But the people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, and they do not seek Jehovah of hosts.
Israel had just been overrun front and back. This verse gives God's verdict on how the nation took it: the blows landed, but nobody asked whose hand was behind them.
Israel could see the armies. This verse points to a hand they could not see.
They were attacked front and back by the Syrians and the Philistines. Their condition was bad enough under those enemies. But another hand was against them — unseen, unacknowledged, disowned, yet striking them all the same. To that striking hand they refused to turn. Things had to take their course.
Their refusal was not a failure to understand. It came from what they thought of themselves.
So far the ten rebellious tribes are the ones being judged — above all for their pride of heart. They despise the LORD's rebuke and trust in their own powers. This is their fond hope and boastful arrogance. They turn the break made in them into a chance for greater strength and display than ever.
Isaiah does not say they failed to seek God in general. He names Him "the LORD of hosts" — the very title Scripture reaches for when His people are weakest.
We first find this title in 1 Samuel, in the days of the judges, when every man did what was right in his own eyes — much as today. Many of the prophets use this name, especially in days of weakness and failure. It is good to know that, despite man's failure, there is an all-sufficient God with unlimited resources at His disposal.
The judgement that follows this verse is different in kind from the invasions before it.
The next view of their judgement (verses 13-17) is not so much judicial repayment from outside. Because they slighted His chastening, the LORD gives Israel up to complete internal collapse. … The ruin falls in one day on every class in Israel, from the highest to the lowest. "Palm branch and reed" — all are plunged into common destruction, leaders and led.
Why does God strike His people at all? One writer names the aim — and the way we miss it.
God's ways in government with His people have one object: that they may take their condition to heart. This is why He uses His rod. Nothing shows the dullness of our hearts more clearly than this. We pass through trials, on our own or with others. Then we pay little or no attention to what God had in view, and flatter ourselves that all is well. Every stroke of God's rod should produce deep searching of heart. Where it does not, heavier chastening from His hand is sure to follow.
Israel's story does not end with this refusal. Assyria — the nation God used as His rod — comes back into view.
The Assyrian then reappears, as the true rod of the LORD. The prophecy announces this: when God has finished all He determined concerning Zion, He will break the rod He used. Then the remnant will seek the LORD and lean on Him. This is the final act in the great drama of God's dealings with Israel.
A whole nation may stay unmoved. That does not release the one person who sees what is happening.
The crowd may feel nothing and refuse to move. If so, the duty of the individual is all the greater. The man of God and of prayer must keep up the honourable place of intercession with God. Moses and Samuel did so long ago, and it brought deliverance to their nation.
- The blow. Behind the enemies they could see stood a hand they would not own — striking them all the same.
- The refusal. Pride despised the rebuke and trusted its own resources. Every loss became a reason to build grander.
- The One unsought. They ignored the title "the LORD of hosts." The prophets use it in days of weakness — an all-sufficient God with unlimited resources.
- The result. Slighted correction brings no fresh blow from outside. It brings inward collapse, sweeping away leaders and led in a single day.
- The turn. What this generation refused, a remnant will one day do: seek the LORD and lean on Him. Until then, one person who turns can still intercede for the many who will not.
And Jehovah will cut off from Israel head and tail, palm-branch and rush, in one day
God has already struck Israel, and the people shrugged the blows off; now the sentence falls on the whole nation at once. Two questions follow: why does the cutting off reach everyone, and what do "head," "tail," "palm branch" and "reed" stand for?
The verse opens with "so" — it is a consequence. One writer looks behind such chastening and shows why it keeps coming.
Three things are at work when God chastens His people: the instrument, the enemy's malice, and God's hidden intention. If one looks at the instrument, it is only to accuse, or to be discontented. But even behind the malice of Satan there is the goodness of God. Sometimes the heart admits that the chastening has come because of known evil, and then would just reform itself a little. But the hand of God stays stretched out still. There is no return to Him who strikes. There is only the effort to appease God with a certain amount of hypocrisy. The conscience has not been put in direct relation with God.
The four words are pairs of extremes, and the point of the pairing is that nothing in between escapes. One commentator sets out what kind of judgement this is.
This next view of their judgement is not so much punishment from outside. Because Israel ignored His chastening, the Lord gives the nation up to complete inner corruption… The ruin covers every class in one day, from the highest to the lowest of Israel — "palm branch and reed": all plunged into one common destruction, leaders and led. What a picture! It is far more dismal and hopeless when the righteous Lord shuts up His affections, and even His compassion. He is indignant at the widespread falsehood and wrong that hide under the highest claims to holiness.
