Isaiah 9:15

Isaiah 9:15 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.
• New International Version (NIV)the elders and dignitaries are the head, the prophets who teach lies are the tail.
• English Standard Version (ESV)the elder and honored man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail;
• New King James Version (NKJV)The elder and honorable, he is the head; The prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail.

Context of Isaiah 9:15

13The people did not return to the one who struck them, they did not seek reconciliation with the Lord who commands armies. 14So the Lord cut off Israel’s head and tail, both the shoots and stalk in one day. The leaders and the highly respected people are the head, the prophets who teach lies are the tail. 16The leaders of this nation were misleading people, and the people being led were destroyed. 17So the sovereign master was not pleased with their young men, he took no pity on their orphans and widows; for the whole nation was godless and did wicked things, every mouth was speaking disgraceful words. Despite all this, his anger does not subside, and his hand is ready to strike again.

Isaiah 9:15 word by word

זָקֵ֥ן וּנְשׂוּא־פָנִ֖ים ה֣וּא הָרֹ֑אשׁ וְנָבִ֥יא מֽוֹרֶה־שֶּׁ֖קֶר ה֥וּא הַזָּנָֽב׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• The ancientזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205
• and honourableנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: kindnessH5375
• and honourableפָּנֶהpânîym · face: kindnessH6440
• heהוּאhû' hîy' · he/she/itH1931
• the headרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: leaderH7218
• and the prophetנָבִיאnâbîy' · prophetH5030
• that teachethיָרָהyârâh yârâ' · to showH3384
• liesשֶׁ֫קֶרsheqer · deceptionH8267
• the tailזָנָבzânâb · tailH2180

Cross-references for Isaiah 9:15

• Isaiah 3:5The people will treat each other harshly; men will oppose each other; neighbors will fight. Youths will proudly defy the elderly and riffraff will challenge those who were once respected.
• Isaiah 5:13Therefore my people will be deported because of their lack of understanding. Their leaders will have nothing to eat, their masses will have nothing to drink.
• 1 Samuel 9:6But the servant said to him, “Look, there is a man of God in this town. He is highly respected. Everything that he says really happens. Now let’s go there. Perhaps he will tell us where we should go from here.”
• Isaiah 28:17I will make justice the measuring line, fairness the plumb line; hail will sweep away the unreliable refuge, the floodwaters will overwhelm the hiding place.
• Isaiah 29:10For the Lord has poured out on you a strong urge to sleep deeply. He has shut your eyes (the prophets), and covered your heads (the seers).
• 1 Kings 13:18The old prophet then said, “I too am a prophet like you. An angel told me with the Lord’s authority, ‘Bring him back with you to your house so he can eat and drink.’” But he was lying to him.
• 1 Kings 22:22He replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ The Lord said, ‘Deceive and overpower him. Go out and do as you have proposed.’
• Jeremiah 5:31The prophets prophesy lies. The priests exercise power by their own authority. And my people love to have it this way. But they will not be able to help you when the time of judgment comes!
• Jeremiah 14:14Then the Lord said to me, “Those prophets are prophesying lies while claiming my authority! I did not send them. I did not commission them. I did not speak to them. They are prophesying to these people false visions, worthless predictions, and the delusions of their own mind.
• Jeremiah 23:9Here is what the Lord says concerning the false prophets: My heart and my mind are deeply disturbed. I tremble all over. I am like a drunk person, like a person who has had too much wine, because of the way the Lord and his holy word are being mistreated.
• Jeremiah 27:9So do not listen to your prophets or to those who claim to predict the future by divination, by dreams, by consulting the dead, or by practicing magic. They keep telling you, ‘You do not need to be subject to the king of Babylon.’
• Jeremiah 28:15Then the prophet Jeremiah told the prophet Hananiah, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord did not send you! You are making these people trust in a lie!
• Jeremiah 29:21“The Lord God of Israel who rules over all also has something to say about Ahab son of Kolaiah and Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who are prophesying lies to you and claiming my authority to do so. ‘I will hand them over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and he will execute them before your very eyes.
• Ezekiel 13:1Then the word of the Lord came to me:
• Hosea 9:8The prophet is a watchman over Ephraim on behalf of God, yet traps are laid for him along all of his paths; animosity rages against him in the land of his God.
• Malachi 2:9“Therefore, I have caused you to be ignored and belittled before all people to the extent to which you are not following after me and are showing partiality in your instruction.”

Commentaries on Isaiah 9:15

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 15The ancient - The elder; the old man. And honorable - Hebrew, The man of elevated countenance.‘ The man of rank and office. The prophet that teacheth lies - The false prophet. Of those there were many; and probably at this time many in Samaria.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-21Verses 8-21 Those are ripening apace for ruin, whose hearts are unhumbled under humbling providences. For that which God designs, in smiting us, is, to turn us to himself; and if this point be not gained by lesser judgments, greater may be expected. The leaders of the people misled them. We have reason to be afraid of those that speak well of us, when we do ill. Wickedness was universal, all were infected with it. They shall be in trouble, and see no way…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 13-17God used punishment to call his people to repentance. Repentance means turning away from sin and turning back to God. His goal was not to destroy Israel, but to correct them and bring them back to himself. However, Israel had become apostate. This means they had turned away from the Lord and rejected him. They refused to repent or to seek the Lord.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 13-1713-17. Second strophe. turneth not--the design of God's chastisements; not fulfilled in their case; a new cause for punishment (Jr 2:20; 5:3).Read the comment

Topics related to Isaiah 9:15

• Backsliders
• Isaiah
• Israel, Prophecies Concerning
• Minister, Christian

In the dictionaries

• Ahaz
• Increase
• Kindle
• Poetry
• Prince
• Snatch
• Ezekiel
• Head
• Honorable
• Isaiah

Commentaries on Isaiah 9

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings