Isaiah 9:16

Isa 9:16 For the leaders of this people cause [them] to err; and [they that are] led of them [are] destroyed.

Ver. 16. For the leaders of this people cause them to err.] By their ill counsel and example. Exempla enim non ibi consistunt, ubi cceperunt. The ancients placed the statues of their princes and patriots near the fountains, to show that they were the spring heads of good or evil to the public. Some read the words thus: Those that bless this people, viz., the false prophets, have been misleaders: ductoresfuerunt seductores. Pope Plus II hath this memorable saying, Nihil excellenter malum in Ecclesia, Catholica patratur cuius prima origo a sacerdotibus non dependeat, in forte occulto quodam Dei concilio fiat. {a} Nothing exceedingly bad is done in the Catholic Church, unless it is first started by the priests, it becomes hidden in the plan of God.

And they that are led of them.] Or, Blessed by them.

Are destroyed.] Or, Swallowed up; or, Blindfolded. {b}

{a} In Hist. Auster.

{b} Objecti. - Tremel.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Isa_9:16

For the leaders of this people cause them to err

Leaders misleading

Render: And the leaders of this people have become misleaders.

(Prof. J. Skinner, D. D.)

Leaders responsibility for the peoples faults

1. By conniving at their wickedness.

2. By countenancing wicked people.

3. By setting them ill examples. (M. Henry.)

Unfaithful physicians

It is ill with a people when their physicians are their worse disease. (M. Henry.)

A shameless ruler

(Charles II):--A king might be pardoned for amusing his leisure with wine, wit, and beauty, but it was intolerable that he should sink into a mere saunterer and voluptuary; that the gravest affairs of State should be neglected, and that the public service should be starved, and the finances deranged in order that harlots and parasites might grow rich. (Macaulays England.)

The responsibility of leaders

The ancients placed the statues of their princes and patriots near the fountains, to show that they were the spring heads of good or evil to the public. (J. Trapp.)

Leadership

I. The world is so constituted that LEADERS OF THE PEOPLE ARE AT PRESENT A NECESSITY.

II. LEADERSHIP INVOLVES FOR THE LEADERS THE HIGHEST HONOUR OR THE DEEPEST SHAME.

1. The man who leads his fellow men well is entitled to the highest honour.

2. But leadership does not necessarily involve any honour at all.

3. Through leadership a man may reach the most utter degradation and shame.

(1) Through his incompetence.

(2) Through his dishonesty.

III. LEADERSHIP INVOLVES FOR THE LED SALVATION OR DESTRUCTION. (R. A. Bertram.)

The Biblical Illustrator, edited by Joseph S. Exell (c. 1880s–1900s) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Isa 9:16-17. For, &c. — “We have here a defence of the divine judgment, taken from the universal corruption of the people, wherein God sets forth the justice of his proceedings, and shows, that not from choice, but from the iniquities of the people, he is compelled to punish. The leaders of this people — Their governors, both civil and ecclesiastical, especially the latter, their teachers, or the false prophets, last-mentioned; cause them to err — Their governors compelling them by power, and their teachers deceiving them by false doctrines, and evil counsels and persuasions. They that are led, &c., are destroyed — Shall certainly perish; nor will it avail them to plead, in their excuse, that they followed the counsel and conduct of their leaders. The Lord shall have no joy in their young men — Shall not rejoice over them to do them good, as he doth over his faithful people, Isa 62:5; Zep 3:17. Neither shall have mercy on their fatherless — Who generally are the special objects of his care and pity, and much less upon others. For every one — Not precisely; for there were seven thousand pious persons among them, when they seemed to Elijah to be universally corrupt; but the body or generality of the people are intended; is a hypocrite — For though they professed to worship the true God, yet indeed they had forsaken him. Every mouth speaketh folly — That is, wickedness, which is commonly called folly. They are not ashamed to proclaim their own wickedness; and the corruption of their hearts breaks forth into ungodly speeches.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

leaders, &c.--(See Isa 3:12, Margin, and see on Isa 3:12.)

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

16. Render: And the leaders of this people have become misleaders, and they of it that are led are swallowed up (or perhaps as Isa_3:12 confused).

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

For the leaders of this people cause them to err,.... Or, "who bless this people", as the Septuagint and Arabic versions; and so the Targum,

"who praise this people;''

that call them blessed, pronounce them happy, see Mal 3:15 and promise them happiness, both in this world and that to come, though guilty of notorious sins, and live a vicious course of life; and so harden them in their iniquities, and cause them to wander more and more from the way of truth and righteousness; and lead them unto, and leave them in, fatal mistakes about their state and condition. These seem to design the ecclesiastical leaders of the people, the blind leaders of the blind, see Isa 3:12,

and they that are led of them are destroyed; or, "they" that "are blessed of them are swallowed up" (c); and so irrecoverably lost; the deceivers and the deceived perish together; as it is sinful in teachers and leaders of the people to teach them false things, and lead them out of the way, it is criminal in the people to be led and taught by them, who ought to take care what they hear and receive; and therefore both are righteously punished; for the words are a reason why the Lord would cut off both the one and the other.

(c) "qui ex hoc populo beati dicuntur, absorbebuntur", Vatablus.

Next: Isaiah Chapter 10

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

For the leaders of this people ... - Note, Isa 3:12. Hebrew ‘They that call this people blessed’ - referring more particularly to the false prophets.

They that are led of them - Hebrew, ‘They that are called blessed by them.’

