John Calvin Commentary Isaiah 14:26

"This is the purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth; and this is the hand that is stretched out upon all the nations." — Isaiah 14:26 (ASV)

This purpose which is purposed upon the whole earth. The Lord is not satisfied with one or two confirmations and can scarcely refrain from proclaiming it more and more abundantly, because He knows well that our minds are naturally prone to distrust. No confirmation is sufficient for us, even though His promises are frequent, abundant, and solemn. God therefore wishes to remedy this disease, and that is the design of the repetition, so that we must not think that it is superfluous. Those who suppose that the Prophet, or rather the Spirit of God, uses too many words, are not well acquainted with themselves.

He declares, first, the will and purpose of God, and, secondly, His power. Why is it that we have any doubts about the word, if not because we do not ascribe to God that power which belongs to Him, or because we are not convinced of His power? These are the only two causes of our unbelief, with which, on the other hand, we ought to contrast the two things that Isaiah brings to our attention, namely, the purpose and the power of God.

We ought to believe, first, that God is true, for He declares nothing that is not fixed and unchangeable; and, secondly, that He is powerful, and that nothing can withstand His arm. Again, we must not inquire about the secret purpose of God, for the Prophet here enjoins us to be satisfied with the decree that has been manifested in the word of God. We must not, therefore, rise any higher to penetrate into the secrets of God; instead, we ought to be satisfied with the undoubted proofs that He declares by the mouth of the prophets. Let us therefore embrace all the promises of God with our whole heart, and let us also add to them His power, for His hand ought never to be separated from His mouth. We must not imagine His power to be, as philosophers discuss, an unemployed power, but, as the Scriptures teach us, powerful and active.

A question may arise here: Why does he mention the whole earth and all the nations, when he is speaking only about Babylon? But we must remember what we said previously: that the Babylonian empire, after having swallowed up Nineveh, extended nearly throughout the whole of the East, and various nations were subject to it. The consequence was that the devastation of that empire was also the destruction of the whole world, for such great monarchies cannot fall without involving many in extensive ruin. Accordingly, since the extent of that empire might lead people to call this prophecy into question, Isaiah shows that, though it is spread far and wide and includes a boundless multitude of nations, this does not prevent God from executing His decree.