Καὶ καταλειφθῇ ἐν αὐτῇ καλάμη ἢ ὡς ῥῶγες ἐλαίας δύο ἢ τρεῖς ἐπ᾽ ἄκρου μετεώρου ἢ τέσσαρες ἢ πέντε ἐπὶ τῶν κλάδων αὐτῶν καταλειφθῇ τάδε λέγει Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς Ισραηλ (Isaiah 17:6 LXX)
A Remnant in the Branches
Isaiah 17:6 LXX presents a vivid agricultural metaphor — scattered olives left clinging to high branches — as an image of the surviving remnant after judgment. The Greek grammar delicately balances conditional syntax, comparative imagery, and divine speech formula, capturing the tension between devastation and hope.
Main Structure: A Conditional + Declarative Oracle
The verse consists of:
- A conditional-like participial construction: καὶ καταλειφθῇ… — “and if there should be left…”
- A simile: ὡς ῥῶγες ἐλαίας… — “like olive berries…”
- A prophetic declaration: τάδε λέγει κύριος…
This creates a flow:
- Consequence of judgment (few left)
- Visual metaphor (scattered olives)
- Divine authentication (YHWH’s voice)
καταλειφθῇ ἐν αὐτῇ καλάμη — The Leftover Stalk
Verb:
- καταλειφθῇ: aorist passive subjunctive, 3rd singular of καταλείπω — “might be left behind”
- The subjunctive form suggests possibility, or a conditional potential: “if it should be left…”
Subject:
- καλάμη: “stalk” or “stubble” — singular feminine nominative, likely subject of καταλειφθῇ
- ἐν αὐτῇ: “in it” — referring to the land/city implied from the context
Syntactic Note:
This opening conditional clause sets the tone: only a stalk, not a harvest, remains — a remnant, not abundance.
ὡς ῥῶγες ἐλαίας δύο ἢ τρεῖς ἐπ᾽ ἄκρου μετεώρου — The Olive Simile
Lexical Breakdown:
- ῥῶγες: “berries” or “clusters” — specifically olive berries
- ἐλαίας: genitive singular — “of an olive tree”
- δύο ἢ τρεῖς: “two or three”
- ἐπ᾽ ἄκρου μετεώρου: “on a high branch”
- ἄκρου: genitive of ἄκρος, “tip” or “extreme end”
- μετεώρου: “raised,” “aloft,” or “elevated” — emphasizing height, inaccessibility
Imagery and Syntax:
This simile powerfully conveys scattered survival:
- Only a few olives remain, unreachable by harvesters.
- The image communicates vulnerability, separation, and divine preservation — not by human strength, but by elevation.
ἢ τέσσαρες ἢ πέντε ἐπὶ τῶν κλάδων αὐτῶν — Expanding the Comparison
Parallel Phrase:
- ἢ τέσσαρες ἢ πέντε: “or four or five”
- ἐπὶ τῶν κλάδων αὐτῶν: “on their branches”
This parallel reinforces:
- The idea of minimal remainder
- The idea that such olives cling independently, sparsely, yet persistently
καταλειφθῇ… τάδε λέγει κύριος — From Image to Oracle
Return to καταλειφθῇ:
After the similes, καταλειφθῇ is repeated or resumed as if to close the thought: “if this happens — if only a few remain…”
τάδε λέγει κύριος ὁ θεὸς Ισραηλ
- Formulaic divine speech: “Thus says the LORD God of Israel”
- This solemn declaration authenticates the prophecy, transitioning from poetic image to authoritative pronouncement
The Syntax of Survival
This verse uses:
- Aorist passive subjunctive (καταλειφθῇ) to express a potential remnant
- Comparative structures (ὡς ῥῶγες…) to describe sparse preservation
- Divine direct speech (τάδε λέγει Κύριος) to ground the message in YHWH’s authority
Scattered, Yet Seen
Isaiah 17:6 LXX shows that even in judgment, God’s eyes are on the leftovers — those clinging olives, those few berries, those remnants atop withering branches. The grammar does not just describe — it grieves, hopes, and warns.
Here, subjunctive verbs and sparse numerals carry a theology: what is left is not forgotten.
Even two or three olives are noticed by the Lord of Israel — and so is every faithful soul that remains aloft in a time of shaking.
