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Read the Bible

Young's Literal Translation

Isaiah 9:15

Elder, and accepted of face, he [is] the head, Prophet, teacher of falsehood, he [is] the tail.

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.
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;
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 A word hath the Lord sent into Jacob, And it hath fallen in Israel. 9 And the people have known -- all of it, Ephraim, and the inhabitant of Samaria, In pride and in greatness of heart, saying, 10 `Bricks have fallen, and hewn work we build, Sycamores have been cut down, and cedars we renew.' 11 And Jehovah setteth the adversaries of Rezin on high above him, And his enemies he joineth together, 12 Aram from before, and Philistia from behind, And they devour Israel with the whole mouth. With all this not turned back hath His anger, And still His hand is stretched out. 13 And the people hath not turned back unto Him who is smiting it, And Jehovah of Hosts they have not sought. 14 And Jehovah cutteth off from Israel head and tail, Branch and reed -- the same day, 15 Elder, and accepted of face, he [is] the head, Prophet, teacher of falsehood, he [is] the tail. 16 And the eulogists of this people are causing to err, And its eulogised ones are consumed. 17 Therefore, over its young men the Lord rejoiceth not, And its orphans, and its widows He pitieth not, For every one [is] profane, and an evil doer, And every mouth is speaking folly. With all this not turned back hath His anger, And still His hand is stretched out.

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 speaketh unto Noah, and unto his sons with him, saying,
Genesis 9:10
and with every living creature which [is] with you, among fowl, among cattle, and among every beast of the earth with you, from all who are going out of the ark -- to every beast of the earth.
Exodus 28:12
`And thou hast set the two stones on the shoulders of the ephod -- stones of memorial to the sons of Israel -- and Aaron hath borne their names before Jehovah, on his two shoulders, for a memorial.
Deuteronomy 7:9
`And thou hast known that Jehovah thy God He [is] God, the faithful God, keeping the covenant, and the kindness, to those loving Him, and to those keeping His commands -- to a thousand generations,
1 Kings 8:23
and saith, `Jehovah, God of Israel, there is not a God like Thee, in the heavens above, and on the earth beneath, keeping the covenant and the kindness for Thy servants, those walking before Thee with all their heart,
Nehemiah 9:32
`And now, O our God -- God, the great, the mighty, and the fearful, keeping the covenant and the kindness -- let not all the travail that hath found us be little before Thee, for our kings, for our heads, and for our priests, and for our prophets, and for our fathers, and for all Thy people, from the days of the kings of Asshur unto this day;
Psalms 106:45
And remembereth for them His covenant, And is comforted, According to the abundance of His kindness.
Jeremiah 14:21
Do not despise, for Thy name's sake, Dishonour not the throne of Thine honour, Remember, break not Thy covenant with us.
Ezekiel 16:60
And I -- I have remembered My covenant with thee, In the days of thy youth, And I have established for thee a covenant age-during.
Luke 1:72
To do kindness with our fathers, And to be mindful of His holy covenant,

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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