3) Cyrus' name and Divine call

The ancient historian Strabo suggests that the name Cyrus, or rather Kurush in the Persian language, was taken from a river of that name, but he does not bring any hint for what reason the king should have been named after a river which otherwise was not known either. Others propose that the word Kurush might be related to Sanskrit Kuru3 = field (as e.g. kurukshetra, field of the warriors or battlefield, known from the Bhagavadgita), and would thus describe him as the Man of the Field, or, in a wider sense, as shepherd. If such an etymological connection could be established, it would concur with Prophet Isaiah's word which reads: "He (i.e. the Lord) says to Cyrus: 'My Shepherd'; and all my desire shall he perform..." (43:28).

On the other hand, the name Cyrus was apparently not uncommon. One of his ancestors, Cyrus I, bore this name, too, as mentioned.