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

13So Adonai will cut off from Israel head and tail, palm branch and bulrush in a single day. 14The elder and the man of rank— he is the head. The prophet who teaches falsehood— he is the tail. The leaders of this people lead them astray. Those they mislead are swallowed up. 16Therefore Adonai will have no joy in their young men, nor will He have compassion on their orphans and widows, for everyone is ungodly and an evildoer, and every mouth speaks foolishness. For all this His anger is not turned away, yet His hand is still outstretched. 17For wickedness burns like a fire and consumes the briers and thorns It kindles the thickets of the forest, so they roll up in a column of smoke.

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 oppress one another— each one by his fellow, each one by his neighbor. The child will be insolent to the aged, and dishonorable to the honorable.
• Isaiah 5:13“Therefore My people are in captivity for lack of knowledge. Their honorable men are famished and their multitudes parched with thirst.
• 1 Samuel 9:6Then his servant said to him, “Behold now, there is a man of God in this town, and he is a man held in honor—everything he says is sure to come true. Now, let’s go there. Perhaps he’ll tell us the way we should go.”
• Isaiah 28:17But I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line. Hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and water will overflow the hiding place.
• Isaiah 29:10For Adonai has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep, and has shut your eyes—the prophets, and covered your heads—the seers.
• 1 Kings 13:18So he said to him: “I also am a prophet like you. An angel spoke to me with the word of Adonai saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house that he may eat bread and drink water.’” (He lied to him.)
• 1 Kings 22:22And he said: ‘I will go and be a deceiving spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.’ Then He said: ‘You shall entice him and shall prevail also—go and do so.’
• Jeremiah 5:31The prophets prophesy falsely, the kohanim rule by their own authority, and My people love it this way! But what will you do in the end?”
• Jeremiah 14:14Then Adonai said to me: “The prophets prophesy lies in My Name! I did not send them, nor commanded them, nor did I speak to them. They are prophesying to you a lying vision, divination, futility, a delusion of their heart.”
• Jeremiah 23:9As for the prophets: My heart within me is broken, all my bones shake. I am like a drunken man, like a man overcome by wine because of Adonai, because of His holy words.
• Jeremiah 27:9But as for you, do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your dreams, your soothsayers, or your sorcerers, who speak to you, saying, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon.’
• Jeremiah 28:15Then said the prophet Jeremiah to the prophet Hananiah: “Hear now, Hananiah! Adonai has not sent you, yet you have caused this people to trust in a lie.
• Jeremiah 29:21thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Israel, “concerning Ahab son of Kolaiah, and concerning Zedekiah son of Maaseiah, who prophesy a lie to you in My name: I will soon deliver them into the hand of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon—and he will slay them before your eyes.
• Ezekiel 13:1The word of Adonai came to me saying:
• Hosea 9:8Ephraim is a watchman with my God, a prophet. A bird catcher’s trap is on all his paths. Hostility is in the House of his God.
• Malachi 2:9“So I also have made you despised and lowly to all the people, because you are not keeping My ways but show favoritism in Torah.”

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