Lexical Summary shaar: To remain, be left over, survive Original Word: שָׁאַר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance leave, be left, let, remain, remnant, reserve, the rest A primitive root; properly, to swell up, i.e. Be (causatively, make) redundant -- leave, (be) left, let, remain, remnant, reserve, the rest. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Origina prim. root Definition to remain, be left over NASB Translation bereft (1), have a left (1), have...left (1), leave (12), leave as a remnant (1), leaves (1), left (73), left behind (2), remain (10), remained (11), remains (6), remnant (2), reserved (1), rest (2), survive (1), survived (4), surviving remnant (2), survivor (1), survivors (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. שָׁאַר verb remain, be left over (Synonym יָתַר (Late Hebrew id.; ᵑ7 שְׁאַר; Sabean סאר remaining HomChr 124; Arabic ![]() ![]() Qal Perfect3masculine singular ׳שׁ 1 Samuel 16:11 the youngest still remains. Niph`al93 Perfect3masculine singular נִשְׁאַר Genesis 47:18 +; 3 feminine singularנִשְׁאֲרָה Joshua 13:1; Daniel 10:8, etc.; Imperfect3masculine singular יִשָּׁאֵר Isaiah 11:11,16, וַיִּשּׁ֫אֶר Genesis 7:23, etc.; ,Participle נִשְׁאָר Genesis 32:9 +, וְנֵאשֲׁאַר Ezekiel 9:8 (read וְנִשְׁאָר Hi Toy Krae, וָאֶשָּׁ֫אֶר Sm; strike out ᵐ5 Hi Co Siegf Berthol); feminine נִשְׁאָרָה 2 Kings 19:30 = Isaiah 37:31, נִשְׁאֶ֫רֶת Exodus 10:5; 2Chronicles 30:6, נִשְׁאָ֫רֶת Joshua 13:2, etc.; — 1 be left over (sometimes "") Exodus 8:27; Exodus 10:19; Exodus 14:28 (all J), Joshua 11:22 (D), Judges 7:3; 2 Samuel 14:7 +; in restrictive clause זוּלַת ׳לא נ 2 Kings 24:14 there were left only, etc.,׳אדֹנִי בִּלְתִּי אִם וגו Genesis 47:18 (J); followed by accusative adverb (Ges§ 118q), or appositive, Deuteronomy 4:27; Ezra 9:15, compare בִּמְתֵי מְעָ֑ט ׳נ Deuteronomy 28:62 (Ges§ 119i); sometimes with ב location Exodus 8:5; Exodus 8:7 (J), Jeremiah 38:22 +; with אֵת (preposition local) Joshua 23:7,12 (D); with מִן = be left from (of) Exodus 10:5 (J), Deuteronomy 3:11; Joshua 13:12 (D), Isaiah 11:11,16; Jeremiah 8:3a (participle; vb strike out {abbrev}הַנּ ᵐ5 ᵑ6 Hi Gf Gie Co), Nehemiah 1:2,3,מְעַט מֵהַרְבֵּה ׳נ Jeremiah 42:2; with לְ to or for, 2 Kings 10:11,17 (participle), Zechariah 9:7; 2Chronicles 21:17, לָכֶם מִןהַֿבָּרָד ׳הַנּ Exodus 10:5, compare 2Chronicles 30:6 and (ב location for ל) Jeremiah 21:7; with בְּ in, among, of, 1 Samuel 11:11; Isaiah 17:6; Jeremiah 34:7; Jeremiah 37:10; Leviticus 26:36,39 (H; participle), Leviticus 25:52 (P; of years), even בַּדָּם ׳הַנּ Leviticus 5:9 (P) the rest of the blood; with לְַ 1 Samuel 5:4; with infinitive לְרִשְׁתָּהּ ׳נ Joshua 13:1 (D); = be left alive, survive, Genesis 7:23 (J), Ezekiel 9:8 (but on text see above); ׳הַנּ = the survivors, Genesis 14:10; 1 Samuel 11:11; Ezekiel 17:21; participle as technical term = the (purified) remainder, remnant (compare שְׁאָר, שְׁאֵרִית) Isaiah 4:3 (ב location; ""), 2 Chronicles 34:21 (ב