Lectionary Calendar
Saturday, July 26th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

King James Version (1611 Edition)

Isaiah 9:15

The ancient and honourable, hee is the head: and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the taile.

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.
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.
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 sent a word into Iacob, and it hath lighted vpon Israel. 9 And all the people shal know, euen Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, that say in the pride and stoutnesse of heart; 10 The brickes are fallen downe, but we will build with hewen stones: the Sycomores are cut downe, but we will change them into Cedars. 11 Therefore the Lord shall set vp the aduersaries of Rezin against him, and ioyne his enemies together. 12 The Syrians before, and the Philistines behinde, and they shall deuoure Israel with open mouth: for all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still. 13 For the people turneth not vnto him that smiteth them, neither doe they seeke the Lord of hostes. 14 Therefore the Lord will cut off from Israel head and taile, branch and rush in one day. 15 The ancient and honourable, hee is the head: and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the taile. 16 For the leaders of this people cause them to erre, and they that are ledde of them, are destroyed. 17 Therfore the Lord shall haue no ioy in their yong men, neither shall haue mercy on their fatherlesse & widowes: for euery one is an hypocrite, and an euil doer, and euery mouth speaketh folly: for all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.

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
And God spake vnto Noah, and to his sonnes with him, saying;
Genesis 9:10
And with euery liuing creature that is with you, of the fowle, of the cattell, and of euery beast of the earth with you, from all that goe out of the Arke, to euery beast of the earth.
Exodus 28:12
And thou shalt put the two stones vpon the shoulders of the Ephod, for stones of memoriall vnto the children of Israel. And Aaron shall beare their names before the Lord, vpon his two shoulders for a memoriall.
Deuteronomy 7:9
Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithfull God, which keepeth Couenant and Mercy with them that loue him, and keepe his Commandements, to a thousand generations;
1 Kings 8:23
And hee said, Lord God of Israel, there is no God like thee, in heauen aboue, or on earth beneath, who keepest couenant and mercy with thy seruants, that walke before thee with all their heart:
Nehemiah 9:32
Now therefore, our God, the great, the mightie, and the terrible God, who keepest couenant and mercie: let not all the trouble seeme little before thee, that hath come vpon vs, on our Kings, on our Princes, & on our Priests, and on our Prophets, & on our fathers, & on al thy people, since the time of the Kings of Assyria, vnto this day.
Psalms 106:45
And hee remembred for them his couenant: and repented according to the multitude of his mercies.
Jeremiah 14:21
Do not abhorre vs, for thy Names sake, doe not disgrace the Throne of thy glorie: remember, breake not thy Couenant with vs.
Ezekiel 16:60
Neuerthelesse I will remember my couenant with thee in the dayes of thy youth, and I will establish vnto thee an euerlasting couenant.
Luke 1:72
That wee should be saued from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate vs, That hee would grant vnto vs, that wee beeing deliuered out of the hands of our enemies, might serue him without feare, In holinesse and righteousnesse before him, all the dayes of our life. And thou childe shalt bee called the Prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt goe before the face of the Lord to prepare his wayes. To giue knowledge of saluation vnto his people, by the remission of their sinnes, Through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited vs, To giue light to them that sit in darknes, and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. And the childe grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts, till the day of his shewing vnto Israel.

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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