Isaiah 9:16 kjv
For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.
Isaiah 9:16 nkjv
For the leaders of this people cause them to err, And those who are led by them are destroyed.
Isaiah 9:16 niv
Those who guide this people mislead them, and those who are guided are led astray.
Isaiah 9:16 esv
for those who guide this people have been leading them astray, and those who are guided by them are swallowed up.
Isaiah 9:16 nlt
For the leaders of the people have misled them.
They have led them down the path of destruction.
Isaiah 9 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Isa 3:12 | "As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people! Your guides mislead you and confuse the way of your paths." | General theme of misleadership |
| Jer 5:31 | "The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own authority; My people love it so! But what will you do when the end of it comes?" | False prophets and corrupt leadership |
| Eze 13:10 | "Because, yes, because they have seduced my people, saying, 'Peace!' when there is no peace, and because they build a flimsy wall, and others plaster it with whitewash." | Deception of the people |
| Eze 22:26 | "Her priests have violated my law and defiled my holy things. They have made no distinction between the holy and the common; they have not taught the difference between the unclean and the clean; and they have hidden their eyes from my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them." | Corruption in religious leadership |
| Mic 3:5 | "Thus says the LORD concerning the prophets who lead my people astray, who cry, ‘Peace,’ when they have plenty to put in their mouths, but declare war on those who do not feed their mouths." | Prophets causing people to err |
| Matt 15:14 | "Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if a blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit." | Jesus on blind guides |
| Luke 6:39 | "He also told them a parable: ‘Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?’" | Jesus' teaching on blind guides |
| John 10:12 | "He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, and whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them." | The irresponsible shepherd |
| Rom 2:19-20 | "and you are confident that you are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of infants, having in its outline the substance of knowledge and of the truth." | Those who claim to be guides |
| 2 Pet 2:1-3 | "But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, by reason of whom the way of truth will be spoken of evil. And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from of old is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep." | False teachers and their influence |
| Titus 1:10-11 | "For there are many rebellious people, idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. They must be silenced, because they are subverting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach." | Deceivers in the church |
| Rev 18:11-13 | "And the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her, because no one buys their cargo anymore—cargo of gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all kinds of scented wood, all kinds of articles of ivory, all kinds of articles of costly wood, bronze, iron, and marble, cinnamon, cardamom, incense, myrrh, frankincense, wine, oil, fine flour, wheat, cattle, sheep, horses, chariots, and bodies—and earthly lives." | The ultimate fate of the exploitative system |
| Jer 23:13-15 | "I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria. They prophesy by Baal and lead my people Israel astray. And I have seen a Horrible thing in the prophets of Jerusalem. They commit adultery and walk in lies. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that none turns from his wickedness. All of them have become to me like Sodom, and its inhabitants like Gomorrah." | Spiritual corruption and its consequences |
| Isa 5:20 | "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil, who put darkness for light, and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!" | Reversal of values due to misguided leadership |
| Ezek 34:6 | "My sheep were scattered; there was no shepherd, and all became food for the wild beasts. My sheep were strayed through all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered upon all the face of the earth, and no one sought for them or searched for them." | Neglect of sheep by shepherds |
| John 9:41 | "Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains.”" | Responsibility of those who claim sight |
Isaiah 9 verses
Isaiah 9 16 Meaning
The leaders and guides of Israel have led the people astray, causing them to wander and follow false paths, leading to destruction and ruin. The verse highlights the deceptive nature of these leaders and the profound consequences for the nation.
Isaiah 9 16 Context
This verse is part of Isaiah's broader prophetic message concerning the impending judgment on Israel, particularly focusing on the northern kingdom of Israel (often referred to as Ephraim or Samaria in prophetic literature). At the time of Isaiah's ministry, both the Northern Kingdom and Judah were experiencing severe political instability and spiritual decline. Corrupt leadership, both in civil and religious spheres, characterized this era. The people were being led into idolatry, injustice, and ultimately, exile. Isaiah, however, also points towards a future hope of restoration, which includes the coming of a righteous ruler. This verse serves as a sharp critique of the contemporary leadership that was leading the nation down a path of destruction, making them responsible for the people's errant ways.
Isaiah 9 16 Word analysis
- The leaders (Hebrew: mesheley - משֶׁלִי) - My rulers; those who govern or have authority. The possessive pronoun "my" could indicate that these are leaders whom God had originally appointed or, perhaps, that their actions ultimately reflect on God’s people and, by extension, His own name.
- of the people (Hebrew: ha'am - הָעָם) - Of the nation; the populace.
- have caused (Hebrew: hit'u - הִתְעוּ) - To cause to wander, to lead astray, to deceive. This is a causative verb form, emphasizing that the leaders actively mislead.
- them (Hebrew: otam - אֹתָם) - Refers back to "the people."
- to err (Hebrew: shagu - שָׁ֑גוּ) - To go astray, to wander, to make a mistake, to be deceived. This term often carries the sense of losing one's way, both physically and spiritually.
- , and those (Hebrew: wesheber - וְשֶׁבֶר) - And ruin; destruction; breach; breakage. This word signifies the devastating consequence of being led astray. It implies a complete breakdown.
- they (Hebrew: hem - הֵם) - Refers to "the leaders."
- led (Hebrew: hebleko - הֶבְלִיכֶם) - To cause to stumble, to mislead, to deceive. It emphasizes the deliberate action of guiding into ruin. The root suggests entanglement or difficulty.
- they (Hebrew: hem - הֵם) - Refers to "the people."
- rule (Hebrew: meshelekeh - מְשָׁלָם) - Their rule; their dominion; their empire. It indicates the sphere or extent of their authority, which, by their misguided leadership, has become a path to destruction.
Grouped words analysis:
- "The leaders of the people have caused them to err" - This phrase highlights the active responsibility of leadership in national moral and spiritual deviation. The Hebrew verb used for "caused to err" ($hit'u$) carries a strong sense of intentional deception.
- "and those they led are they whose paths are ruin" - This connects the actions of the leaders directly to the disastrous outcomes for the populace. The parallelism with "those they led" reinforces that the ruin is a consequence of the leadership's actions. The term for ruin ($sheber$) indicates a complete collapse or breaking apart.
Isaiah 9 16 Bonus Section
The concept of leadership leading people astray is a recurring theme in the Bible, often associated with the failure of shepherds to protect their flock. This imagery is potent because it emphasizes the leader's duty of care. When shepherds mislead their sheep, the sheep are vulnerable to predators and disaster, a direct parallel to how ungodly leaders expose their people to spiritual and societal dangers. This verse anticipates the teachings of Jesus, who referred to himself as the Good Shepherd (John 10:11) and warned against the dangers of "blind guides" (Matthew 15:14). The consequence of being led astray is not just temporal but eternal, as highlighted in the New Testament warnings against false prophets and teachers who lead many astray (2 Peter 2:1-3). The "ruin" can thus be understood both as societal devastation and eternal spiritual destruction.
Isaiah 9 16 Commentary
This verse paints a grim picture of societal collapse stemming from corrupt and misleading leadership. The leaders, rather than guiding the people toward righteousness and truth, actively deceive them, causing them to wander from the right path and ultimately fall into ruin. This "ruin" (sheber) signifies a catastrophic breakdown, affecting all aspects of national life—spiritual, moral, and political. The leaders' dominion, which should have been a means of well-being for the people, becomes an instrument of their destruction because of their perverted guidance. The verse strongly criticizes those in positions of authority who betray the trust placed in them, leading their flock to perdition rather than prosperity. It underscores the profound responsibility of leadership and the devastating impact of its failure.