### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The Hebrew word **ʼâmîyr**, represented by `{{H534}}`, refers to the **summit** of a tree or mountain, or an uppermost **bough** or **branch**. It appears **2 times** across **2 unique verses** in the Bible. The word's origin suggests a sense of self-exaltation, fittingly used to describe the highest and most prominent point of a tree.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
Both uses of `{{H534}}` appear in the book of Isaiah to illustrate the consequences of God's judgment. In one context, it describes the thoroughness of a coming judgment, where only a tiny remnant will survive, like a few berries left "in the top of the uppermost **bough**" after an olive tree is shaken [[Isaiah 17:6]]. In a similar prophecy, Israel's strong cities are foretold to become as desolate as "a forsaken bough, and an uppermost **branch**," signifying their complete abandonment and ruin [[Isaiah 17:9]].
### Related Words & Concepts
Several related words provide context for the imagery associated with `{{H534}}`:
* `{{H2132}}` **zayith** (an olive (as yielding illuminating oil), the tree, the branch or the berry; olive (tree, -yard), Olivet.): This is the tree whose "uppermost bough" serves as the setting for the metaphor of the surviving remnant [[Isaiah 17:6]].
* `{{H2793}}` **chôresh** (a forest (perhaps as furnishing the material for fabric); bough, forest, shroud, wood.): This word for "bough" is used in parallel with `{{H534}}` to emphasize the coming desolation of Israel's cities [[Isaiah 17:9]].
* `{{H5363}}` **nôqeph** (a threshing (of olives); shaking.): This describes the action of judgment that leaves only a few berries on the uppermost bough, symbolizing the preservation of a small remnant [[Isaiah 17:6]].
* `{{H5585}}` **çâʻîyph** (a fissure (of rocks); also a bough (as subdivided); (outmost) branch, clift, top.): These are the "outmost fruitful branches" that, along with the uppermost bough, will hold the few survivors of the divine shaking [[Isaiah 17:6]].
### Theological Significance
The theological significance of `{{H534}}` is focused on the themes of divine judgment and mercy.
* **Symbol of a Remnant:** The primary theological use of the term is to paint a vivid picture of a remnant. After a devastating judgment, like shaking an olive tree, a few will remain in the highest, most difficult-to-reach places, signifying God's preservation of a faithful few [[Isaiah 17:6]].
* **Image of Desolation:** Conversely, the "uppermost branch" can also symbolize what is left behind after ruin. Forsaken cities are compared to an abandoned bough, a stark image of former strength now reduced to desolate isolation [[Isaiah 17:9]].
* **Illustrating Divine Sovereignty:** The imagery shows that God is in complete control of judgment. He determines the extent of the "shaking" and intentionally leaves a remnant on the "uppermost bough," demonstrating both his power to judge and his grace to save.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H534}}` **ʼâmîyr** is a specific and illustrative term used exclusively in Isaiah's prophecies. While it simply means an uppermost branch, it functions as a powerful dual symbol. It simultaneously represents the height of pride brought low through judgment and the small, yet visible, remnant of hope that God mercifully preserves. It demonstrates how a precise natural image can convey profound truths about desolation and salvation.
TRV