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Why did Deutero-Isaiah describe Cyrus the Great as an instrument of God?

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The prophet Isaiah — Isaiah Miniature of Isaiah, manuscript illumination from *The Siegburg Lectionary*, 12th century.

In the Book of Isaiah, specifically the chapters attributed to Deutero-Isaiah (40–55), Cyrus the Great is described as an instrument of God because he was viewed as the divinely appointed redeemer who would liberate the Jewish people from the Babylonian Captivity.

Writing during or shortly after the exile, the prophet portrayed Cyrus as the agent through whom God would fulfill his purpose of restoring the exiles to their homeland. In the text, God refers to Cyrus as "my shepherd" and explicitly calls him his "anointed," indicating that Cyrus was chosen to assist in the restoration of the Jewish people and the rebuilding of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem. This characterization aligns with the broader theological view that God shapes history and may employ human agents—even foreign rulers—to carry out his divine will.12