Deuteronomy 4:27

4:27 Then the Lord will scatter you among the peoples and there will be very few of you ¹  among the nations where the Lord will drive you.

Deuteronomy 28:62

28:62 There will be very few of you left, though at one time you were as numerous as the stars in the sky, ²  because you will have disobeyed ³  the Lord your God.

Isaiah 1:9

1:9 If the Lord who commands armies ⁴  had not left us a few survivors,

we would have quickly become like Sodom, ⁵ 

we would have become like Gomorrah.

Isaiah 10:22

10:22 For though your people, Israel, are as numerous as ⁶  the sand on the seashore, only a remnant will come back. ⁷  Destruction has been decreed; ⁸  just punishment ⁹  is about to engulf you. ¹⁰ 

Ezekiel 12:16

12:16 But I will let a small number of them survive the sword, famine, and pestilence, so that they can confess all their abominable practices to the nations where they go. Then they will know that I am the Lord.”

Romans 9:27

9:27 And Isaiah cries out on behalf of Israel, “Though the number of the children ¹¹  of Israel are as the sand of the sea, only the remnant will be saved,

¹ tn Heb “you will be left men (i.e., few) of number.”

² tn Or “heavens.” The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.

³ tn Heb “have not listened to the voice of.”

⁴ tn Traditionally, “the Lord of hosts.” The title pictures God as the sovereign king who has at his disposal a multitude of attendants, messengers, and warriors to do his bidding. In some contexts, like this one, the military dimension of his rulership is highlighted. In this case, the title pictures him as one who leads armies into battle against his enemies.

⁵ tc The translation assumes that כִּמְעָט (kim’at, “quickly,” literally, “like a little”) goes with what follows, contrary to the MT accents, which take it with what precedes. In this case, one could translate the preceding line, “If the Lord who commands armies had not left us a few survivors.” If כִּמְעָט goes with the preceding line (following the MT accents), this expression highlights the idea that there would only be a few survivors (H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:20; H. Zobel, TDOT 8:456). Israel would not be almost like Sodom but exactly like Sodom.

⁶ tn Heb “are like.”

⁷ sn The twofold appearance of the statement “a remnant will come back” (שְׁאָר יָשׁוּב, she’ar yashuv) in vv. 21-22 echoes and probably plays off the name of Isaiah’s son Shear-jashub (see 7:3). In its original context the name was meant to encourage Ahaz (see the note at 7:3), but here it has taken on new dimensions. In light of Ahaz’s failure and the judgment it brings down on the land, the name Shear-jashub now foreshadows the destiny of the nation. According to vv. 21-22, there is good news and bad news. The good news is that a remnant of God’s people will return; the bad news is that only a remnant will be preserved and come back. Like the name Immanuel, this name foreshadows both judgment (see the notes at 7:25 and 8:8) and ultimate restoration (see the note at 8:10).

⁸ tn Or “predetermined”; cf. ASV, NASB “is determined”; TEV “is in store.”

⁹ tn צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah) often means “righteousness,” but here it refers to God’s just judgment.

¹⁰ tn Or “is about to overflow.”

¹¹ tn Grk “sons.”