Isaiah 41:23 - Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible

That we may know that ye are gods; that we may have, if not a certain proof, yet at least a probable argument, of your deity. It may be objected that the devil hath foretold future events by idols; but it may be answered, that such predictions were but rare, and oftentimes were false, and confuted by the event; and generally were dark and doubtful, as hath been noted; and when they were verified by the event, that was only done by Divine permission and revelation, for the trial or punishment of wicked men, of which we have an instance, Deuteronomy 13:1-3, and therefore doth no more prove them to be gods than the predictions made known by God unto the prophets proved them to be gods. Do good, or do evil; protect and bless your worshippers whom I intend to destroy, and destroy my people whom I intend to save, and then you have some colour to assert your deity. But, alas! you can neither do good nor evil. That we may be dismayed, and behold it together; that I and my people may be astonished, and confounded, and forced to acknowledge your godhead.