The meaning of Remnant in the Bible
(From International Standard Bible Encyclopedia)
rem'-nant: Remnant is the translation of yether, "what is left over" (Deuteronomy 3:11; Deuteronomy 28:54; Joshua 12:4, etc.); of she'-ar, "the rest" (Ezra 3:8 the King James Version; Isaiah 10:20-22; Isaiah 11:16, etc.; Zephaniah 1:4); more frequently of she'-erith, "residue," etc. (II Kings 19:4, II Kings 19:31; II Chronicles 34:9; Ezra 9:14; Isaiah 14:30, etc.). As the translation of the last-mentioned two words, "remnant" has a special significance in the prophecies of Isaiah, as denoting "a holy seed," or spiritual kernel, of the nation which should survive impending judgment and become the germ of the people of God, being blessed of God and made a blessing (compare Micah 2:12; Micah 4:7; Micah 5:7-8; Micah 7:18; also Zephaniah 2:7; Zephaniah 3:13; Haggai 1:12, Haggai 1:14; Zechariah 8:6; Joel 2:32). Paul, in Romans 9:27, quotes from Isaiah 10:22 f., "the remnant (kataleimma, "what is left over") shall be saved"; compare also Romans 11:5 (where the word is leimma) with II Kings 19:4. Several other Hebrew words are less frequently translated "remnant": 'ahar, "after"; yathar, "to be left over," etc.; in the New Testament (the King James Version) we have also loipos, "left," "remaining" (Matthew 22:6; Revelation 11:13, etc.).
For "remnant" the Revised Version (British and American) has "overhanging part" (Exodus 26:12), "rest" (Leviticus 14:18, etc.); on the other hand gives "remnant" for "posterity" (Genesis 45:7), for "rest" (Joshua 10:20; I Chronicles 4:43; Isaiah 10:19), for "residue" (Haggai 2:2; Zechariah 8:11), etc.
W. L. Walker
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