Original Word: שְׁאֵרִית
Part of Speech: Noun Feminine
Transliteration: sh'eriyth
Pronunciation: shay-ay-reeth'
Phonetic Spelling: (sheh-ay-reeth')
KJV: that had escaped, be left, posterity, remain(-der), remnant, residue, rest
NASB: remnant, rest, survivors, left, those who had escaped
Word Origin: [from H7604 (שָׁאַר - left)]

1. a remainder or residual (surviving, final) portion

remainder or residual

From sha'ar; a remainder or residual (surviving, final) portion -- that had escaped, be left, posterity, remain(-der), remnant, residue, rest.

see HEBREW sha'ar

Word Origin
from shaar
Definition
rest, residue, remnant, remainder
NASB Translation
left (1), remnant (55), rest (7), survivors (2), those who had escaped (1).

שְׁאֵרִית noun feminine rest, residue, remnant, remainder ( = שָׁאָר); — ׳שׁ absolute 2 Samuel 14:7 +, construct Ezekiel 36:3 +, שֵׁרִית (Ges^{§ 23f}) 1 Chronicles 12:39 (van d. H. v.1 Chronicles 12:38); suffix שְׁאֵרִיתֵךְ Isaiah 14:30; Ezekiel 5:10, תוֺ- Isaiah 44:17, תָם- Jeremiah 15:9; —

1 rest, what is left, of wood Isaiah 44:17, land Isaiah 15:9 ("" מְּלֵיטָה), Jeremiah 47:4,5; Ezekiel 25:16; חֵמֹת ׳שׁ Psalm 76: difficult (Gr [compare Che] proposes חֲמָת Hamath, Du אֻמֹּת tribes); rest of princes Jeremiah 39:3, of nations ( = the other nations, Toy) Ezekiel 36:3,4,5; of Israel 1 Chronicles 12:39 (van d. H. v.1 Chronicles 12:38), 2 Chronicles 34:9; Nehemiah 7:71 (van d. H. Nehemiah 7:72); = last remnant of people, Philistines Amos 1:8 (compare We), Isaiah 14:30, Edom Amos 9:12, Anathoth Jeremiah 11:23, Ashdod Jeremiah 25:20, Babylon Jeremiah 50:26, Amalek 1 Chronicles 4:43(+ הַמְּלֵיטָה), Israel 2 Kings 21:14; Jeremiah 6:9; Jeremiah 15:9; remnant left after catastrophe Amos 5:15; Jeremiah 8:3; Jeremiah 24:8; Jeremiah 40:11,15; Jeremiah 41:10,16; Jeremiah 42:2,15,19; Jeremiah 43:5; Jeremiah 44:12,14,28; Ezekiel 5:10; Ezekiel 9:8; Ezekiel 11:13; Haggai 1:12,14; Haggai 2:2, even ׳וְשַׂמְתִּי אֶתהַֿצֹּלֵעָה לִשׁ Micah 4:7 (as promise, "" עָצוּם compare Gie^{Beiträge, 42f.}); = survivors Jeremiah 44:7, מִןהַֿחֶרֶב ׳הַשּׁ2Chronicles 36:20; = faithful remnant of Israel or Judah (technical term of prophets, compare שְׁאָר near the end), 2 Kings 19:4=Isaiah 37:4; 2 Kings 19:31 ("" מְּלֵיטָה) = Isaiah 37:32 ("" id.), Micah 2:12; Micah 5:6; Micah 5:7; Micah 7:18; Ezra 9:14 ("" id.), Isaiah 46:3; Jeremiah 23:3; Jeremiah 31:7; Zephaniah 2:7,9 ("" יֶתֶר), Zephaniah 3:13; Zechariah 8:6,11,12.

2 remainder = descendants ( = שְׁאָר Isaiah 14:22): Genesis 45:7, ׳שֵׁם וּשׁ 2 Samuel 14:7.