location). — ׳הַנּ 1 Samuel 9:24 is dubious; what is left over, in polite depreciation, Bu; read הַשְּׁאֵר HPS. 2 be left behind, Exodus 10:26 (E), Numbers 11:26 (JE); with לְבַדּוֺ Genesis 42:38 (J), compare Isaiah 49:21; Daniel 10:8; of widow Ruth 1:3 + מִן of the dead Ruth 1:5. Hiph`il Perfect3masculine singularהִשְׁאִיר Exodus 10:12 +, etc.; Imperfect3masculine singular יַשְׁאִיר Deuteronomy 28:51, 1plural נַשְׁאֵר 1 Samuel 14:36 (Ges§ 48g; 109d Köp. 466 f.), etc.; Infinitive construct הַשְׁאִיר Ezra 9:8, see also below; — 1 leave over, spare, with accusative Exodus 10:12(E), 2 Kings 25:22; Jeremiah 49:9 = Obadiah 5; Joshua 11:14 (D), Judges 6:4; ׳אֶסְלַח לַאֲשֶׁר אַשׁ Jeremiah 50:20; especially שָׂרִיד ׳לֹא הִשׁ leave no survivor, Joshua 10:28, cf Joshua 10:30; Joshua 10:37; Joshua 10:39; Joshua 10:40 (all D), so ׳שׂ ׳דְַבִּֿלְתִּי הִשׁ (sometimes with ל person) Numbers 21:35(E) = Deuteronomy 3:3, compare Deuteronomy 2:34; Joshua 8:22; Joshua 11:8 (both J E), Joshua 10:33(D), 2 Kings 10:11, and מִבְּלִי לוֺ כֹּ֑ל ׳הִשׁDeuteronomy 28:55 (in all these read Infinitive construct ׳הַשׁ, see DrDeuteronomy 3:3; 7:24); with ב, among, of, 1 Samuel 14:36, ב location 1 Kings 19:18; Zephaniah 3:12 (in both of preserving a pious remnant, compare שְׁאָר, שְׁאֵרִית), also 2 Kings 3:25 (Bur reads בָּנֶיהָ for אֲבָנֶיהָ, Kit אֲנָשִׁים, compare Klo Benz); with לְ person Deuteronomy 28:51; 1 Kings 15:29; 1 Kings 16:11; 2 Kings 13:7; Ezra 9:8; with מִן, from, of, 2 Kings 10:14, מִן particle 1 Samuel 25:22; 2 Kings 25:12 = Jeremiah 52:16; Jeremiah 39:10. 2, leave or keep over (מִן particle) till morning Numbers 9:12 (P). 3 מֵאָה ׳תַּשׁ Amos 5:3 the city shall have100left, compare vAmos 5:3. 4 leave as a gift, אַחֲרָיו בְּרָכָה ׳וְהִשׁ Joel 2:14. — We Now read וַיַּשְׁאֵר Malachi 2:15, see שְׁאָר. below Topical Lexicon General Meaning and Range of UseThe root שָׁאַר occurs roughly 133 times and portrays what remains after an event that might otherwise have brought total loss. It casts a wide semantic net: surviving persons (Genesis 45:7), spared nations (Deuteronomy 4:27), leftover produce and objects (Numbers 26:65; 2 Kings 4:7), years added to life (Isaiah 38:5), and even enduring moral qualities (Ecclesiastes 2:9). The subject can be the Lord who keeps, human agents who leave, or an impersonal situation that simply “has something left over.” Earliest Canonical Patterns 1. Pre-Flood and Patriarchal Narratives 2. Sinai and the Wilderness The Doctrine of the Remnant The prophetic corpus forges a theology of שָׁאַר around covenant faithfulness and eschatological hope. “On that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Jacob will no longer rely on him who struck them, but will truly rely on the LORD… ‘Though your people, O Israel, be like the sand of the sea, only a remnant will return.’” Key features: Judgment and Survival Occurrences are often paired with catastrophe—war (2 Kings 19:30-31), famine (Jeremiah 24:8-10), plague (Amos 4:9), or cosmic upheaval (Haggai 2:3). The same verb that marks devastation simultaneously signals hope; something or someone is always “left” for future redemptive work. Covenant Preservation and Hope In Kings and Chronicles, royal accounts attach שָׁאַר to dynastic continuity. 