ירמיהו, פרק כ״ג, פסוק י״ז

False prophets adapt their misleading messages to different audiences, offering false promises of safety to those who sin. They deliver their lies with clear, firm, and constant certainty [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

They first target people who treat God with disrespect and contempt [מצודת ציון]. These individuals are not absolute heretics; they still believe in the concept of prophecy, even though they ignore God's word and reject His correction. To appeal to this specific group, the false prophets claim to bring a direct message from God, assuring them that they will experience peace and tranquility [מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The false prophets direct their words equally to a second group: those who chase after whatever their hearts see and desire [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, מלבי״ם]. Unlike the first group, these individuals are complete heretics who entirely deny the reality of prophecy.

This shift exposes the deep hypocrisy of the false prophets. When speaking to these non-believers, they drop any mention of a divine message and simply promise that no harm will come to them. By adapting their words to fit the beliefs of their listeners, the false prophets validate the heretics' worldview. They argue that the warnings of true prophets are fake, playing into the heretics' belief that no human can truly know God's secrets or predict the future [מלבי״ם].