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 24 is part of a prophetic vision in the book of Isaiah, where the prophet warns of a universal judgment from God on the earth due to widespread sin and rebellion. This verse uses agricultural imagery, like shaking an olive tree or gleaning grapes after harvest, to illustrate that only a small remnant of people will remain, reflecting the historical context of invasions and exiles faced by Judah in the 8th-7th centuries BC under threats from Assyria and Babylon. These metaphors were familiar to the ancient audience, drawing from everyday farming practices to emphasize God's selective preservation amid destruction.
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