Isaiah 9:15 “The head is the elder and honorable man, and the tail is the prophet w…”

Isaiah 9:15

The head is the elder and honorable man, and the tail is the prophet who teaches lies.

Berean Standard Bible

Other translations

King James Version

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

World English Bible

The elder and the honorable man is the head, and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail.

American Standard Version

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

Geneva Bible 1599

The ancient and the honorable man, he is the head: and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the taile.

Darby Translation

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

Young's Literal Translation

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

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Cross references

“ancient”

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

1 Samuel 9:6 · BSB

“Look,” said the servant, “in this city there is a man of God who is highly respected; everything he says surely comes to pass. Let us go there now. Perhaps he will tell us which way to go.”

Isaiah 3:5 · BSB

The people will oppress one another, man against man, neighbor against neighbor; the young will rise up against the old, and the base against the honorable.

Isaiah 5:13 · BSB

Therefore My people will go into exile for their lack of understanding; their dignitaries are starving and their masses are parched with thirst.

“the prophet”

Isaiah 29:10 Matthew 24:24 Ezekiel 13:19 Isaiah 28:17 1 Kings 13:18 1 Kings 22:22–24

Isaiah 29:10 · BSB

For the LORD has poured out on you a spirit of deep sleep. He has shut your eyes, O prophets; He has covered your heads, O seers.

Matthew 24:24 · BSB

For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive even the elect, if that were possible.

Ezekiel 13:19 · BSB

You have profaned Me among My people for handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. By lying to My people who would listen, you have killed those who should not have died and spared those who should not have lived.

Isaiah 28:17 · BSB

I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the level. Hail will sweep away your refuge of lies, and water will flood your hiding place.

1 Kings 13:18 · BSB

Then the prophet replied, “I too am a prophet like you, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, so that he may eat bread and drink water.’” The old prophet was ly…

1 Kings 22:22–24 · BSB

And he replied, ‘I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets.’ ‘You will surely entice him and prevail,’ said the LORD. ‘Go and do it.’

Also

Isaiah 3:2–3

Isaiah 3:2–3 · BSB

the mighty man and the warrior, the judge and the prophet, the soothsayer and the elder,

Cross references adapted from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0) and the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.

In context

14So the LORD will cut off Israel’s head and tail, both palm branch and reed in a single day.

16For those who guide this people mislead them, and those they mislead are swallowed up.

Read Isaiah 9