Shear-Jashub
Shear-Jashub is the son of the prophet Isaiah. His name means “a remnant shall return,” and he appears as a sign in Isaiah 7:3.
At a Glance
Isaiah’s son and a living sign in a prophetic encounter with Ahaz.
Key Points
- Mentioned in Isaiah 7:3.
- His name is commonly understood to mean “a remnant shall return.”
- Points to both judgment on Judah and God’s preservation of a remnant.
Description
Shear-Jashub is the son of the prophet Isaiah and is specifically mentioned in Isaiah 7:3, when the Lord tells Isaiah to take him along to meet King Ahaz. His name is generally understood to mean “a remnant shall return,” and many interpreters see it as a living sign that reflects a major theme in Isaiah: God would bring judgment on His people, yet He would also preserve a remnant according to His covenant mercy. Scripture does not give many details about the boy himself, so the safest conclusion is that his significance lies chiefly in the symbolic value of his name within Isaiah’s prophetic ministry.
Biblical Context
In Isaiah 7, Judah faces a crisis and Isaiah is sent to speak to King Ahaz. Shear-Jashub accompanies the prophet as part of that encounter, underscoring the seriousness of the warning and the hope that God would not abandon His people completely.
Historical Context
The name appears in the setting of Judah’s political and military insecurity in Isaiah’s day. The child’s presence functions as a prophetic sign within a national crisis, not as a record of his later life.
Jewish and Ancient Context
In the ancient biblical world, names often carried theological meaning and could serve as signs or reminders. Shear-Jashub’s name fits this pattern by embodying the remnant theme central to Isaiah’s message.
Primary Key Texts
- Isaiah 7:3
Secondary Key Texts
- Isaiah 10:20-22
Original Language Note
Hebrew: She'ar-yashuv, commonly understood as “a remnant shall return” or “a remnant will return.”
Theological Significance
Shear-Jashub highlights a major biblical theme: God judges sin, yet in mercy preserves a remnant for His covenant purposes. The child’s name reinforces Isaiah’s message that judgment is real but not the end of the story.
Philosophical Explanation
The entry shows how biblical names can function as enacted words: identity, message, and prophetic sign are brought together in a concrete historical setting.
Interpretive Cautions
Do not build doctrine from Shear-Jashub alone; Scripture gives almost no biographical detail beyond his appearance in Isaiah 7:3. The exact sense of the name is commonly accepted, but minor translational nuance should not be overstated.
Major Views
Most interpreters understand Shear-Jashub as Isaiah’s son whose name symbolically announces the remnant theme. The main discussion concerns the force of the sign in Isaiah 7, not the existence or identity of the child.
Doctrinal Boundaries
The doctrine of the remnant should be grounded in the wider witness of Isaiah and the rest of Scripture, not in speculative details about this boy. His role is illustrative, not doctrinally exhaustive.
Practical Significance
Shear-Jashub reminds readers that God’s warnings are truthful and His mercy is real. Even in judgment, He preserves what belongs to His saving purpose.
Related Entries
- Isaiah
- Ahaz
- remnant
- Immanuel
- prophetic sign
See Also
- Isaiah 7:3
- Isaiah 10:20-22
- remnant
- Isaiah