II. שׁאר (√ of following; compare Assyrian šêru, Punic שאר, flesh, Arabic blood-revenge, so Sabean תֿאר, SabDenkm^{No. 5, 1. 7}; perhaps originally blood (compare Jeremiah 51:35), Nö^{ZMG xi (1886), 723 and} Id^{M 101,} who compare Mandean תירתא = conscience, mind, etc., perhaps properly midriff, compare Hoffm^below).

Concept and Theological Core

Sheʾerit signifies the “remaining part,” a remnant preserved by God when judgment or calamity sweeps through the nation. The term moves beyond arithmetic residue to express covenantal faithfulness: what endures because the LORD chooses to keep it alive. Thus the word becomes a thread that ties together divine justice and mercy, threatening and promise.

Canonical Distribution

Approximately sixty-six occurrences span the Law, Former Prophets, Latter Prophets, and Writings. The heaviest concentration is in Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Micah, but the term also punctuates Torah warnings (Deuteronomy 28:62), historical narratives (2 Kings 19:31), and post-exilic restoration texts (Ezra 9:14). This breadth signals an enduring theme rather than a momentary concern.

In the Pentateuch: Warning and Hope

The first appearances frame covenant consequences. Deuteronomy 28:62 cautions, “You will be left few in number, whereas you were as numerous as the stars of heaven, because you did not obey the voice of the LORD your God”. Even here, judgment implicitly leaves “few” rather than “none,” preparing for grace. Genesis 45:7 offers the positive counterpoint when Joseph says God sent him ahead “to preserve for you a remnant on the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.” The principle: God’s saving plan is safeguarded through a surviving seed.

Historical Books: National Crisis and Deliverance

Sheʾerit surfaces during existential threats:
• Judges 21:17 wrestles with keeping alive a tribe on the brink of extinction.
• 2 Samuel 14:7 speaks of extinguishing “my husband’s name and remnant on the face of the earth.”
• In Hezekiah’s day Assyria menaces Jerusalem, but Isaiah relays, “The zeal of the LORD of Hosts will accomplish this. The surviving remnant of the house of Judah will again take root below and bear fruit above” (2 Kings 19:30-31; Isaiah 37:31-32).

The historiographic message is clear: geopolitical survival hinges on Yahweh, not alliances.

Major Prophets: Remnant as Birthplace of Restoration

Isaiah employs the word in both oracles of doom and vistas of hope:
• Doom – Isaiah 10:19 predicts that after divine felling “the rest of the trees of his forest will be so few that a child could write them down.”
• Hope – Isaiah 11:11 announces a second gathering: “In that day the Lord will extend His hand a second time to recover the remnant of His people.”

Jeremiah weaves the term into warnings against false security (Jeremiah 23:3) and laments over the survivors left in the land after exile (Jeremiah 40:11; 42:2). Yet the prophet also records God’s oath to bring them back (Jeremiah 23:3-8).

Ezekiel 6:8 breaks the relentless cadence of judgment with, “Yet I will leave a remnant, for some of you will escape the sword…” The preserved minority will testify against idolatry, showing that preservation serves missionary as well as genealogical purposes.

Minor Prophets: Purified Community

Micah 2:12 pictures a shepherd gathering the remnant like sheep in a fold. Micah 5:7-8 depicts that remnant as both “dew from the LORD” and “a lion among the beasts,” combining refreshment and irresistible strength. Zephaniah 3:13 envisions a refined remnant: “The remnant of Israel will no longer commit injustice or speak lies.” Haggai 1:12 and Zechariah 8:6-12 extend the theme to the returned exiles who rebuild the temple and city.

Post-Exilic Narratives: Fragility and Fidelity

Ezra 9:14 poses the anguished question whether repeated unfaithfulness will obliterate “this remnant.” Nehemiah 1:2-3 reports the distress of survivors in Jerusalem. The remnant motif therefore underscores the second temple community’s identity: small, threatened, yet central in redemptive history.

