Isaiah 9:15

Contemporary English Version

Their rulers and leaders were the head, and the lying prophets were 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.

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

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

⁸ The Lord had warned the people of Israel, ⁹ and all of them knew it, including everyone in the capital city of Samaria. But they were proud and stubborn and said, ¹⁰ "Houses of brick and sycamore have fallen to the ground, but we will build houses with stones and cedar." ¹¹ The Lord made their enemies attack them. ¹² He sent the Arameans from the east and the Philistines from the west, and they swallowed up Israel. But even this did not stop him from being angry, so he kept on punishing them. ¹³ The people of Israel still did not turn back to the Lord All-Powerful and worship him. ¹⁴ In one day he cut off their head and tail, their leaves and branches. ¹⁵ Their rulers and leaders were the head, and the lying prophets were the tail. ¹⁶ They had led the nation down the wrong path, and the people were confused. ¹⁷ The Lord was angry with his people and kept punishing them, because they had turned against him. They were evil and spoke foolishly. That's why he did not have pity on their young people or on their widows and orphans.

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
Again, God said to Noah and his sons:

Genesis 9:10
This includes the birds and the animals that came out of the boat.

Deuteronomy 7:9
You know that the Lord your God is the only true God. So love him and obey his commands, and he will faithfully keep his agreement with you and your descendants for a thousand generations.

1 Kings 8:23
and prayed: Lord God of Israel, no other god in heaven or on earth is like you! You never forget the agreement you made with your people, and you are loyal to anyone who faithfully obeys your teachings.

Nehemiah 9:32
Our God, you are powerful, fearsome, and faithful, always true to your word. So please keep in mind the terrible sufferings of our people, kings, leaders, priests, and prophets, from the time Assyria ruled until this very day.

Psalms 106:45
You kept your agreement and were so merciful

Jeremiah 14:21
If you save us, it will show how great you are. Don't let our enemies disgrace your temple, your beautiful throne. Don't forget that you promised to rescue us.

Ezekiel 16:60
But I remember the agreement I made with you when you were young, and so I will make you a promise that will last forever.

Luke 1:72
God said he would be kind to our people and keep his sacred promise.

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.