That frustrates the tokens of the liars, and makes diviners mad; that turns wise men backward, and makes their knowledge foolish;
frustrateth
Isaiah 47:12-14 Stand now with thine enchantments, and with the multitude of thy sorceries, wherein thou hast laboured from thy youth; if so be thou shalt be able to profit, if so be thou mayest prevail…
1 Kings 22:11,12,22-25,37 And Zedekiah the son of Chenaanah made him horns of iron: and he said, Thus saith the LORD, With these shalt thou push the Syrians, until thou have consumed them…
2 Chronicles 18:11,34 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramothgilead, and prosper: for the LORD shall deliver it into the hand of the king…
maketh
Exodus 9:11 And the magicians could not stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boil was upon the magicians, and upon all the Egyptians.
Exodus 2:19-12 And they said, An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock…
Exodus 4:7 And he said, Put thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again; and plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other flesh.
turneth
Isaiah 19:11-14 Surely the princes of Zoan are fools, the counsel of the wise counsellers of Pharaoh is become brutish: how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings? …
Isaiah 29:14 Therefore, behold, I will proceed to do a marvellous work among this people, even a marvellous work and a wonder: for the wisdom of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid.
2 Samuel 15:31 And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom. And David said, O LORD, I pray thee, turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.
and makes fools of diviners
Divination was a common practice in ancient Near Eastern cultures, often involving attempts to predict the future or gain insight through supernatural means. The Bible consistently condemns such practices (Leviticus 19:26, Deuteronomy 18:10-12) as they rely on sources other than God. By making fools of diviners, God demonstrates the futility of seeking wisdom apart from Him. This phrase underscores the biblical theme that true wisdom and revelation come from God alone, as seen in Daniel 2:27-28, where Daniel attributes his ability to interpret dreams to God, not to human wisdom or divination.
who confounds the wise
The wisdom of the world is often at odds with the wisdom of God. In 1 Corinthians 1:20, Paul echoes this sentiment, asking, "Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?" This phrase highlights the limitations of human wisdom when it stands in opposition to divine truth. Throughout scripture, God often uses the humble and the seemingly foolish to accomplish His purposes, as seen in the calling of David, a shepherd boy, to be king over Israel (1 Samuel 16).
and turns their knowledge into nonsense
Human knowledge, when divorced from the fear of the Lord, is ultimately futile. Proverbs 1:7 states, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction." This phrase emphasizes that without a foundation in God, human understanding is rendered meaningless. The Tower of Babel (Genesis 11) serves as a historical example of God turning human knowledge and ambition into confusion and nonsense. This theme is also present in the New Testament, where Jesus often confounds the religious leaders with His teachings, revealing their lack of true understanding (Matthew 22:41-46).
Isaiah pictures the LORD actively “foiling” the dramatic forecasts of counterfeit messengers.
• He did this in Elijah’s day when Baal’s prophets called down fire all morning but “there was no voice, no one answered” (1 Kings 18:26).
• Deuteronomy 18:21-22 reminds us that when a word does not come to pass “that is a word the LORD has not spoken.” The standard is perfect accuracy; God alone meets it.
• In Acts 13:8-11 Paul rebuked Elymas the sorcerer, and the man was struck blind—an immediate sign that exposed false spiritual claims.
The verse reassures believers that God still intercepts and overturns deceptive predictions, safeguarding His people from being misled.
Diviners tried to read omens, stars, or animal entrails, but God flips their “wisdom” into ridicule.
• Pharaoh’s magicians copied Moses until “their secret arts” failed (Exodus 8:18-19).
• Isaiah previously warned, “They are full of diviners like the Philistines” (Isaiah 2:6), yet none could alter Judah’s fate.
• In Daniel 2:10-12 Babylon’s astrologers admitted, “No king… has ever asked such a difficult thing.” God then gave Daniel the dream and its meaning, embarrassing the court experts.
When the supernatural is sought apart from the Lord, it ends in humiliation, for only God reveals truth.
Human brilliance unanchored to God ends in confusion.
• “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,” Paul quotes Isaiah in 1 Corinthians 1:19, showing the principle still stands.
• Job 5:12-13 notes that God “frustrates the devices of the crafty… He catches the wise in their craftiness.”
• The tower builders at Babel were “confounded” (Genesis 11:7-8) when God scattered their languages.
Earthly intellect has limits; when it sets itself against God’s purposes, He effortlessly turns it upside down.
The final phrase shows complete reversal—what culture celebrates as enlightenment crumbles under divine scrutiny.
• Romans 1:22 describes those who “professing to be wise, they became fools.”
• Jeremiah 8:9 laments that the “wise men… rejected the word of the LORD, and what wisdom do they have?”
• In Matthew 11:25 Jesus thanks the Father for hiding truths “from the wise and learned” while revealing them to the humble.
God does not merely out-argue worldly knowledge; He reduces it to incoherence so that His revelation shines unmistakably.
Isaiah 44:25 showcases the LORD’s unrivaled supremacy over every rival voice—prophets, diviners, scholars, sages. He actively intercepts false predictions, exposes occult pretenders, overturns proud intellects, and reduces self-made theories to empty babble. The verse invites us to trust His Word above every other claim, confident that the God who speaks infallibly also guards His people from deception.
(25) That frustrateth the tokens of the liars.--Better, of the praters--i.e., the false prophets of Babylon. It is implied that they, after the manner of the false seers of Judah (Jeremiah 23:16-17), predicted for the kings of Babylon a time of prosperity and peace.Verse 25. - That frustrateth the tokens of the liars; i.e. "who brings to nought the prognostications of the astrologers and soothsayers, that pretend falsely to a knowledge of future events" (see Isaiah 49:13; and comp. Jeremiah 29:8, 9); and maketh diviners mad; i.e. "shows them to be thole or madmen" (see Job 12:17). That turneth wise men backward; i.e. "repulses them - puts them to flight." Pretenders to wisdom, rather than truly wise men, are meant.