2 Kings 25:11-12 records Nebuzaradan leaving “some of the poorest of the land to work the vineyards and fields,” a seedbed for later restoration (Nehemiah 1:3). The Chronicler interprets the survival of a small company as proof that “the LORD his God was gracious and merciful” (2 Chronicles 30:9). Messianic Implications Micah 5:3-4 pictures Messiah’s advent framed by a protected remnant: “The rest of His brothers will return to the children of Israel… Then He will stand and shepherd His flock.” This union of King and remnant feeds New Testament citations such as Romans 9:27 and Revelation 12:17, where believers persevere amid tribulation. Key Occurrences by Period • Conquest: Joshua 10:20; Judges 1:21. Poetic and Wisdom Literature Psalm 79:11 treats prisoners “doomed to die” yet still existing as a sacred trust. Ecclesiastes 2:9 uses the verb of wisdom assets “remaining” with the speaker, showing that the idea spans spiritual, social, and personal realms. Intertextual Echoes in the New Testament While the Greek New Testament employs different vocabulary (λοιπός, κατάλειμμα), the concept flows untouched: Romans 11:5 speaks of a “remnant chosen by grace,” drawing directly from 1 Kings 19:18 (LXX) where שָׁאַר underlies the assurance to Elijah. Applications for Church Ministry 1. Perseverance and Assurance: God’s people may feel marginal, yet the verb assures continued existence under divine custody. Liturgy and Worship The Psalms of the exiles (Psalms 79, 137) and later synagogue readings embedded the remnant motif in Israel’s worship, reminding congregants that their very existence was an act of mercy. Christian hymnody (e.g., “A Few More Years Shall Roll”) inherits this accent by celebrating the saints who are “kept” for glory. Summary שָׁאַר threads through Scripture as the vocabulary of survival and grace. It balances warnings of judgment with the certainty that God always preserves a people and purpose. From the Flood to the final consummation, the root testifies that divine wrath never annihilates covenant mercy, and that out of what is left, the Lord fashions new beginnings for His redemptive plan. Forms and Transliterations אַשְׁאִ֧יר אַשְׁאִֽיר׃ אשאיר אשאיר׃ הִשְׁאִ֔יר הִשְׁאִ֕יר הִשְׁאִ֖יר הִשְׁאִ֖ירוּ הִשְׁאִ֛יר הִשְׁאִ֣יר הִשְׁאִ֥יר הִשְׁאִ֧יר הִשְׁאִ֨יר הִשְׁאִֽיר־ הִשְׁאַ֖רְנוּ הַֽנִּשְׁאָרִ֞ים הַֽנִּשְׁאָרִ֣ים ׀ הַֽנִּשְׁאָרִים֮ הַנִּשְׁאֶ֣רֶת הַנִּשְׁאֶ֤רֶת הַנִּשְׁאָ֑רֶת הַנִּשְׁאָ֔ר הַנִּשְׁאָ֖ר הַנִּשְׁאָ֗ר הַנִּשְׁאָ֣ר הַנִּשְׁאָר֔וֹת הַנִּשְׁאָר֙ הַנִּשְׁאָרִ֑ים הַנִּשְׁאָרִ֔ים הַנִּשְׁאָרִ֖ים הַנִּשְׁאָרִ֗ים הַנִּשְׁאָרִ֛ים הַנִּשְׁאָרִ֣ים הַנִּשְׁאָרִ֤ים הַנִּשְׁאָרִ֥ים הַנִּשְׁאָרִ֧ים הַנִּשְׁאָרִים֙ הַנִּשְׁאָרִים֩ הַנִּשְׁאָרָ֖ה הנשאר הנשארה הנשארות הנשארים הנשארת השאיר השאיר־ השאירו השארנו וְהִשְׁאִ֤יר וְהִשְׁאַרְתִּ֣י וְהִשְׁאַרְתִּ֥י וְהַ֨נִּשְׁאָר֔וֹת וְהַנִּשְׁאָ֣ר וְהַנִּשְׁאָר֙ וְהַנִּשְׁאָרִ֖ים וְהַנִּשְׁאָרִ֣ים וְנִ֨שְׁאֲרוּ וְנִשְׁאַ֥ר וְנִשְׁאַרְתֶּם֙ וְנִשְׁאַר־ וְנֵֽאשֲׁאַ֖ר וַיִּשָּׁאֲר֣וּ וַיִשָּׁ֧אֶר וַתִּשָּׁאֵ֥ר וַתִּשָּׁאֵר֙ והנשאר והנשארות והנשארים והשאיר והשארתי וישאר וישארו ונאשאר ונשאר ונשאר־ ונשארו ונשארתם ותשאר יִֽשָּׁאֲרוּ֮ יִשָּׁאֵ֖ר יִשָּׁאֵר֩ יַשְׁאִ֖רוּ יַשְׁאִ֜יר יַשְׁאִ֤ירוּ יַשְׁאִ֥ירוּ ישאיר ישאירו ישאר ישארו לְהַשְׁאִ֥יר להשאיר נִשְׁאֲר֛וּ נִשְׁאֲר֤וּ נִשְׁאֲר֥וּ נִשְׁאֲרָ֥ה נִשְׁאֲרָה־ נִשְׁאֲרוּ֙ נִשְׁאֲרוּ־ נִשְׁאַ֔ר נִשְׁאַ֖ר נִשְׁאַ֣ר נִשְׁאַ֣רְתִּי נִשְׁאַ֤רְנוּ נִשְׁאַ֥ר נִשְׁאַ֥רְנוּ נִשְׁאַ֧ר נִשְׁאַר֙ נִשְׁאַר֮ נִשְׁאַר־ נִשְׁאָ֔רָה נִשְׁאָ֗ר נִשְׁאָֽרוּ׃ נַשְׁאֵ֤ר נשאר נשאר־ נשארה נשארה־ נשארו נשארו־ נשארו׃ נשארנו נשארתי שָׁאַ֣ר שאר תִּשָּׁאַֽרְנָה׃ תִשָּׁאֵר֙ תַּשְׁאִ֣יר תַּשְׁאִ֥יר תשאיר תשאר תשארנה׃ ’aš’îr ’aš·’îr ashIr han·niš·’ā·rāh han·niš·’ā·reṯ han·niš·’ā·rîm han·niš·’ā·rō·wṯ han·niš·’ār han·niš·’e·reṯ hanniš’ār hanniš’ārāh hanniš’āreṯ hanniš’ārîm hanniš’ārōwṯ hanniš’ereṯ hannishAr hannishaRah hannishAret hannishaRim hannishaRot hannishEret hiš’arnū hiš’îr hiš’îr- hiš’îrū hiš·’ar·nū hiš·’î·rū hiš·’îr hiš·’îr- hishArnu hishIr hishIru lə·haš·’îr ləhaš’îr lehashIr naš’êr naš·’êr nashEr niš’ar niš’ār niš’ar- niš’ărāh niš’ārāh niš’ărāh- niš’arnū niš’artî niš’ărū niš’ārū niš’ărū- niš·’ă·rāh niš·’ā·rāh niš·’ă·rāh- niš·’ă·rū niš·’ā·rū niš·’ă·rū- niš·’ar niš·’ār niš·’ar- niš·’ar·nū niš·’ar·tî nishAr nishaRah nishArnu nishArti nishAru šā’ar šā·’ar shaAr taš’îr taš·’îr tashIr tiš·šā·’ar·nāh ṯiš·šā·’êr tishshaArnah tishshaEr tiššā’arnāh ṯiššā’êr vaiyishshaaRu vattishshaEr vayishShaer vehannishAr vehannishaRim veHannishaRot vehisharTi vehishIr veneshaAr venishar venisharTem veNisharu wa·yiš·šā·’er wat·tiš·šā·’êr wattiššā’êr way·yiš·šā·’ă·rū wayiššā’er wayyiššā’ărū wə·han·niš·’ā·rîm wə·han·niš·’ā·rō·wṯ wə·han·niš·’ār wə·hiš·’ar·tî wə·hiš·’îr wə·nê·šă·’ar wə·niš·’ă·rū wə·niš·’ar wə·niš·’ar- wə·niš·’ar·tem wəhanniš’ār wəhanniš’ārîm wəhanniš’ārōwṯ wəhiš’artî wəhiš’îr wənêšă’ar wəniš’ar wəniš’ar- wəniš’artem wəniš’ărū yaš’îr yaš’irū yaš’îrū yaš·’i·rū yaš·’î·rū yaš·’îr yashIr yashIru yiš·šā·’ă·rū yiš·šā·’êr yishshaaRu yishshaEr yiššā’ărū yiššā’êrLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Genesis 7:23 HEB: מִן־ הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיִשָּׁ֧אֶר אַךְ־ נֹ֛חַ NAS: Noah was left, together with those that were with him in the ark. KJV: only remained [alive], and they that INT: from the earth was left and only Noah Genesis 14:10 Genesis 32:8 Genesis 42:38 Genesis 47:18 Exodus 8:9 Exodus 8:11 Exodus 8:31 Exodus 10:5 Exodus 10:12 Exodus 10:19 Exodus 10:26 Exodus 14:28 Leviticus 5:9 Leviticus 25:52 Leviticus 26:36 Leviticus 26:39 Numbers 9:12 Numbers 11:26 Numbers 21:35 Deuteronomy 2:34 Deuteronomy 3:3 Deuteronomy 3:11 Deuteronomy 4:27 Deuteronomy 7:20 133 Occurrences |