Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, August 9th, 2025
the Week of Proper 13 / Ordinary 18
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Read the Bible

Easy-to-Read Version

Isaiah 9:15

(The head means the elders and important leaders. The tail means the prophets who told lies.)

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Backsliders;   Isaiah;   Israel, Prophecies Concerning;   Minister, Christian;   Thompson Chain Reference - False;   Leaders;   Prophets;   Religious;   Wicked, the;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Head;   Prophets, False;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Lie, Lying;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Bulrush;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Head;   Isaiah;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Moreh,;   Rezin;   The Hawker's Poor Man's Concordance And Dictionary - Counsellor;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Tail;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Head;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Head;   Honorable;   Isaiah;   Lie;  

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.
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.
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 gave a command against Jacob and someone in Israel fell. 9 So all the people in Ephraim, including the ruler in Samaria, learned their lesson. Those people are very proud and boastful now. They say, 10 "Yes, those bricks fell, but we will rebuild with strong stone. Yes, those little trees were chopped down, but we will plant new trees. And they will be large, strong trees." 11 The Lord found people to go up and fight against Rezin. He stirred up Rezin's enemies. 12 As for Israel, the Arameans are in front of him and the Philistines are behind him. And they are both eating away at him. But the Lord is not finished yet. He is still angry, and his arm is raised to continue punishing Israel. 13 The people did not stop sinning. They did not come to the Lord All-Powerful for help. 14 So the Lord cut off Israel's head and tail. He took away the branch and the stalk in one day. 15 (The head means the elders and important leaders. The tail means the prophets who told lies.) 16 Their guides are leading them the wrong way, so those who follow them will be destroyed. 17 All of them are evil. So the Lord is not happy with the young men, and he will not show mercy to their widows and orphans. That is because they are evil hypocrites. They tell lies. The Lord has punished them, but he is not finished yet. He is still angry, and his arm is raised to continue punishing his people.

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 said to Noah and his sons,
Genesis 9:10
I make my promise to all the birds, and to all the cattle, and to all the animals that came out of the boat with you. I make my promise to every living thing on earth.
Exodus 28:12
Then put these two jewels on the shoulder pieces of the ephod. Aaron will wear this special coat when he stands before the Lord . And the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel will be on the ephod. These jewels will cause the Lord to remember the Israelites.
Deuteronomy 7:9
"So remember that the Lord your God is the only God, and you can trust him! He keeps his agreement. He shows his love and kindness to all people who love him and obey his commands. He continues to show his love and kindness through a thousand generations,
1 Kings 8:23
and said, " Lord , God of Israel, there is no other god like you in heaven or on the earth. You keep the agreement that you made with your people. You are kind and loyal to those who follow you with all their heart.
Nehemiah 9:32
Our God, you are the great God, the awesome, powerful soldier! You are kind and loyal. You keep your agreement. We have had many troubles, and our troubles are important to you. Bad things happened to all our people, and to our kings and leaders, and to our priests and prophets. Those terrible things have happened from the days of the king of Assyria until today!
Psalms 106:45
He always remembered his agreement, and because of his faithful love, he comforted them.
Jeremiah 14:21
For the good of your name, don't push us away. Don't take away the honor from your glorious throne. Remember your agreement with us and do not break it.
Ezekiel 16:60
But I will remember the agreement we made when you were young. I made an agreement with you that will continue forever!
Luke 1:72
God said he would show mercy to our fathers, and he remembered his holy agreement.

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.


 
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