14 So the Lord will cut off from Israel both head and tail, both palm branch and reed in a single day;
14 Therefore the Lord will cut off from Israel head and tail, branch and rush, in one day.
14 So the Lord cut off from Israel head and tail, palm branch and reed in one day--
14 So God hacked off Israel's head and tail, palm branch and reed, both on the same day.
14 Therefore the Lord will cut off head and tail from Israel, Palm branch and bulrush in one day.
14 Therefore, in a single day the Lord will destroy both the head and the tail, the noble palm branch and the lowly reed.
15 There is nothing Egypt can do- head or tail, palm branch or reed.
15 Neither shall there be any work for Egypt, which the head or tail, branch or rush, may do.
15 And there will be nothing for Egypt that head or tail, palm branch or reed, may do.
15 Egypt's hopeless, past helping, a senile, doddering old fool.
15 Neither will there be any work for Egypt, Which the head or tail, Palm branch or bulrush, may do.
15 There is nothing Egypt can do. All are helpless- the head and the tail, the noble palm branch and the lowly reed.
(Read Isaiah 19:1-17)
God shall come into Egypt with his judgments. He will raise up the causes of their destruction from among themselves. When ungodly men escape danger, they are apt to think themselves secure; but evil pursues sinners, and will speedily overtake them, except they repent. The Egyptians will be given over into the hand of one who shall rule them with rigour, as was shortly after fulfilled. The Egyptians were renowned for wisdom and science; yet the Lord would give them up to their own perverse schemes, and to quarrel, till their land would be brought by their contests to become an object of contempt and pity. He renders sinners afraid of those whom they have despised and oppressed; and the Lord of hosts will make the workers of iniquity a terror to themselves, and to each other; and every object around a terror to them.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Isaiah 9:14
Commentary on Isaiah 9:8-21
(Read Isaiah 9:8-21)
Those are ripening apace for ruin, whose hearts are unhumbled under humbling providences. For that which God designs, in smiting us, is, to turn us to himself; and if this point be not gained by lesser judgments, greater may be expected. The leaders of the people misled them. We have reason to be afraid of those that speak well of us, when we do ill. Wickedness was universal, all were infected with it. They shall be in trouble, and see no way out; and when men's ways displease the Lord, he makes even their friends to be at war with them. God would take away those they thought to have help from. Their rulers were the head. Their false prophets were the tail and the rush, the most despicable. In these civil contests, men preyed on near relations who were as their own flesh. The people turn not to Him who smites them, therefore he continues to smite: for when God judges, he will overcome; and the proudest, stoutest sinner shall either bend or break.