Isaiah 13:17

“Behold, I will stir up the Medes against them, &c.] The Babylonians; this explains who are meant by the sanctified and mighty ones, (<231303>Isaiah 13:3) the Medes were a people that descended from Medai, one of the sons of Japheth, (<011002>Genesis 10:2) as Josephus observesf252; under these the Persians are included, though they are only mentioned, because Cyrus was sent by Cyaxares king of Media on this expedition against Babylon, and was made by him general of the Medes, and acted as such under him; and when Babylon was taken, and Belshazzar slain, Darius the Median took the kingdom, (<270531>Daniel 5:31) now these are mentioned by name some hundreds of years before the thing came to…”

“Medes-- (Isa 21:2; Jer 51:11, Jer 51:28). At that time they were subject to Assyria; subsequently Arbaces, satrap of Media, revolted against the effeminate Sardanapalus, king of Assyria, destroyed Nineveh, and became king of Media, in the ninth century B.C. not regard silver--In vain will one try to buy his life from them for a ransom. The heathen XENOPHON (CyropÃ&brvbrdia, 5,1,10) represents Cyrus as attributing this characteristic to the Medes, disregard of riches. A curious confirmation of this prophecy.”

“Behold, I will stir up - I will cause them to engage in this enterprise. This is an instance of the control which God claims over the nations, and of his power to excite and direct them as he pleases. The Medes - This is one of the places in which the prophet specified, “by name,” the instrument of the wrath of God. Cyrus himself is subsequently mentioned Isaiah 44:28; Isaiah 45:1 as the agent by which God would accomplish his purposes. It is remarkable, also, that ‘the Medes’ are mentioned here many years before they became a separate and independent nation. It was elsewhere predicted that the Medes would be employed in this siege of Babylon; thus, in Isaiah 21:2 : ‘Go up, O Elam (that is,…”

“Medes - Under whom he comprehends the Persians. Not delight - Which is to be understood comparatively. They shall more eagerly pursue the destruction of the people, than the getting of spoil. Isaiah 13:18”

“13:17 The Lord is sovereign and controls history. He can stir up kingdoms to execute his will. • The Medes from northwestern Iran joined Persian King Cyrus in fighting against Babylon in 539 BC.”

“I will: Isa 13:3-5, Isa 21:2, Isa 41:25; Jer 50:9, Jer 51:11, Jer 51:27, Jer 51:28; Dan 5:28-31 shall not regard: Pro 6:34, Pro 6:35 Isaiah 13:18”

“With Isa 13:17 the prophecy takes a fresh turn, in which the veil that has hitherto obscured it is completely broken through. We now learn the name of the conquerors. "Behold, I rouse up the Medes over them, who do not regard silver, and take no pleasure in gold." It was the Medes (Darius Medus = Cyaxares II) who put an end to the Babylonian kingdom in combination with the Persians (Cyrus). The Persians are mentioned for the first time in the Old Testament by Ezekiel and Daniel. Consequently Mâdi (by the side of which Elam is mentioned in Isa 21:2) appears to have been a general term applied to the Arian populations of Eran from the most important ruling tribe. Until nearly the end of…”