When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done.
When this happens throughout the land among all the people, it will be like shaking an olive tree to get the last few olives, or like picking through the vineyard after harvest to find any remaining grapes.
The writer is describing how only a small remnant of people will remain after God's judgment, like the few olives left on a tree after shaking or the scattered grapes left after harvest.
📚 Historical Context
Isaiah wrote this prophecy during a time of political upheaval in the 8th century BC, when Assyria was threatening many nations including Israel and Judah. This chapter describes God's coming judgment on the entire earth, not just one nation. The agricultural imagery of olive harvesting and grape gleaning would have been familiar to Isaiah's audience in an agrarian society.
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