The palm branch carries a settled meaning across Scripture, and one writer includes this verse in that pattern.
When the Lord entered Jerusalem as the King of Peace, His disciples carried palm branches before Him. It is the sign of the peaceful triumph of a reign that is about to begin… The palm trees of Elim are the symbol of peaceful protection in the wilderness. The palm branch in Isaiah 9:14 means protection and shelter.
One writer connects the tail here with the dragon's tail in a later vision, and draws out what the image means.
"And his tail draws the third of the stars of heaven" (verse 4). This seems to be his evil power at work in false teaching and prophesying. In Isaiah 9 we are told that "the prophet who teaches lies is the tail." The tail of the dragon does not stand for his earthly power. It stands for his influence, through false teaching, in misleading souls, and above all those who were in the place of rule and authority — "the stars of heaven."
Head and tail both go, but the guilt is not spread evenly. One writer states the principle.
All the people have their responsibility. But the chief weight falls according to a person's position. Wickedness in a man who holds an office of trust is worse than the same evil in someone under him. It rightly counts as more serious… Corruption or tyranny in a king is deeper guilt than wrongs here or there in any of his subjects.
Yet the followers are not innocent bystanders. One writer adds: "The leaders of course are the most solemnly responsible, but others are responsible for allowing themselves to be led" (Leslie M. Grant).
One writer draws a line from Israel's removal to how God deals with His own people now.
The consequence is (v. 14) His cutting from Israel head and tail, branch and root, leaders and led. So God takes away even a Christian from this world as a chastisement (1 Cor. 11).
- Cause. The cutting off follows refusal. They feel the chastening and half-admit the evil, but they never return to the God who strikes.
- Sweep. Head and tail, palm branch and reed, cover every class at once; the ruin is universal, in one day, leaders and led together.
- Shelter lost. The palm branch stands for protection and shelter — so its removal strips away the very cover the nation relied on.
- Poison. The tail is the prophet who teaches lies: not open force, but influence that misleads, reaching especially those in places of authority.
- Weight. The higher the trust, the heavier the guilt — heaviest on the guides, yet real for those who let themselves be led. God still chastens His own people today.
the ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail.
Here God explains the sentence He has just passed on Israel. He names the "head" and the "tail" He will cut off in a single day. The nation's most honoured man and its lying prophet fall together — so how do a people's honour and its lies end up sharing one fate?
The verse belongs to a paragraph (vv. 13–17) where the trouble is no longer an army at the border but rot inside the nation. One commentator sets out what God's sentence covers.
The next view of their judgment (vv. 13-17) is not so much judicial punishment from outside. Rather, because they ignored His chastening, the Lord gives Israel up to complete inner collapse... The ruin is universal. It comes in one day, on all classes, from the highest to the lowest of Israel — "palm branch and reed." Leaders and led are all plunged into one common destruction. What a picture! And it is far more hopeless when the righteous Lord, angry at the widespread lying and wrong that hides under the highest claims to holiness, shuts up His affections and even His compassion.
Two verses earlier, the people refused to turn back to the One who was striking them. This verse answers that refusal. One writer traces what happens in a heart that admits the trouble but never faces God.
Sometimes the heart admits that the chastening has come because of known evil, and then it would just reform itself a little. But the hand of God stays stretched out still. There is no return to the One who smites — only an effort to appease God with a certain amount of hypocrisy. The conscience has not been put into direct relation with God.
Why does God single out the lying prophet? Because his lies keep that refusal in place. The same writer shows what the false prophet's help does to the conscience.
When the people of God go wrong, the spirit of false prophecy is always there. It would make them believe that all goes well... The false prophet helps this along. He keeps the conscience from turning back to God, who would use chastening to bring the conscience into direct contact with Him. The spirit of falsehood would persuade them that they are very happy. Those who call them blessed are the misleaders. Those who are so called, and who believe them, are swallowed up (v. 16).
Later Scripture picks up the image. One commentator explains what a head does and what a tail does.
Here we have in his tail the emblem of his soul-destroying influence; in other words, his lies (Isa. 9:15). Satan is said to be a murderer and a liar. He murders the bodies and ruins the souls of men. His power is in his head; his evil influence, in false and damning teachings, is in his tail.
Another writer says where that influence does its damage.
The "tail" means the false prophet (Isa. 9:15). So what is pictured is a falling away from God among people who profess to be His. False teaching marks satanic power at all times, and it is far more successful than open violence.
Later prophecy uses Isaiah's definition. One writer, describing creatures whose power to hurt is in their tails, follows the thread forward.
Their sting is in their tails. That reminds us of Isaiah 9:15, where we read, "the prophet who teaches lies is the tail." This is another reference that turns our minds to the Antichrist.
