God’s Word Translation
Isaiah 17:6
6Only a few people will survive. They will be like an olive tree that has been beaten. Only two or three olives are left at the top of the highest branch, four or five olives on the rest of the branches,” declares the Lord God of Israel.
Isaiah 17:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)Yet some gleanings will remain, as when an olive tree is beaten, leaving two or three olives on the topmost branches, four or five on the fruitful boughs,” declares the Lord, the God of Israel.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Gleanings will be left in it, as when an olive tree is beaten— two or three berries in the top of the highest bough, four or five on the branches of a fruit tree, declares the Lord God of Israel.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Yet gleaning grapes will be left in it, Like the shaking of an olive tree, Two or three olives at the top of the uppermost bough, Four or five in its most fruitful branches,” Says the Lord God of Israel.
Context of Isaiah 17:6
4“When that day comes, the honor of Jacob’s people will fade away, and they will become skin and bones. 5That time will be like harvesting bundles of grain by the armful. It will be like gathering grain in the Rephaim Valley. Only a few people will survive. They will be like an olive tree that has been beaten. Only two or three olives are left at the top of the highest branch, four or five olives on the rest of the branches,” declares the Lord God of Israel. 7When that day comes, they will look to their maker, and their eyes will look to the Holy One of Israel. 8They won’t look to the altars made by their hands or to the Asherah poles or incense altars which their fingers molded.
Read all of Isaiah 17Isaiah 17:6 word by word
וְנִשְׁאַר־בּ֤וֹ עֽוֹלֵלֹת֙ כְּנֹ֣קֶף זַ֔יִת שְׁנַ֧יִם שְׁלֹשָׁ֛ה גַּרְגְּרִ֖ים בְּרֹ֣אשׁ אָמִ֑יר אַרְבָּעָ֣ה חֲמִשָּׁ֗ה בִּסְעִפֶ֙יהָ֙ פֹּֽרִיָּ֔ה נְאֻם־יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Yet gleaning grapesעֹלֵלוֹת‛ôlêlâh · gleaningH5955
- shall be leftשָׁאַרshâ'ar · to remainH7604
- in it, as the shakingנֹ֫קֶףnôqeph · shakingH5363
- of an olive treeזַ֫יִתzayith · oliveH2132
- twoשְׁנַ֫יִםshenayim shettayim · twoH8147
- threeשָׁלֹשׁshâlôsh shâlôsh shelôshâh shelôshâh · threeH7969
- berriesגַּרְגַּרgargar · berryH1620
- in the topרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: topH7218
- of the uppermost boughאָמִיר'âmîyr · topH534
- fourאַרְבַּע'arba‛ 'arbâ‛âh · fourH702
- fiveחָמֵשׁchâmêsh chămishshâh · fiveH2568
- in the outmost fruitfulפָּרָהpârâh · be fruitfulH6509
- branchesסָעִיףsâ‛îyph · cleftH5585
- thereof, saithנְאֻםne'ûm · utteranceH5002
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
Cross-references for Isaiah 17:6
- Isaiah 1:9If the Lord of Armies hadn’t left us a few survivors, we would have been like Sodom and Gomorrah.
- Isaiah 10:22Although your people Israel may be as ⌞numerous as⌟ the grains of sand on the seashore, only a few will return. Destruction will be complete and fair.
- Isaiah 24:13That is the way it will be on earth among the nations. They will be like an olive tree which has been shaken or like what’s left after the grape harvest.
- Deuteronomy 4:27The Lord will scatter you among the people of the world, and only a few of you will be left among the nations where the Lord will force you to live.
- Judges 8:2Gideon replied, “I haven’t done anything compared with what you have done. Aren’t the grapes that Ephraim picked after the harvest better than all the grapes in Abiezer’s entire harvest?
- 1 Kings 19:18But I still have 7,000 people in Israel whose knees have not knelt to worship Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.”
- Ezekiel 36:8“ ‘But you, mountains of Israel, will grow branches and bear fruit for my people Israel. My people will come home soon.
- Ezekiel 37:19Then say to them, ‘This is what the Almighty Lord says: I will take Joseph’s stick, which is in Ephraim’s hand, and the tribes of Israel associated with it, and I will put them with Judah’s stick. I will make them into one stick. They will be one in my hand.’
- Ezekiel 39:29I will no longer hide my face from them, because I will pour out my Spirit on the nation of Israel, declares the Almighty Lord.”
- Obadiah 1:5“If thieves or looters come to you during the night, won’t they steal only until they’ve had enough? You will be ruined! If people come to pick your grapes, won’t they leave a few grapes behind?
- Micah 7:1Poor me! I am like those gathering summer fruit, like those picking grapes. But there aren’t any grapes to eat or any ripened figs that I crave.
- Romans 9:27Isaiah also says about Israel: “Although the descendants of Israel are as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore, only a few will be saved.
- Romans 11:4But what was God’s reply? God said, “I’ve kept 7,000 people for myself who have not knelt to worship Baal.”
Commentaries on Isaiah 17:6
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6Yet gleaning-grapes - They shall not all be removed, or destroyed. A “few” shall be left, as a man who is gathering grapes or olives will leave a few that are inaccessible on the topmost boughs, or the furthest branches. Those would be usually the poorest, and so it may be implied that those left in Israel would be among the poorer inhabitants of the land. Two or three - A very few - such as would be left in gathering grapes, or in endeavoring to shake…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6Although the God of Israel judged the wickedness of Israel, he was still its God.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 66. in it--that is, in the land of Israel. two or three ... in the top--A few poor inhabitants shall be left in Israel, like the two or three olive berries left on the topmost boughs, which it is not worth while taking the trouble to try to reach.Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 17:6
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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