Commentary upon the Prophecy of Isaiah

The Prophet having prophesied the destruction of the Babylonians, shows therewithal also the authors; or, he rather expresseth, that God shall be the mover of them: and therein also specifies how or by whom this work shall be done: for he saith, that he will stir up the Medes. Certainly he could not conjecture this by any humane reason; for there was then no enmity nor dissensions between the Medes and the Babylonians. And although there had been discord; what was the power of the Medes then, to do the Babylonians any harm? Seeing things were not so fitted then that the Medes could make war with the Babylonians, it is very certain that the Prophet was inspired of God in this matter, especially if we consider that he foretold th•se things more then an hundred years before they came to pass. When he adds that they shall not covet gold, nor silver, he excuseth not the Medes of their ravening and avarice, as if they should be so liberal as to despise gold and silver: but he rather meant to say, that this war shall be so cruel & terrible, that nothing shall be seen but a final destruction; for example, because the special drift which the Spaniards aim at now adays when they make war,¹ is only to spoil and rob, they do more easily spare mens lives, and are not so addicted to shed blood as the Almans or Englishmen be,²