Lexical Summary
shear: rest, remnant, remainder
Original Word: שְׁאָר
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: sh'ar
Pronunciation: sheh-awr'
Phonetic Spelling: (sheh-awr')
KJV: X other, remnant, residue, rest
NASB: rest, remnant, remainder, survivors
Word Origin: [from H7604 (שָׁאַר - left)]
1. a remainder
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
shaarDefinitionrest, residue, remnant
NASB Translationremainder (1), remnant (11), rest (13), survivors (1).
Brown-Driver-Briggs
Isaiah 16:14 ( = , especially Isaiah and late; on form Kö
ii. 1, 141 Nö
Beitr. r. Semitic W. 30); — 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; 2Chronicles 9:29 ( 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,
Isaiah 14:22 (of Babylon);
Zephaniah 1:4, i. e.
Baal, to the last remnant, vestige (soWe and others; , compare Schw Now GASm); technical term = purified
remnant of Israel (Gie
Beiträge 37 f.)
Isaiah 10:20 ("" ),
Isaiah 10:21;
Isaiah 10:21;
Isaiah 10:22;
Isaiah 11:11,16;
Isaiah 28:5. —
Malachi 2:15 is obscure; read We Now, compare GASm.
Ezra 7:20 (see Biblical Hebrew I. ; Egyptian Aramaic noun Cooke203, verb be left (outstanding) Cooke404 = S-CL 9, Christian-Palestinian Aramaic 👁 Image
); — absolute Ezra 4:10 +, construct Ezra 4:9 +; emphatic Daniel 7:7,19; — of a thing, remainder Ezra 7:18,20; of cities Ezra 4:10,17; of persons Ezra 4:9; Ezra 4:10; Ezra 4:17; Ezra 6:16>; Daniel 2:18, of beasts Daniel 7:7,12,19.
(√ of following; compare Biblical Hebrew II. ).
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.
2. The same principle of “what is left” applies in sacrificial meals (1 Samuel 9:24), emphasizing that God’s portion is first, and whatever remains is to be enjoyed as His gracious gift.
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.
• 2 Kings 19:4; 19:30 — though Assyria ravages Judah, a “remnant” will yet take root, stressing the Lord’s ongoing covenant fidelity.
• 2 Chronicles 34:21 — Josiah’s officials inquire “for the remnant left in Israel and in Judah,” recognizing that divine wrath has reduced but not eliminated the nation.
Prophetic Hope
Isaiah employs שְׁאָר to bind judgment and hope:
• Isaiah 10:19 — “Only a few trees of its forest will remain, so few a child could write them down.”
• Isaiah 11:16 — “There will be a highway for the remnant of His people who remain from Assyria,” a promise of restored access to Zion.
• Isaiah 28:5 — “In that day the LORD of Hosts will be a glorious crown… for the remnant of His people.”
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).
2. Divine initiative: Preservation is never self-achieved. “Unless the LORD Almighty had left us a remnant, we would have become like Sodom” (Isaiah 1:9).
3. Purified community: Reduction serves refinement. The few who remain are often portrayed as humble, faithful, and poised for new obedience (Isaiah 10:20-22).
4. Foreshadowing of the Church: Paul cites remnant language (Romans 9:27; 11:5) to explain a believing minority within ethnic Israel and to illustrate God’s pattern of grace.
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.
• Call to faithfulness: Since survival is divinely granted, the remnant is summoned to purity, witness, and intercession.
• Mission focus: Just as God preserved a people to bless the nations, the Church lives as a redemptive residue sent into the world (Matthew 5:13-16).
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 usheAr
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