“For Jacob my servant’s sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name: I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me.”
The explanation of Cyrus's calling—'For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name, I surname you, though you do not know me'—explicitly connects Cyrus's rise to Israel's liberation. The repetition of Israel as 'servant' and 'chosen' reminds that Cyrus's role serves Israel's restoration. The statement that Cyrus is called and surnamed without knowing God suggests his unconscious participation in divine purposes. This verse makes clear that Cyrus's conquest, though not directly for his own benefit, ultimately serves God's covenantal purposes for Israel.
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