And gleanings shall be left in it like the cutting of an olive tree, two or three berries at the end of the uppermost bough; four or five on its branches when it produces fruit, says יהוה, God of Israel.

וְנִשְׁאַר בּוֹ עֹלֵלוֹת כְּנֹקֶף זַיִת שְׁנַיִם שְׁלֹשָׁה גַּרְגְּרִים בְּרֹאשׁ אָמִיר אַרְבָּעָה חֲמִשָּׁה בִּסְעִפֶיהָ פֹּרִיָּה נְאֻם יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

And… shall be left in it: Hezekiah and his company, who are inside Jerusalem. They are few people like the gleanings of a vineyard and like the cutter of an olive tree, who leaves over two or three berries.

like the cutter of an olive tree: Heb. כְּנֹקֶף, like the one who cuts olives to pick them from the tree. Comp. (infra 10: 34) “And the thickets of the forest shall be cut off (וְנִקַּף).” Our Rabbis expounded: “And… shall be left in it,” as referring to Sennacherib’s army; i.e., there shall be left in the multitude of Sennacherib a few people like the cutter of an olive tree, as it is stated in the Aggadah of ‘Chelek’ (95b).

at the end of the uppermost bough: at the end of the bough.

on its branches: Heb. בִּסְעִפֶיהָ. Comp. infra (27:10) “And he shall finish its branches (סְעִיפֶיהָ).” Also (supra 10:33), “Lops off the branches (מְסָעֵף).”