King James Version

Isaiah 9:15

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

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Hebrew

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In the Hebrew text this line is Isaiah 9:14.

זָקֵ֥ןzaqenoldזָקֵןadjective, adjective, masculine, singular, absolute — “old”, the ordinary formH2205oldaged, ancient (man), elder(-est), old (man, men and...women), senator.וּנְשׂוּאunesuand lift upנָשָׂאconjunction, verb, qal, passive participle, construct — “and lift up”, a verb used as a describing wordH5375to lift, in a great variety of applications, literal and figurative, absolute and relativeaccept, advance, arise, (able to, (armor), suffer to) bear(-er, up), bring (forth), burn, carry (away), cast, contain, desire, ease, exact, exalt (self), extol, fetch, forgive, furnish, further, give, go on, help, high, hold up, honorable…פָנִ֖יםfanima- foreפָּנִיםnoun, common, both genders, plural, absolute — “a- fore”, the ordinary formH6440the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)[phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-…ה֣וּאhuas for herהוּאpronoun, personal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “as for her”H1931he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or arehe, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.הָרֹ֑אשׁharoshthe headרֹאשׁdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the head”, the ordinary formH7218the head (as most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many applications, of place, time, rank, itc.)band, beginning, captain, chapiter, chief(-est place, man, things), company, end, [idiom] every (man), excellent, first, forefront, (be-)head, height, (on) high(-est part, (priest)), [idiom] lead, [idiom] poor, principal, ruler, sum, top.וְנָבִ֥יאvenaviand prophetנָבִיאconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and prophet”, the ordinary formH5030a prophet or (generally) inspired manprophecy, that prophesy, prophet.מֽוֹרֶהmorehshootיָרָהverb, hiphil, participle, absolute — “shoot”, a verb used as a describing wordH3384properly, to flow as water (i.e. to rain); transitively, to lay or throw (especially an arrow, i.e. to shoot); figuratively, to point out (as if by aiming the finger), to teach([phrase]) archer, cast, direct, inform, instruct, lay, shew, shoot, teach(-er,-ing), through.שֶּׁ֖קֶרsheqerwithout a causeשֶׁקֶרnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “without a cause”, the ordinary formH8267an untruth; by implication, a sham (often adverbial)without a cause, deceit(-ful), false(-hood, -ly), feignedly, liar, [phrase] lie, lying, vain (thing), wrongfully.ה֥וּאhuas for herהוּאpronoun, personal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “as for her”H1931he (she or it); only expressed when emphatic or without a verb; also (intensively) self, or (especially with the article) the same; sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that; occasionally (instead of copula) as or arehe, as for her, him(-self), it, the same, she (herself), such, that (...it), these, they, this, those, which (is), who.הַזָּנָֽבhazanavthe tailזָנָבdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the tail”, the ordinary formH2180the tail (literally or figuratively)tail.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(9-14) The elder and the man of rank, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

The elder and the honorable man, 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.

World English Bible

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

Darby Translation

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

Douay-Rheims

The aged and honourable, he is the head: and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

(9-14) The elder and the man of rank, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

the old man, and them that respect persons, this is the head; and the prophet teaching unlawful things, he is the tail.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

καὶ προφήτην διδάσκοντα ἄνομα, οὗτος ἡ οὐρά.