Septuagint translation where sperma is used in place of the Hebrew sarid,

'something left behind'.  The idea apparently of sperma here being

'offspring', and of the word translated remnant, 'survivors' comes to much

the same thing.  This term 'remnant' is used in connection with the early and

partial captivities under Nebuchadnezzar and other invaders and so reflects

some light upon the main prophetic use of the word 'remnant' as it bears upon

the future.

The prophecy of Isaiah is divided into two parts, by the interposition

of chapters 36 to 39 which introduce an historic element, namely the invasion

of Sennacherib and his ultimate defeat as an encouragement to believers that

when the greater oppressor blasphemes the Lord (as did Rabshakeh), he too

would come to an end at the hand of the God of Israel:

'And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take

root downward, and bear fruit upward: for out of Jerusalem shall go

forth a remnant, and they that escape out of mount Zion' (Isa.

This salvation and fruitful survival of the remnant in the days of

Hezekiah but foreshadows the future day when:

'He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall

blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit' (Isa.

One of the sons of Isaiah bore the name Shear -Jashub, 'The remnant

shall return' (Isa. 7:3) and is the counter promise to the sad period

indicated by the name of another son of the prophet, Maher -shalal -hash -

baz, 'In making speed to the spoil, he hasteneth the prey' (Isa. 8:1,3).

After the time of Jacob's trouble, the remnant shall return, they shall grow

and be fruitful and bring about the blessedness long deferred by Israel's

failure and blindness.  This return will not take place until the Lord has

performed His whole work upon Mount Zion and on Jerusalem, 'And it shall come

to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of

the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them; but

shall stay upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth.  The remnant

shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God' (Isa.10:20,21).

There is no break in the prophecy of Isaiah at the end of chapter 10.

Chapter 11 continues the story of this returned remnant, 'And there shall

come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse ... He shall smite the earth'

(Hebrew erets) or 'He shall smite the oppressor' (Hebrew arits) as the

structure of the clause also suggests:

'He shall smite the oppressor

with the rod of His mouth

and with the blast of His lips

Shall He slay the lawless one' (The Companion Bible),

and this is immediately followed by the reference to the wolf and the lamb,

the cow and the bear, when:

'They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain: for the earth

shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the

sea' (Isa. 11:6,7,9).