ירמיהו, פרק כ״ג, פסוק כ״ו

A deep cry of frustration is directed at the relentless behavior of the false prophets. A piercing question is asked about how long this foolishness, error, and deceit will continue, and whether this situation will last forever [רד״ק, מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].

The focus then shifts to the inner thoughts and true intentions of these individuals. One perspective views this as a question of ultimate purpose, asking if these prophets genuinely believe they will succeed in their plot to make the people forget the name of God [רש״י]. Another approach examines the nature of their visions, highlighting the clear difference between an ordinary dream and a true prophetic revelation. A true prophet recognizes a message from God with absolute certainty. Therefore, the question is whether these false prophets actually convince themselves that their simple, imaginary dreams are genuine divine messages [מלבי״ם, מצודת דוד].

Ultimately, they are exposed as individuals driven by the deceit of their own hearts. This deceit is not an innocent misunderstanding but a calculated act of trickery and cunning [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. They are well aware that an ordinary dream is nothing like a true prophecy, yet they intentionally speak as if the two are identical [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון]. Their words do not stem from divine revelation but are entirely fabricated in their own minds [רד״ק]. Whether they are consciously inventing these lies to manipulate others, or their own hearts have simply deceived them into believing their own falsehoods, their actions remain fundamentally dishonest [מלבי״ם].