ירמיהו, פרק כ״ג, פסוק י״ג

Looking back at the historical sins of the northern kingdom serves as a powerful point of comparison. God testifies that long ago, even before the Ten Tribes were sent into exile [רש״י], a deep corruption took root among the prophets of Samaria. These false prophets operated under the direct sponsorship of the royal court. This state-backed idolatry began during the reign of Ahab, who nurtured hundreds of prophets dedicated to the idol Baal, and it continued through later generations, constantly leading the nation into sin until their eventual downfall. This widespread worship of Baal was a defining characteristic of Samaria. In contrast, the kings of Judah and Jerusalem generally did not worship Baal or establish prophets in his name, with the exception of Manasseh, who ultimately repented from this dark path [רד״ק].

The specific failure of Samaria's prophets is understood as something inherently foolish, repulsive, and completely lacking in sense [רד״ק, מצודת ציון, שטיינזלץ]. Interestingly, this spiritual flaw is considered somewhat less severe than the deliberate horrors committed by the later prophets of Jerusalem. While the actions in Jerusalem were actively malicious and harmful, the failure in Samaria was primarily rooted in a profound lack of understanding and reason [מלבי״ם].

A deeper look into their motives reveals that the prophets of Samaria were driven by blind error rather than calculated evil. They did not consciously invent lies or create false visions to satisfy personal desires. Instead, they genuinely and foolishly believed that Baal possessed real power and was actually communicating with them. Tragically, it was out of this sincere but ignorant delusion that they actively led the rest of the nation astray, causing the people to wander far from the proper path [מלבי״ם, מצודת ציון].