ירמיהו, פרק י״ז, פסוק ט״ו

Jeremiah faces a difficult reality of mockery and denial from his generation, who firmly refuse to accept his severe warnings. The primary approach among commentators is that the people's challenging cries refer to the disasters the prophet predicts, specifically the destruction of the land and Jerusalem by the Chaldeans [רש״י, רד״ק, אברבנאל]. When the people demand that these promised events happen immediately [מצודת ציון], they do not actually desire exile and ruin. Rather, their demand is made in complete mockery, stemming from a total lack of belief that God has truly decreed the destruction of His city [רד״ק, אברבנאל].

Beyond mere doubt about the prophecy coming true, hidden personal motives drive their attacks against the prophet himself. Jeremiah's opponents believe he is inventing these visions of doom on his own, motivated solely by his hatred for them [מצודת דוד]. Their ultimate goal in demanding immediate proof is to put him to a test of reality, fully expecting the prophecy to fail. Through this, they seek to publicly condemn him as a false prophet, a severe status that carries the death penalty [מלבי״ם].