D¹. Rejection of Fraudulent Prophets (13:1-6)

As the result of Israel’s repentance in the previous paragraph, a fountain (v.1) will appear to deal with sin and impurity (cf. Eze 36:25; 47:1-6). Even the murderers of Yahweh’s Shepherd-King may be cleansed by this fountain, and some have suggested a connection between that crime and the fountain’s cleansing power (Barker, 685).

The prophet then turns his attention to his professional colleagues. Prophet is used in this unit in a derogatory sense. In addition to the purging of all Yahweh’s competing powers (the idols, v.2), the false prophets will also be banished. Anyone daring to prophesy will be executed by his own parents in fulfillment of scriptural mandate (cf. Dt 13:6-9). Under such conditions, prophets will be hesitant to be identified as such (vv.4-6).