Isaiah 9:15

Amplified Bible

The elderly and honorable man, he is the head; And the prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The head is the elder, the honored one;the tail is the prophet, the one teaching lies.

Hebrew Names Version
The elder and the honorable man, he is the head; and the prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail.

King James Version
The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.

English Standard Version
the elder and honored man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail;

New American Standard Bible
The head is the elder and esteemed man, And the prophet who teaches falsehood is the tail.

New Century Version
The elders and important men were the head, and the prophets who speak lies were the tail.

World English Bible
The elder and the honorable man, he is the head; and the prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail.

Geneva Bible (1587)
The ancient and the honorable man, he is the head: and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the taile.

Legacy Standard Bible
The head is the elder and the highly respected man,And the prophet who teaches falsehood is the tail.

Berean Standard Bible
The head is the elder and the honorable man and the tail is the prophet who teaches lies.

Contemporary English Version
Their rulers and leaders were the head, and the lying prophets were the tail.

Complete Jewish Bible
For those leading this people lead them astray, and those led by them are destroyed.

Darby Translation
the ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.

Easy-to-Read Version
(The head means the elders and important leaders. The tail means the prophets who told lies.)

George Lamsa Translation
The elder and honorable, he is the head; and the prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail.

Good News Translation
The old and honorable men are the head—and the tail is the prophets whose teachings are lies!

Lexham English Bible
Elders and the respectable are the head, and prophets who teach lies are the tail.

Literal Translation
The elder and the exalted of face; he is the head. And the prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
By the heade, is vnderstonde the Senatoure and honorable man, and by ye tale, the prophet that preacheth lyes.

American Standard Version
The elder and the honorable man, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.

Bible in Basic English
The man who is honoured and responsible is the head, and the prophet who gives false teaching is the tail.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
For they that lead this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.

King James Version (1611)
The ancient and honourable, hee is the head: and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the taile.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
By the head, is vnderstande the senatour and honourable man, and by the tayle, the prophete that preached lyes.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
the old man, and them that respect persons, this is the head; and the prophet teaching unlawful things, he is the tail.

English Revised Version
The ancient and the honourable man, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
An elde man and onourable, he is the heed, and a profete techynge a leesyng, he is the tail.

Update Bible Version
The elder and the honorable man, he is the head; and the prophet that teaches lies, he is the tail.

Webster's Bible Translation
The ancient and honorable, he [is] the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he [is] the tail.

New English Translation
The leaders and the highly respected people are the head, the prophets who teach lies are the tail.

New King James Version
The elder and honorable, he is the head; The prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail.

New Living Translation
The leaders of Israel are the head, and the lying prophets are the tail.

New Life Bible
The leaders and men of honor are the head, and the tail is the false preachers who teach lies.

New Revised Standard
elders and dignitaries are the head, and prophets who teach lies are the tail;

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The eider and favourite, he, is the head, - And the prophet teaching falsehood, he, is the tail;

Douay-Rheims Bible
The aged and honourable, he is the head: and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.

Revised Standard Version
the elder and honored man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail;

Young's Literal Translation
Elder, and accepted of face, he [is] the head, Prophet, teacher of falsehood, he [is] the tail.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
The head is the elder and honorable man, And the prophet who teaches falsehood is the tail.

Contextual Overview

⁸The Lord sends a word (message) against Jacob, And it falls on Israel [the ten northern tribes, the kingdom of Ephraim]. ⁹And all the people know it, That is, Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria [its capital], Who say in pride and arrogance of heart: ¹⁰"The bricks have fallen down, But we will rebuild [all the better] with ashlar (hewed stones); The sycamores have been cut down, But we will replace them with [expensive] cedars." ¹¹Therefore the LORD raises against Ephraim adversaries from Rezin [king of Aram] And spurs their enemies on, ¹²The Arameans on the east and the Philistines on the west; And they devour Israel with gaping jaws. In spite of all this, God's anger does not turn away But His hand is still stretched out [in judgment]. ¹³Yet the people do not turn back [in repentance] to Him who struck them, Nor do they seek the LORD of hosts [as their most essential need]. ¹⁴Therefore the LORD cuts off head and tail [the highest and the lowest] from Israel, Both [the high] palm branch and [the low] bulrush in one day. ¹⁵The elderly and honorable man, he is the head; And the prophet who teaches lies, he is the tail.¹⁶For those who lead this people are causing them to go astray; And those who are led [astray] by them are swallowed up. ¹⁷Therefore the Lord does not rejoice over their young men, Nor does He have compassion on their fatherless or their widows; For every one of them is godless and an evildoer, And every mouth is speaking foolishness. In spite of all this, God's anger does not turn away But His hand is still stretched out [in judgment].