Commentators differ on how far the picture reaches. Some point to the Antichrist, some to Satan's own lies, some to a falling away among people who profess to be God's. All trace the definition back to this verse.
- Refusal. The people would reform themselves a little and use "a certain amount of hypocrisy to appease God." They never brought the conscience into direct contact with Him, so the sentence fell.
- Removal. God cuts off "head and tail" in one day. The ruin is universal, reaching "from the highest to the lowest," leaders and led alike.
- Head. The honoured elder stands at the top. But high standing and "the highest claims to holiness" give no protection when God judges.
- Tail. The lying prophet's weapon is influence, not force. His "soul-destroying" lies persuade a failing people "that all goes well," and keep the conscience from turning back.
- End. The tail is the more dangerous half. False teaching is "far more successful than open violence," and the line Isaiah draws here runs on to the Antichrist.
For the guides of this people mislead [them]; and they that are guided by them are swallowed up.
Isaiah 9:16 sits inside a long section of the prophecy. God has already struck His people, and they have not turned back to Him. The verse puts the blame on the guides. But it also says the guided are swallowed up with them. So how far can a follower hide behind a leader?
The chapter breaks in two. The first half promises a Child born, with the government on His shoulder. Then the prophet turns back to Israel's story and traces its discipline in stages. Our verse sits in the second stage.
In Isaiah 9:8 the Spirit has given the great leading facts about the Messiah, Immanuel. He now takes up the general history of Israel again, and He does not bring the Messiah in again in any special way until near the end... The different phases of chastisement or of distress are in verses 8-12, 13-17, 18-21, and Isaiah 10:1-4. The Assyrian then reappears, as the one who is truly the rod of Jehovah.
Why does the striking go on? The people never look past the blow to the hand behind it.
God has chastised His people, but this has not yet dealt with their pride: they still trust in themselves (v. 8-12). The anger of Jehovah is not yet turned away, and His hand is stretched out still. This is because the people do not turn to Him who smites them, and have not discerned His hand. Until they see this, there is resistance and a strengthening of self in one's own power.
Earlier blows came from outside. This one comes from within. God gives the nation up to its own rot, and every class falls together.
The next view of their judgement (vv. 13-17) is not so much punishment sent from outside. Because they slighted His chastening, Jehovah gives Israel up to complete inner collapse... "And Jehovah will cut off from Israel head and tail, palm-branch and rush, in one day. The elder and honoured man is the head; and the prophet who teaches lies is the tail."
after The ruin is universal in one day on all classes, from the highest to the lowest of Israel, "palm-branch and rush": all plunged into common destruction, leaders and led.
Verse 15 calls the lying prophet the "tail." The same writer uses that image to show what false teaching really is, and who it aims at.
In Isaiah 9 we are told that "the prophet that teaches lies, he is the tail." The tail of the dragon does not stand for his power on earth. It stands for his influence through false teaching, by which he misleads souls — above all those who were in the place of rule and authority, "the stars of heaven."
How does a guide lead people astray? Not by open denial, but by telling people that all is well.
When the people of God go wrong, there is always the spirit of false prophecy which would make them believe that all goes well. Men in authority love it when people are not discouraged... The false prophet helps with this. He keeps the conscience from turning back to God, who would use chastening to bring the conscience into direct contact with Him. The spirit of falsehood would persuade them that they are very happy. Those who call them blessed are the misleaders. Those who are so called and believe them are swallowed up (v. 16).
There is a middle response that looks like turning back and is not. It admits the trouble, adjusts a little, and never lets the conscience meet God.
Sometimes the heart admits that the chastening has come because of known evil. Then it would just reform itself a little. But the hand of God remains stretched out still. There is no return to Him who smites, only the effort to appease God with a certain amount of hypocrisy. The conscience has not been put in direct relation with God.
The verse does not treat the misled as victims only; they are swallowed up. Writing on blind guides and the ditch, one commentator weighs both sides of that.
"Blind leaders of the blind" is a striking and appropriate description. They will fall into the ditch, and those who blindly follow them will do the same. This is warning enough not to follow such men. The leaders of course carry the gravest responsibility, but others are responsible for letting themselves be led.
The same pattern was named plainly in a later prophet, where the people's appetite is what keeps the false prophets in business: "the prophets prophesy falsehood, and the priests rule by their means; and my people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end of it?"
- Cause. God struck, and the people did not turn to Him who smites. That refusal, not bad luck, carries the nation into ruin.
- Comfort. Instead of turning back, they welcomed guides who said all goes well. Flattery is the tool that misled them.
