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.

ISAIAH 17:6KJV
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Isaiah 17:6 (KJV)

What does Isaiah 17:6 mean?

Isaiah 17:6 describes how only a small remnant will remain after judgment, using the image of a few grapes left after harvest and a few olives left after the tree is shaken. The verse paints a picture of near-total devastation, with just a handful of survivors left, as declared by the LORD God of Israel.

Isaiah is speaking to the people of Israel and Damascus, warning them of coming destruction due to their actions. The comparison to gleaning grapes and olives shows that after the main judgment, only a few people or things of value will be left, just as a few fruits are sometimes missed during harvest. This verse fits into a prophecy about the downfall of nations that have turned away from God.

The Hebrew behind Isaiah 17:6

  • "Grapes" (עֹלֵלֹת, 'olelot') refers to the small, leftover clusters that remain after the main harvest, emphasizing how little will be left.
  • "Shaking" (נֹקֶף, noqef) is the act of beating or shaking an olive tree to make the fruit fall, a common image for gathering what remains after most has been taken.
  • "Berries" (גַּרְגְּרִים, gar'garim) means individual fruit or berries, highlighting the small number left behind.
  • "Branches" (סְעִפִּים, se'ippim) are the outermost or most fruitful branches, showing that even in the best places, only a few remain.

Why Isaiah 17:6 matters

  • Isaiah 17:6 clears up that God's judgment is not always absolute annihilation; a small remnant is intentionally left, which is a recurring theme in the prophets.
  • The verse emphasizes the thoroughness of the coming judgment—almost everything will be taken, but not quite everything, showing both severity and a hint of mercy.
  • This image connects to the broader message in Isaiah that even in times of great loss, God preserves a remnant for His purposes, which becomes important in later chapters.

Where else these words appear

“shaking” Hebrew H5363 · used in 2 verses

  • Isaiah 24:13 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.

“bough” Hebrew H534 · used in 2 verses

  • Isaiah 17:9 In that day shall his strong cities be as a forsaken bough, and an uppermost branch, which they left because of the children of Israel: and there shall be desolation.

“grapes” Hebrew H5955 · used in 6 verses

  • Judges 8:2 And he said unto them, What have I done now in comparison of you? Is not the gleaning of the grapes of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer?
  • Isaiah 24:13 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.
  • Obadiah 1:5 If thieves came to thee, if robbers by night,(how art thou cut off!) would they not have stolen till they had enough? if the grapegatherers came to thee, would they not leave some grapes?

“branches” Hebrew H5585 · used in 6 verses

  • Judges 15:8 And he smote them hip and thigh with a great slaughter: and he went down and dwelt in the top of the rock Etam.
  • Judges 15:11 Then three thousand men of Judah went to the top of the rock Etam, and said to Samson, Knowest thou not that the Philistines are rulers over us? what is this that thou hast done unto us? And he said unto them, As they did unto me, so have I done unto them.
  • Isaiah 27:10 Yet the defenced city shall be desolate, and the habitation forsaken, and left like a wilderness: there shall the calf feed, and there shall he lie down, and consume the branches thereof.