely fearless, noting that despite their constant death threats, he continued to deliver his prophecies without any dread [רד ק בשם אביו].
Because of this deep-seated hatred, the prophet receives a strict warning to remain entirely suspicious of their kindness. Even when his relatives speak softly to him, act friendly, and invite him into their homes to eat and drink, it is nothing but a lie designed to hide their true intention of poisoning him [רד״ק, מצודת דוד]. He must not be moved by their gentle words or mistakenly believe that they love him [ביאור שטיינזלץ, מצודת דוד].
This intimate family betrayal carries a profound double message. First, it serves as an answer to the prophet's deep questions about how God runs the world. If a person cannot even uncover the hidden, deadly intentions of the very relatives he lives with, how can he possibly expect to understand the complex ways and actions of God? [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Second, the pure wickedness of the prophet's own family highlights the severe, deep-rooted corruption of the entire nation. The people are no longer influenced by warnings or correction. Because of this, God is completely justified in His decision to abandon His sanctuary and bring about destruction through foreign enemies. The nation is compared to a lion that was raised in a civilized home and given the Torah and commandments, but eventually returned to its wild, violent nature. It has roared at its Master and now seeks only to kill His prophets [מלבי״ם, מצודת דוד].