- Counterfeit. A little self-reform and some hypocrisy will not stop God's outstretched hand. Only a conscience brought into direct contact with God will.
- Collapse. Head and tail, honoured elder and lying prophet, leaders and led, all go down together in one day.
- Culpability. The guides carry the heaviest guilt. Yet those who let themselves be guided are swallowed up too. No one can hide behind a leader.
Therefore the Lord will not rejoice in their young men, neither will he have mercy on their fatherless and on their widows; for every one is a hypocrite and an evildoer, and every mouth speaketh folly. For all this his anger is not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.
Isaiah 9:17 belongs to a long section (9:8–10:4). There the prophet returns to a judgment he has already announced. He closes each stage with the same grim line about God's anger. The shock is not the punishment itself. It is who falls outside God's pity: the young, the orphan, the widow — the very people God protects.
This line about anger is not new here. It sounds again and again through these chapters, each time heavier.
At this point the prophet went back to condemning the people and their sins. He had paused that to tell of his vision of the Lord of Hosts and to give the prediction about Immanuel. We now learn how God stretched out His hand over them in anger and discipline. In Isaiah 5, woe was pronounced on them six times, and now we get the hand of God stretched out in wrath four times over — verses 12, 17, 21, and Isaiah 10:4. There seems to be an increase of severity as we go on.
The blow in this section is not an invading army. It is God giving a people up to rot in their own character after they ignored His correction. Even His tenderness closes.
The next view of their judgment (vv. 13-17) is not so much punishment coming from outside. Because they slighted His chastening, the Lord gives Israel up to complete internal collapse. The ruin falls in one day on every class, from the highest to the lowest of Israel: all plunged into common destruction, leaders and led. What a picture! And how much more dismal and hopeless it is when the righteous Lord shuts up His affections and even His compassion! He is angry at the widespread falsehood and wrong carried on under the highest claims to holiness. "Therefore the Lord does not rejoice over their young men, and has no compassion on their fatherless and widows." Youth and strength do not please Him. Orphanhood and widowhood can no longer touch His heart in a people so corrupt.
The verse gives the reason: everyone is godless. Older translations read "everyone is a hypocrite." One writer follows that charge from Isaiah into the Gospels.
This was God's word in the prophet's day; our Lord Jesus confirms the word, and applies the same word to the Jews in His day (Matt. 15:7-9). Hypocrisy was characteristic of them, and was dominant in the time of the prophet. "Everyone is a hypocrite" (Isa. 9:17). The people wanted to please Hezekiah, but they followed their own evil. A good example works on an evil nature in one of two ways. It makes persecutors, or, when the example is set by a man in authority, it very probably makes hypocrites.
Set the verse beside what God is toward these two groups.
He is high over all — the great, the mighty, the awesome. But He has a heart for the widow and the fatherless. They are helpless people, stripped of every earthly and natural support — the poor bereaved and broken-hearted widow, and the desolate orphan. God thinks of them and cares for them in a very special way; they have a claim on His loving heart and mighty hand. "Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation."
"Stretched out still" means not yet finished — not never finished. The judgment moves in stages, and it has a last one.
The different phases of chastisement or distress are in verses 8-12, 13-17, 18-21, and Isaiah 10:1-4. The Assyrian then reappears as the rod the Lord truly uses… Until now the Lord's indignation and His anger against Israel had never been turned away. They will come to an end when He destroys this rod, which magnified itself against the Lord who used it.
Even so, the promise of the child born in 9:6-7 was never meant to cancel this judgment. It gave the righteous something to stand on while it fell.
How clear it is that two classes in Judah are before the prophet's mind, the righteous and the wicked! The first receive the glorious promise. For the second, their troubles are great and will be greater, and the prophet's words ring the death-knell of their utter ruin: "For all this His anger has not turned away, and His hand is stretched out still." Even the great prophecy, the promise of a Son, could not turn away the Lord's anger, nor was it meant to. It was meant to give a sure word of prophecy where the righteous could rest their hope. It laid a foundation they could build on all through the time of judgment.
- Refrain — The same words close 9:12, 9:17, 9:21 and 10:4, with severity rising each time.
- Rot — They ignored God's correction, so the judgment is internal collapse. It sweeps leaders and led together in one day.
- Reversal — The Father of the fatherless and protector of widows here shuts up even His compassion. The reason: the whole people is godless.
- Reason — Hypocrisy: the charge Jesus later repeats from Isaiah against the Jews of His own day.
- Rest — The anger is not endless: it ends when God breaks the rod He used. Meanwhile the promised Son is solid ground for the righteous to build on.