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

ancient: Isaiah 3:5, Isaiah 5:13, 1 Samuel 9:6

the prophet: Isaiah 28:17, Isaiah 29:10, 1 Kings 13:18, 1 Kings 22:22-24, Jeremiah 5:31, Jeremiah 14:14, Jeremiah 14:15, Jeremiah 23:9, Jeremiah 23:14, Jeremiah 23:15, Jeremiah 23:25-27, Jeremiah 27:9, Jeremiah 27:10, Jeremiah 27:14, Jeremiah 27:15, Jeremiah 28:15, Jeremiah 28:16, Jeremiah 29:21, Jeremiah 29:22, Ezekiel 13:1-16, Ezekiel 13:19, Ezekiel 13:22, Hosea 9:8, Malachi 2:9, Matthew 7:15, Matthew 24:24, 2 Corinthians 11:13-15, Galatians 1:8, Galatians 1:9, 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12, 2 Timothy 4:2, 2 Timothy 4:3, 2 Peter 2:1-3, 1 John 4:1, Revelation 19:20

Reciprocal: Leviticus 13:29 - General Deuteronomy 13:1 - a prophet Deuteronomy 13:5 - prophet Deuteronomy 28:13 - the head Joshua 10:19 - smite Nehemiah 6:14 - on the prophetess Proverbs 12:22 - Lying Proverbs 19:9 - and Isaiah 3:2 - the ancient Isaiah 3:12 - lead thee Isaiah 19:15 - General Jeremiah 20:6 - thy friends Jeremiah 27:16 - for Jeremiah 32:32 - they Lamentations 2:14 - prophets Amos 2:4 - and their Micah 2:11 - a man Micah 3:5 - concerning Zephaniah 3:4 - light Zechariah 11:17 - idol Matthew 23:13 - woe 2 Corinthians 11:15 - whose Ephesians 4:25 - putting 1 Timothy 4:2 - lies Revelation 9:19 - in their tails Revelation 12:3 - ten Revelation 21:8 - and all Revelation 22:15 - whosoever

Cross-References

Genesis 9:8
Then God spoke to Noah and to his sons with him, saying,

Genesis 9:10
and with every living creature that is with you—the birds, the livestock, and the wild animals of the earth along with you, of everything that comes out of the ark—every living creature of the earth.

Exodus 28:12
"You shall put the two stones on the [two] shoulder pieces of the ephod [of the high priest], as memorial stones for Israel; and Aaron shall bear their names on his two shoulders as a memorial before the LORD.

Deuteronomy 7:9
"Therefore know [without any doubt] and understand that the LORD your God, He is God, the faithful God, who is keeping His covenant and His [steadfast] lovingkindness to a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;

1 Kings 8:23
He said, "O LORD, the God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth below, who keeps the covenant and shows lovingkindness to Your servants who walk before You with all their heart;

Nehemiah 9:32
"Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps the covenant and lovingkindness, Do not let all the hardship seem insignificant before You, Which has come upon us, our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers and on all Your people, Since the time of the kings of Assyria to this day.

Psalms 106:45
And He remembered His covenant for their sake, And relented [rescinding their sentence] according to the greatness of His lovingkindness [when they cried out to Him],

Jeremiah 14:21
Do not treat us with contempt and condemn us, for Your own name's sake; Do not disgrace Your glorious throne; Remember [with consideration] and do not break Your [solemn] covenant with us.

Ezekiel 16:60
"Nevertheless, I will remember [with compassion] My covenant with you in the days of your youth, and I will establish an everlasting covenant with you.

Luke 1:72
To show mercy [as He promised] to our fathers, And to remember His holy covenant [the promised blessing],

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The ancient and honourable, he [is] the head,.... The elder in office, not in age; and who, on account of his office, dignity, and riches, is honoured by men, is of a venerable countenance himself, and is reverenced when seen and looked upon by others, and received by persons with pleasure and cheerfulness; as the phrase used signifies. The Septuagint and Arabic versions render it, "who admire", or "have" men's "persons in admiration"; which is the character Jude gives of false teachers, Judges 1:16 who are next described:

and the prophet that teacheth lies, he [is] the tail; so called from their low extract, being often of a mean original and descent; or rather from the meanness of their spirits, their flattery of princes and great men, to whom they tell lies, and prophesy smooth and false things, for the sake of a little sordid gain, in allusion to dogs that wag their tails at their masters; or from the poison of their doctrines, some creatures having poison in their tails, and do much mischief with them. See Revelation 9:19.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The 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.