ירמיהו, פרק כ״ג, פסוק כ״ה

Deception often relies on the hope that no one is truly paying attention. Yet, God makes a clear declaration that He hears the lies of the false prophets, serving as a powerful reminder of His all-encompassing presence and proving that absolutely nothing is hidden from Him [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The focus then shifts to a specific group of false prophets and their unique method of manipulation. While other false prophets boldly claimed that God sent them and spoke to them while they were fully awake, this particular group chose to rely entirely on dreams [מלבי״ם].

There is a distinct reason they chose this method. Experiencing true prophecy usually requires immense effort and brings about a state of great physical and emotional turmoil. These false prophets were either afraid to claim they had reached such an intense spiritual state or simply unwilling to put in the necessary preparation. Instead, they took an easier path by claiming they had received a prophetic dream [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. In truth, they simply took ordinary, meaningless dreams born from their own imagination and presented them to the public as genuine divine visions from God [מצודת דוד].

To sell their deception, these men relied on heavy repetition. They would constantly declare that they had dreamed, echoing the claim over and over to strengthen their false message [רד״ק]. By repeating this continuously throughout the day, they hoped to wear down any doubts and convince the crowds that their fabricated dreams were entirely real [מצודת דוד].