ירמיהו, פרק כ״ג, פסוק כ״ז

False prophets actively weaponize fabricated visions to sever the people's connection to their faith. This spiritual disconnection is not an accidental byproduct of their actions, but rather a calculated scheme designed intentionally to make the nation forget God [מצודת דוד]. They accomplish this by constantly sharing their invented dreams with one another. The telling of these illusions becomes their primary occupation [מצודת דוד], creating a continuous echo chamber of falsehood. This constant noise effectively blocks the public from hearing the true prophets who speak in His name [רד״ק].

This widespread deception directly mirrors the severe sins of earlier generations. In the past, prophets of the idol Baal used their false prophecies to lead the nation into persistent idolatry, causing them to completely forget God [רד״ק, מצודת דוד]. The current false prophets achieve the exact same destructive outcome, but they rely on the allure of their dreams rather than physical idols.

Historically, during this specific period, the overt and severe worship of Baal had largely been driven underground. Outwardly, only basic superstitions and folk customs remained among the people. Because of this shift, the false prophets operating in Jerusalem were not actually practicing or promoting literal Baal worship. Yet, the impact of their misleading words and dreams was just as devastating. They successfully diverted the people from the right path, matching the exact spiritual destruction caused by the idol worship of previous generations [ביאור שטיינזלץ].