Are destroyed - Hebrew, ‘Are swallowed up;’ see the note at Isa 3:12. They are ruined; or swallowed up as in a vast whirlpool or vortex.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Headlong. If the blind lead the blind, both fall into the ditch, Matthew xv. 14. (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

The leaders; their governors, both civil and ecclesiastical, and especially the latter, their teachers, even the false prophets last mentioned. Or, they that bless or praise them, to wit, the false prophets, that flatter them in their wicked ways, with hopes and promises of peace, as their manner was, Jer 6:14; 28:9. Both ways the sense is the same.

Cause them to err; either compelling them by power, or deceiving them by false doctrines and evil counsels and persuasions.

Are destroyed; shall certainly perish; nor will it excuse them that they followed the counsel and conduct of their leaders.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

16. The leaders… led — See Isa_3:12. The “leaders” and the “led” are both swallowed up in misery: the former because of their bad leadership, the latter as the result of their wrong following. Num_16:30.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The leaders of this people cause them to err. (comp. Isa_3:12) Both the peoples were led into idolatry by their rulers, butIsrael especially. Jeroboam, the first king, introduced the calf-worship, and his successors from first to last persisted in his sin. Ahab added the still grosset idolatry of Baal. Those who held high position under the kings were equally bad examples to the people. (see above, Isa_1:2:3) Are destroyed. First, morally corrupted and debased, then physically given over to destruction slaughtered by Philistines, Syrians, and Assyrians.

Ver. 16. The sin of leading others astray.

The point of the expression is, that the leaders of the nation are really misleaders. The persons referred to are described in ver. 15 as "the ancient and honorable, "and as "the prophet that teacheth lies, "evidently including those having influence by reason of their social status, and having influence by reason of their official positions. It is well for us to remember the responsibility of positions as well as of talents. Society is directly affected by the morality, the prevailing tone, the intelligence, and the religiousness of the upper and the learned classes. Leadership is also a talent or endowment, given by God to individual men and women, and so it is to be regarded as, and used as, a Divine trust. A man"s power of leadership among his fellow-men is to be laid on God"s altar, and used in God"s service.

I EVERYBODY HAS SOME INFLUENCE ON OTHERS; by virtue of:

1. Relationship, as masters, husbands, fathers, etc.

2. Position, one class of society becoming ideals to the class below them.

3. Character, natural and trained.

4. Education, involving superior knowledge and mental control.

II SOME HAVE VERY SPECIAL POWERS OF LEADERSHIP. Illustrate by the first Napoleon. Some men seem to master our wills, and compel us to do what they wish. We find such persons in all spheres of life. The Power is one of the secrets of success in business. It is often the genius of secretaries, and of teachers. Illustrate from T. Moore"s poem in "Lalla Rookh," "The Veiled Prophet of Khorassan.

III SUCH INFLUENCE MAY BE MADE A CURSE. Leadership may cover and excuse wrong-doing. Personal relations may disturb moral distinctions.

IV SUCH INFLUENCE MAY BE MADE A BLESSING. Leadership may present the example of righteousness and obedience. Personal relations with others may be Christ-like, and so a leading towards goodness and God. Special Divine judgments come on those who determinedly lead others astray. The enticer and seducer who wile into the ways that lead down to the pit, God surely hateth and watcheth. His hand will be heavy on them some day. R.T.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The leaders - Their false prophets. Cause - By false doctrines and evil counsels and persuasions. Destroyed - Shall certainly perish.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

This verse gives a reason, not why all classes were to be destroyed, but why the rulers and false prophets had been specially mentioned. It arises, therefore, naturally out of the fourteenth, and thus incidentally proves it to be genuine. The truth expressed and implied is, that the leaders of the people had destroyed them and should perish with them. “The leaders of this people have been seducers, and those led by them (are) swallowed up (or ruined).”

Joseph Addison Alexander, The Prophecies of Isaiah (1846–1847; New York: Scribner, 1870–1878) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Those who lead this people lead them astray

The leaders causing people to disobey is spoken of as if the leaders led them on the wrong path. AT: "The leaders of Israel have caused the people to disobey God" (See: Metaphor)

those who are led by them are swallowed up

This is a metaphor that can be stated in active form. Possible meanings are 1) AT: "those that they lead become confused" or 2) AT: "Yahweh destroys those that they lead" (See: Metaphor and Active or Passive)

every mouth speaks foolish things

The word "mouth" refers to the person. AT: "every person speaks foolish things" (See: Synecdoche)

In all these things, his anger does not subside; instead, his hand

"Even though all these things have happened, he is still angry, and his hand." See how you translated this in Isaiah 5:25.

his hand is still stretched out

Isaiah speaks as if Yahweh were a person about to hit another person with his fist. This is a metaphor for Yahweh punishing Israel. See how you translated this in Isaiah 5:25. AT: "he will still be ready to punish them" (See: Metaphor)

translationWords

people group

astray

joy

compassion

godly

evildoer

fool

anger

hand

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

and evildoers Wicked. Comp. (1:4) “Evildoing seed.”

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

The Lord will rejoice. Anthropomorphism; as human beings are accustomed to rejoice when their work is in a good condition.

חנף Hypocrite. A man who is virtuous in outward appearance, but vicious at heart.

Ibn Ezra on the Tanakh — English translations: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009” (CC BY 4.0); and “Commentary of Ibn Ezra on Isaiah - trans. by M. Friedlander, 1873” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.