ירמיהו, פרק י״ד, פסוק ט״ו

Leaders who offer comforting lies during times of moral crisis carry a heavy burden of blame. False prophets, who promise peace and safety to a sinning nation, are held deeply responsible for the approaching disaster. Instead of rebuking the people and guiding them toward repentance, they lull the public into a false sense of security using empty illusions.

The guilt of these individuals is twofold [מלבי״ם]. First, they speak in the name of God without ever being sent by Him, an act of false prophecy that alone warrants the death penalty. Second, they actively deceive the public. By boldly claiming that war and starvation will never strike the land, they directly contradict the warnings of true prophets. This deception prevents the nation from changing its ways and ultimately causes the people to sin further [רד״ק, מלבי״ם].

Because of the profound damage they cause, God's response comes as a direct punishment for their behavior [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The justice delivered to them is perfectly measured against their crime. Since they specifically used the promise of immunity from war and starvation to spread their lies [מצודת דוד], they are condemned to suffer from those very same disasters. In fact, these false prophets will be the first to fall victim to the sword and the famine [רד״ק].

The fate awaiting these specific individuals is absolute [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. They will not merely suffer; they will be completely wiped out and destroyed from the world [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון]. By paying the ultimate price for misleading the nation, they will be struck by the exact tragedies they insisted would never arrive.