Isaiah 9:14Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

However, alternative translators express the concept not as “Great and small,” but rather as “He who stirs up discord, leads astray, and obstructs freedom.” Instead of referring to “head and feet,” they speak of “head and tail,” akin to unintelligent creatures; for the people resembled serpents, and He crushed the head, the source of all wickedness, while severing the tail so that it could no longer wiggle. In a single day, He faithfully demonstrated that these afflictions were divinely ordained.

By stating that the elevated hand of the One who endures suffering is still raised, it is evident that the divine anger against them remains unresolved, indicating the nature of the punishment that awaits them. He proclaims that in a single day, he will be separated from Israel, specifically during the conflict with the Romans, from the highest to the lowest. To clarify the significance of this allegory, he specifies that it encompasses both the mighty and the lowly, referring to those distinguished and those uninformed. Additionally, he illustrates who these powerful and unlearned individuals are by mentioning an elder and unfamiliar men.

Once the message from the Word reaches them, as foretold by the prophet, all their malicious commands will be thwarted, along with the rulers and their entourage, as well as those who exalt themselves in their authority and their followers. The leadership of the elders and those who judge with insincerity will face disgrace.

In other words, their own rulers appointed by the Lord, along with the deceptive prophets they sought for themselves.

The Lord will not only raise up adversaries against Racine, stirring the Syrians from the east and the Philistines from the west, who will consume Israel with their ravenous mouths, but since Racine has not turned back to the one who struck him or sought the Lord of Hosts, He will extend His hand to strike down, removing from Israel both the head and the tail of those who are crooked and wicked, meaning those who distort what is just. In a figurative sense, the Lord will remove both the chief and the lesser, indicating that heretics are like livestock rather than men, with the tail serving to hide filth and fend off pests. By mentioning the tail, He signifies that they ruin the statutes of the law and corrupt the path of righteousness.

The individual who may have once led Christ's followers, now finds himself in another's fold, becoming a lowly figure. As the Lord declares through Isaiah, the false prophet is the lowly one. Those who genuinely belong to the community of true believers—regardless of their status—are assuredly in positions of leadership, for they adhere to the authentic faith. Should they stray from this commitment, even if esteemed by heretics, they will find themselves in a lowly position, becoming a misleading teacher. They will not be like a sheep attentive to the voice of the Shepherd, but rather like a wayward goat that has wandered into adverse company.

It is therefore proclaimed by the prophet that both the leader and the follower will meet destruction, where the leader symbolizes the priests and the follower represents the false prophets. The glory is removed from the leader when the ultimate rewards are lost, even by those who appeared to hold prominent positions within the Church. Typically, when those in authority stumble, the majority of their followers also fall. Following his immense suffering, Job stated, "He has ruined me round about, and I depart; and like a tree, He hath cast out my hope" (Job 19:10).

The community of Israel is depicted as a voiceless creature lacking both its head and tail. In one day, the Lord will remove the head and the tail from Israel.