ירמיהו, פרק ל״ח, פסוק ד׳

Jerusalem is under a severe siege, and its leaders are fighting desperately for the city's survival. In this tense atmosphere, Jeremiah's continuous calls to surrender are viewed not as divine guidance, but as treason and dangerous propaganda [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The city officials approach the king with a firm demand for the prophet's execution. Although King Zedekiah previously eased Jeremiah's prison conditions to keep him alive, the officials now argue that the prophet's actions are so destructive that the king must revoke his mercy and authorize his death [מצודת דוד].

The primary accusation against Jeremiah is that his speeches actively sap the strength and courage of the defending soldiers, driving them to despair of ever achieving victory [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת ציון]. Simply by speaking, he creates a severe drop in morale that does not stop with the military, but quickly spreads to the civilian population as well [מצודת דוד].

Furthermore, the officials completely reject the idea that Jeremiah is acting out of concern for the nation. While the prophet insists that surrendering is the only way to save their lives, the leaders interpret his message as a malicious desire to see the city defeated and its people exiled by the Chaldeans [מלבי״ם].

One might wonder how the leaders can blame Jeremiah for the coming disaster when he is merely delivering a prophecy. The officials reason that if he genuinely cared for the people, he would pray to God to cancel the harsh decree. Instead, they perceive him as taking pleasure in their downfall, noting that he always chooses to begin his prophecies with grim descriptions of death and destruction, only mentioning the possibility of survival as an afterthought for those who finally give up [חומת אנך].