Lexical Summary shear: rest, remnant, remainder Original Word: שְׁאָר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance other, remnant, residue, rest From sha'ar; a remainder -- X other, remnant, residue, rest. see HEBREW sha'ar NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom shaar Definition rest, residue, remnant NASB Translation remainder (1), remnant (11), rest (13), survivors (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs שְׁאָר noun masculineIsaiah 16:14 rest, residue, remnant ( = יֶתֶר, especially Isaiah and late; on form Köii. 1, 141 NöBeitr. r. Semitic W. 30); — ׳שׁ absolute Isaiah 14:22 +, construct Isaiah 10:19 +; — rest, residue, remainder, of trees Isaiah 10:19, silver 2Chronicles 24:14, city 1 Chronicles 11:8, territory Esther 9:12; דִּבְרֵי שְׁלֹמהֹ ׳שׁ2Chronicles 9:29 (יֶתֶר in "" 1 Kings 11:41, and usually in like phrase); of men 1 Chronicles 16:41; Ezra 3:8; Ezra 4:3,7; Nehemiah 10:29; Nehemiah 11:1,20; Esther 9:16; of Moab Isaiah 16:14, Aram Isaiah 17:3 ( = last remnant), archers of Kedar Isaiah 21:17; "" posterity, וָנֶכֶד Isaiah 14:22 (of Babylon); הַבַּעַל ׳שׁ Zephaniah 1:4, i. e. Baal, to the last remnant, vestige (soWe and others; ᵐ5 שֵׁם, compare Schw Now GASm); technical term = purified remnant of Israel (GieBeiträge 37 f.) Isaiah 10:20 ("" מְּלֵיטָה), Isaiah 10:21; Isaiah 10:21; Isaiah 10:22; Isaiah 11:11,16; Isaiah 28:5. — רוּחַ לוֺ ׳וּשׁ Malachi 2:15 is obscure; read לָנוּ ׳וַיַּשְׁאֵר ר We Now, compare GASm. שְׁאָר noun masculineEzra 7:20 rest, remainder (see Biblical Hebrew I. שׁאר; Egyptian Aramaic noun שאר Cooke203, verb ישתאר be left (outstanding) Cooke404 = S-CL 9, Christian-Palestinian Aramaic שׁבב (√ of following; compare Biblical Hebrew II. שׁבב). Topical Lexicon Concept of שְׁאָר (šᵉʾār) The term denotes what is left over after an act of judgment, consumption, distribution, or worship. The idea of “remnant” may describe people, resources, or even oil and food. The word carries an undertone of preservation by God, implying that what remains exists by His sovereign appointment and for His ongoing purposes. Distribution in Scripture Used approximately twenty-six times, שְׁאָר appears in the Pentateuch (especially Leviticus 14), the historical books, and the prophets—most prominently Isaiah. The contexts cluster around three spheres: ritual residue, historical survival, and prophetic hope. Ritual and Cultic Residue 1. In the cleansing of the leper (Leviticus 14:17, 18, 29) the “rest of the oil” is applied to the ear, thumb, and toe of the cleansed person, symbolizing that the residue of God’s provision completes the rite. Historical Preservation • Genesis 45:7 — Joseph tells his brothers, “God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on the earth and to save your lives by a great deliverance.” The word frames Israel’s survival in famine as an act of providence. Prophetic Hope Isaiah employs שְׁאָר to bind judgment and hope: The prophetic remnant theme assures that even when the nation’s unfaithfulness invites devastation, God reserves a people through whom Messianic purposes advance (cf. Isaiah 37:31-32). Theology of the Remnant 1. Covenant continuity: The remnant is the living link between past promise and future fulfillment (Genesis 45:7; Isaiah 37:32). Eschatological Dimension The prophetic remnant anticipates a consummated kingdom where the redeemed from Israel and the nations gather around Messiah (Isaiah 11:10-12; Micah 5:7-8). The concept counteracts despair during judgment narratives and energizes hope for ultimate restoration. Ministry Implications • Encouragement in spiritual minority: Faithful communities today, though numerically small, stand within the biblical trajectory of God’s remnant. Representative Occurrences Genesis 45:7; Leviticus 14:17-18, 29; 1 Samuel 9:24; 2 Kings 19:4, 30-31; 2 Chronicles 34:21; Ezra 9:8, 13-15; Nehemiah 1:3; Isaiah 1:9; 10:19-22; 11:11, 16; 14:22; 28:5; 37:4, 31-32; Jeremiah 23:3; Ezekiel 11:13; Joel 2:32; Micah 5:7-8; Zephaniah 3:12-13; Haggai 1:12; Zechariah 8:11-12. Related Hebrew Terms שְׁאֵר (Strong 7607) “kinsman,” שְׁאֵרִית (7611) “remnant,” and יֶתֶר (3499) “remainder” share the semantic field but carry nuances of kinship, collective survival, or surplus, respectively. Summary שְׁאָר weaves together threads of judgment, mercy, and mission. Whether a few survivors of siege, leftovers of sacrificial oil, or a purified nucleus awaiting Messiah, the word signals that God never leaves Himself without witness and always preserves material for new beginnings. Forms and Transliterations בִּשְׁאָ֛ר בשאר וּשְׁאָ֛ר וּשְׁאָ֣ר וּשְׁאָ֥ר וּשְׁאָ֧ר וּשְׁאָ֨ר וּשְׁאָר֙ ושאר לִשְׁאָ֖ר לִשְׁאָ֣ר לשאר שְׁאָ֖ר שְׁאָ֣ר שְׁאָ֤ר שְׁאָ֥ר שאר biš’ār biš·’ār bishAr liš’ār liš·’ār lishAr šə’ār šə·’ār sheAr ū·šə·’ār ūšə’ār usheArLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance 1 Chronicles 11:8 HEB: יְחַיֶּ֖ה אֶת־ שְׁאָ֥ר הָעִֽיר׃ NAS: repaired the rest of the city. KJV: repaired the rest of the city. INT: and Joab repaired the rest of the city 1 Chronicles 16:41 2 Chronicles 9:29 2 Chronicles 24:14 Ezra 3:8 Ezra 4:3 Ezra 4:7 Nehemiah 10:28 Nehemiah 11:1 Nehemiah 11:20 Esther 9:12 Esther 9:16 Isaiah 10:19 Isaiah 10:20 Isaiah 10:21 Isaiah 10:21 Isaiah 10:22 Isaiah 11:11 Isaiah 11:16 Isaiah 14:22 Isaiah 16:14 Isaiah 17:3 Isaiah 21:17 Isaiah 28:5 Zephaniah 1:4 26 Occurrences |
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); — ׳שׁ absolute