The surviving remnant: The word remnant in English means “a small part that remains.” Since it already carries the notion of people who have survived, the double expression here sounds redundant. Many languages will say “the people who continue to live” or simply “the survivors.”

The house of Judah refers to the southern kingdom (see the comments on 1 Kgs 12.21). The members of that kingdom who survived the onslaught of the Assyrian army are promised that they will prosper.

Take root downward, and bear fruit upward: The image here is that of a plant that becomes stronger and healthier by sending its roots deep into the soil and consequently it also produces fruit. The implication is that the survivors of the southern kingdom would be like such a plant. The image of bearing fruit in this context seems to refer to bearing many children.

New Century Version provides a two-sentence model for this whole verse that may prove helpful to translators in other languages:

• Some of the people in the family of Judah
will escape.
Like plants that take root,
they will grow strong and have many children.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .