Isaiah 9:16

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

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Isaiah pronounces judgment on Judah during a period of national collapse, addressing the corruption of its leaders. The prophet speaks as divine wrath follows the failure of both elders and false prophets.

The words — The term מְאַשְּׁרֵי (me'asherê) denotes the formal guides or directors of the nation, while מַתְעִים (mat‘îm) literally means those who cause to stray or mislead. The concluding participle מְבֻלָּעִים (mebullā‘îm) describes the misled as being swallowed up or confounded.

The thread — This theme of corrupt leadership recurs in Isaiah 3:12, where guides are condemned for turning the people from their paths. Jesus later applies the same condemnation to religious authorities in Matthew 15:14 and Matthew 23:16.

Why it lands — The text states that human guidance without divine alignment produces only ruin, leaving the misled to be consumed by the consequences of their error. It demands a reader to test all authority against God's standard rather than trusting institutional or popular direction.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וַיִּֽהְי֛וּva/i.yih.Yuand/ they were מְאַשְּׁרֵ֥יme.'a.she.Rei[the] guides הָֽעָם־ha./'om-<of> the/ people הַזֶּ֖הha./Zeh<the>/ this מַתְעִ֑יםmat.'Immisleading וּמְאֻשָּׁרָ֖יוu./me.'u.sha.Ra/vand/ [those who] were guided by/ him מְבֻלָּעִֽים׃me.vu.la.'Im[were] confused

King James Version

For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed.

Cross-references

Isaiah 3:12 Youths oppress My people, and women rule over them. O My people, your guides mislead you; they turn you from your paths.
Matthew 15:14 Disregard them! They are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”
Matthew 23:16 Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’
Numbers 6:23 “Tell Aaron and his sons: This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them:
1 Kings 8:55 And he stood and blessed the whole assembly of Israel in a loud voice, saying:
2 Chronicles 30:27 Then the priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard their voice, and their prayer came into His holy dwelling place in heaven.
Hebrews 7:7 And indisputably, the lesser is blessed by the greater.