Yet gleaning grapes shall be left in it, as the shaking of an olive tree, two or three berries in the top of the uppermost bough, four or five in the outmost fruitful branches thereof, saith the LORD God of Israel.
Yet some grapes will be left behind after the harvest, just like when you shake an olive tree, two or three olives might remain at the very top of the highest branch, and four or five might stay on the outer edges of the fruit-bearing branches. This is what the LORD God of Israel says.
God is saying that even after judgment and destruction, a small remnant will survive, like the few fruits left on a tree after harvest.
📚 Historical Context
In the 8th century BC, during the prophet Isaiah's ministry, the northern kingdom of Israel and the city of Damascus were facing imminent judgment from the Assyrian empire due to their idolatry and alliances against God. This verse uses familiar agricultural imagery from ancient Israelite life, where gleaning referred to gathering leftover grapes and olives after the main harvest, symbolizing a small remnant of people who would survive the devastation. It reflects God's pattern of mixing judgment with mercy, as seen in biblical narratives where He preserves a faithful few amidst widespread ruin.
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