Lexical Summary gargar: Berry, cluster Original Word: גַּרְגַּר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance berry By reduplication from garar; a berry (as if a pellet of rumination) -- berry. see HEBREW garar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom garar Definition a berry NASB Translation olives (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs [גַּרְגַּר] noun masculine berry (Late Hebrew id.), גַּרְגְּרִים בְּראֹשׁ אָמ֑יר Isaiah 17:6. Topical Lexicon Biblical Occurrence The noun גַּרְגַּר (gargar) appears only once, in Isaiah 17:6. There it pictures the scant “two or three olives at the top of the highest branch, and four or five on the outermost limb of a fruitful tree”, the small, overlooked berries that remain after the shaking of an olive tree. Agricultural Imagery in the Ancient Near East In olive culture the main harvest was gathered by beating or shaking the branches with poles; the few berries that clung tenaciously were considered negligible in commercial terms but valuable to the poor. Such berries resembled the final clusters in a vineyard after the pickers had passed through (compare Leviticus 19:10). Gargar thus evokes the image of minimal leftovers, highlighting scarcity yet also provision. Historical Setting in Isaiah 17 Isaiah 17 introduces an oracle against Damascus and, by extension, the northern kingdom of Israel allied with it (Isaiah 17:1–3). Military defeat would strip the land as a harvester strips an olive tree. Yet the prophet envisions a remnant—symbolized by the lingering berries—preserved by the Lord’s sovereign mercy. The verse balances judgment with grace, allowing a faithful few to survive the devastation. The Concept of the Remnant Gargar becomes a vivid emblem of the biblical remnant motif. Isaiah repeatedly speaks of a “survivor” group who return to wholehearted trust in God (Isaiah 10:20–22; 28:5). Later writers see this principle fulfilled in the gospel era (Romans 9:27; 11:5). The two or three berries stress both the smallness and the certainty of God’s preserved people. Ethical and Social Dimensions: Gleaning Laws Divine compassion toward the marginalized is embedded in agricultural legislation: “You must not strip your vineyard bare or gather every grape that remains. Leave them for the poor and the foreign resident” (Leviticus 19:10; see also Deuteronomy 24:21). The remnant berries of Isaiah 17 recall these statutes, reinforcing that even under judgment God remembers the needy and upholds His ethical order. Pastoral and Prophetic Applications 1. Hope amid loss: When ministries or societies appear shaken, God still retains His gargar—those few lives He will nurture for future fruitfulness. Christological Perspective Jesus identifies Himself as “the true vine” (John 15:1), guaranteeing fruit that endures. He embodies the faithful remnant of Israel and secures the harvest through His atoning work. Even when His followers seem few, the promise stands: “My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit” (John 15:8). Related Biblical Imagery • Grapes left after vintage – Isaiah 24:13 Devotional Reflection Contemplate the lone berry clinging to a high branch: insignificant to human eyes yet intentionally preserved by God. Pray to be numbered among those who remain steadfast, and commit to seeking the “gargars” in your community—the overlooked individuals through whom the Lord may signal the next season of fruitfulness. Forms and Transliterations גַּרְגְּרִ֖ים גרגרים gar·gə·rîm gargeRim gargərîmLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 17:6 HEB: שְׁנַ֧יִם שְׁלֹשָׁ֛ה גַּרְגְּרִ֖ים בְּרֹ֣אשׁ אָמִ֑יר NAS: [or] three olives on the topmost KJV: [or] three berries in the top INT: Two three olives the top bough 1 Occurrence |
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