Doctrinal Emphases

1. Sovereign Preservation: God alone defines and defends the remnant (Isaiah 1:9; Romans 11:5).
2. Moral Purification: Catastrophe winnows, leaving a repentant core (Zephaniah 3:13).
3. Missional Purpose: The remnant bears witness to nations (Micah 5:7; Isaiah 37:32).
4. Eschatological Horizon: A purified Israel anchors future global blessing (Zechariah 8:7-23).

Christological Fulfillment

Matthew 2:14-15 cites Hosea 11:1, portraying Jesus as embodiment of Israel’s remnant story—called out of Egypt, passing through waters, tempted in wilderness yet without sin. In Him the remnant becomes one faithful Israelite whose obedience secures salvation for many. At Pentecost a remnant of Jews believes, forming the nucleus of a renewed people into which Gentiles are grafted.

New Testament Echoes

Romans 9:27 quotes Isaiah, stressing that even if Israel’s numbers are vast, “only the remnant will be saved.” Paul applies the principle of gracious election: “At the present time there is a remnant chosen by grace” (Romans 11:5). Revelation 12:17 speaks of “the rest of her offspring, who keep God’s commandments and hold to the testimony of Jesus,” echoing the Old Testament pattern within apocalyptic vision.

Pastoral and Missional Implications

• Encouragement amid decline: Faithful believers may feel marginalized, yet history proves God works through small, consecrated minorities.
• Holiness and witness: The remnant’s survival is linked to repentance and trust, not cultural strength. Modern disciples likewise demonstrate covenant reality through distinct living.
• Hope for Israel and the nations: The remnant doctrine guards against replacement arrogance while affirming that Gentile inclusion arises from Israel’s preserved root (Romans 11:17-24).
• Assurance in judgment: Whether societal upheaval, persecution, or apostasy, God reserves for Himself those who have not bowed to idols (1 Kings 19:18; applied in Romans 11:4).

Summary

Sheʾerit encapsulates the paradox of Scripture: the Most High judges yet spares, diminishes yet multiplies. From Noah’s family through the post-exilic community and ultimately through Messiah, the remnant theme certifies the inviolability of divine promises, assuring the faithful that God always keeps a seed alive for His glory and the world’s salvation.

הַשְּׁאֵרִ֖ית הַשְּׁאֵרִ֣ית הַשְּׁאֵרִ֥ית הַשְּׁאֵרִית֙ השארית וְלִשְׁאֵרִ֖ית וּשְׁאֵ֣רִית֔וֹ וּשְׁאֵֽרִיתָ֗ם וּשְׁאֵרִ֕ית וּשְׁאֵרִ֖ית וּשְׁאֵרִיתֵ֖ךְ ולשארית ושארית ושאריתו ושאריתך ושאריתם לִשְׁאֵרִ֔ית לִשְׁאֵרִ֖ית לִשְׁאֵרִ֛ית לִשְׁאֵרִ֣ית לִשְׁאֵרִ֥ית לשארית שְׁאֵרִ֔ית שְׁאֵרִ֖ית שְׁאֵרִ֛ית שְׁאֵרִ֣ית שְׁאֵרִ֤ית שְׁאֵרִ֥ית שְׁאֵרִ֨ית שְׁאֵרִֽית׃ שְׁאֵרִית֙ שְׁאֵרִיתֵ֖ךְ שֵׁרִ֧ית שארית שארית׃ שאריתך שרית haš·šə·’ê·rîṯ hashsheeRit haššə’êrîṯ liš’êrîṯ liš·’ê·rîṯ lisheRit šə’êrîṯ šə’êrîṯêḵ šə·’ê·rî·ṯêḵ šə·’ê·rîṯ šê·rîṯ šêrîṯ sheeRit sheeriTech sheRit ū·šə·’ê·rî·ṯām ū·šə·’ê·rî·ṯêḵ ū·šə·’ê·rî·ṯōw ū·šə·’ê·rîṯ ūšə’êrîṯ ūšə’êrîṯām ūšə’êrîṯêḵ ūšə’êrîṯōw usheeRit usheeriTam usheeriTech usheEriTo velisheRit wə·liš·’ê·rîṯ wəliš’êrîṯInterlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel Texts