REMNANT
rem'-nant: Remnant is the translation of yether, "what is left over" (De 3:11; 28:54; Jos 12:4, etc.); of she'-ar, "the rest" (Ezr 3:8 the King James Version; Isa 10:20,21,22; 11:16, etc.; Ze 1:4); more frequently of she'-erith, "residue," etc. (2Ki 19:4,31; 2Ch 34:9; Ezr 9:14; Isa 14:30, etc.). As the translation of the last-mentioned two words, "remnant" has a special significance in the prophecies of Isaiah, as denoting "a holy seed," or spiritual kernel, of the nation which should survive impending judgment and become the germ of the people of God, being blessed of God and made a blessing (compare Mic 2:12; 4:7; 5:7,8; 7:18; also Ze 2:7; 3:13; Hag 1:12,14; Zec 8:6; Joe 2:32). Paul, in Ro 9:27, quotes from Isa 10:22 f, "the remnant (kataleimma, "what is left over"] shall be saved"; compare also Ro 11:5 (where the word is leimma) with 2Ki 19:4. Several other Hebrew words are less frequently translated "remnant": 'ahar, "after"; yathar, "to be left over," etc.; in the New Testament (the King James Version) we have also loipos, "left," "remaining" (Mt 22:6; Re 11:13, etc.).

For "remnant" the Revised Version (British and American) has "overhanging part" (Ex 26:12), "rest" (Le 14:18, etc.); on the other hand gives "remnant" for "posterity" (Ge 45:7), for "rest" (Jos 10:20; 1Ch 4:43; Isa 10:19), for "residue" (Hag 2:2; Zec 8:11), etc.

W. L. Walker

© Levend Water