The Hebrew verb shaar (שָׁאַר) means to remain, be left, or survive. The noun form sheerit or shear means remnant or remainder. This root appears over 220 times in the OT and is foundational to the biblical theology of the remnant.
The doctrine of the remnant (shear) is one of the most important theological threads in the Old Testament. Despite Israel's repeated rebellion and judgment, God always preserved a remnant — a surviving seed of faith. Isaiah named his son Shear-Jashub ('A Remnant Will Return') as a prophetic sign (Isaiah 7:3; 10:21). Through Elijah's despair ('I alone am left'), God responded: 'I reserve seven thousand in Israel' (1 Kings 19:18). The remnant theology grounds the faithful preservation of Israel through exile and return, and ultimately the 'Israel of God' (Galatians 6:16) — the believing community through Christ. Paul uses remnant theology in Romans 9–11 to explain God's faithful dealings with Israel.