What remains after destruction, exile, or judgment — a surviving portion that represents continuity and hope. The sheerit is not the whole but the preserved core that carries the promise forward. It is from the root meaning 'to remain, be left over.'
The remnant theology is one of the OT's most important prophetic themes. Through Isaiah, Amos, Micah, and Zephaniah, God promises that even when judgment falls on the whole nation, a sheerit will survive — a purified, faithful core from whom restoration will spring. Paul in Romans 9-11 picks this up explicitly: not all Israel is Israel, but there is always a remnant according to grace. The remnant idea preserves both divine justice (the faithless are judged) and divine faithfulness (the covenant continues).