Lexical Summary shalleketh: Gate, specifically "Gate of the Casting Out" or "Refuse Gate." Original Word: שַׁלֶּכֶת Strong's Exhaustive Concordance when cast From shalak; a felling (of trees) -- when cast. see HEBREW shalak NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom shalak Definition felling (of a tree) NASB Translation felled (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs I. שַׁלֶּ֫כֶת noun feminine felling of tree; — Isaiah 6:13. Topical Lexicon Biblical SettingStrong’s Hebrew 7995 שַׁלֶּכֶת occurs once, nestled inside Isaiah’s commissioning vision (Isaiah 6). Isaiah 6:13 reads: “And though a tenth remains in the land, it will be burned again. As the terebinth and oak leave stumps when they are cut down, so the holy seed will be a stump in the land.” The single term evokes the decisive moment when mighty trees are cut or lopped, leaving only a stump. Within the prophetic scene it serves as the pivotal image of judgment that simultaneously secures the promise of preservation. Imagery of Felling and Renewal 1. Judgment imagery 2. Hope concealed within judgment Theology of the Remnant Isaiah 6:13 marks the first explicit linkage between the remnant theme and arboreal felling imagery. The tenth that “remains” is not a self-defined elite but a group divinely preserved through judgment. Their existence is as improbable as life in a charred stump, yet God ordains it. This anticipation resonates throughout Scripture (Micah 2:12; Zephaniah 3:13; Romans 11:5), enriching a canonical theology in which God maintains continuity with His covenant people even while executing righteous wrath. Connections with Broader Scripture • Tree-stump imagery: Daniel 4:14-15; Matthew 3:10. Each passage echoes the paradox introduced by shalleket: severe loss that becomes the matrix of salvation. Historical Resonance Isaiah ministered during the Syro-Ephraimite crisis and the looming Assyrian invasion. The immediate hearers could expect the kingdom’s near-total devastation. Yet the term assures them that even imperial axes cannot sever the covenant root. Post-exilic generations read the verse as an explanation of both the exile’s severity and their own unlikely survival. In Second Temple worship, the reading of Isaiah 6 positioned the congregation to recall that their very existence confirmed the prophet’s words. Christological Significance The New Testament presents Jesus Christ as the ultimate Shoot from the felled stump (Isaiah 11:1; Acts 13:22-23). The crucifixion mirrors the imagery—Messiah cut off (Daniel 9:26) yet rising in imperishable life. Thus shalleket foreshadows the pattern of death and resurrection that anchors Christian faith and hope. Ministry Applications 1. Preaching judgment with hope Shalleket balances sober warnings against complacency (Hebrews 10:26-31) with assurance that God never leaves Himself without a witness (Acts 14:17). 2. Nurturing remnant identity Believers in hostile cultures take courage from knowing that survivability is rooted not in numbers or power but in divine promise (1 Peter 1:1-5). 3. Spiritual pruning Personal trials can be interpreted through this lens: cutting precedes fruitfulness (Hebrews 12:11), prompting surrender rather than despair. Pastoral Reflection Shalleket summons the church to embrace both the axe and the shoot—to lament sin that invites judgment, yet to trust the Lord who preserves His holy seed. It invites awe at the severity that purifies and the grace that restores, ultimately directing every eye to the cross and the empty tomb where the prophetic picture reaches its climactic fulfillment. Forms and Transliterations בְּשַׁלֶּ֙כֶת֙ בשלכת bə·šal·le·ḵeṯ bəšalleḵeṯ beshalLechetLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Isaiah 6:13 HEB: וְכָאַלּ֗וֹן אֲשֶׁ֤ר בְּשַׁלֶּ֙כֶת֙ מַצֶּ֣בֶת בָּ֔ם NAS: remains when it is felled. The holy KJV: whose substance [is] in them, when they cast [their leaves: so] the holy INT: an oak Whose is felled substance seed 1 Occurrence |
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