Isaiah 44:25

“That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, &c.] Struck dumb the oracles of the Heathens, disappointed their lying priests, and made void all the signs and tokens they gave the people, that such and such things would come to pass, which did not, and which proved them to be liars: and maketh diviners mad; soothsayers, astrologers, and such sort of persons, who pretended to foretell future events; but these not answering to their predictions, they became mad, because their credit was ruined, and they lost their reward: that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolishness; the wise philosophers among the Gentiles, and their schemes of philosophy, which were confounded and…”

“tokens--prognostics; the pretended miracles whiten they gave as proofs of their supernatural powers. liars-- (Jer 50:36). Conjurers; or, astrologers; men leading a retired contemplative life in order to study divination by the signs of the stars [VITRINGA]. backward--with shame at their predictions not being verified. "To turn away the face" is to frustrate defeat (Isa 36:9; Kg1 2:15). The "wise men" are the diviners who, when Babylon was attacked by Cyrus, predicted his overthrow.”

“That frustrateth - Hebrew, ‘Breaking:’ that is, destroying, rendering vain. The idea is, that that which necromancers and diviners relied on as certain demonstration that what they predicted would be fulfilled, God makes vain and inefficacious. The event which they predicted did not follow, and all their alleged proofs that they were endowed with divine or miraculous power he rendered vain. The tokens - Hebrew, אתות 'othôth - ‘Signs.’ This word is usually applied to miracles, or to signs of the divine interposition and presence. Here it means the things on which diviners and soothsayers relied; the tricks of cunning and sleight-of-hand which they adduced as miracles, or as demonstrations…”

“Liars - Of the magicians, and astrologers, who were numerous, and greatly esteemed in Babylon, and who had foretold the long continuance and prosperity of the Chaldean empire. Mad - With grief for the disappointment of their predictions, and their disgrace which followed it. Turneth - Stopping their way, and blasting their designs. Isaiah 44:27”

“44:25 False prophets and fortune-tellers used forbidden forms of divination to try to predict the future. Eventually God would expose them as deluded liars (see 3:2; 9:15; 47:13; Deut 18:10-11).”

“frustrateth: Isa 47:12-14; Kg1 22:11, Kg1 22:12, Kg1 22:22-25, Kg1 22:37; Ch2 18:11, Ch2 18:34; Jer 27:9, Jer 27:10; Jer 28:9-17, Jer 50:36 maketh: Exo 9:11; Dan 1:20, Dan 2:10-12, Dan 4:7, Dan 5:6-8 turneth: Isa 19:11-14, Isa 29:14; Sa2 15:31, Sa2 16:23, Sa2 17:23; Job 5:12-14; Psa 33:10; Jer 49:7, Jer 51:57; Co1 1:20-27, Co1 3:19, Co1 3:20 Isaiah 44:26”