5586. saaph

Lexical Summary

saaph: To lop off, cut off, cut down

Original Word: סָעַף
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: ca`aph
Pronunciation: sah-af'
Phonetic Spelling: (saw-af')
KJV: top
NASB: lop off
Word Origin: [a primitive root]

1. (properly) to divide up
2. but used only as denominative from H5585, to disbranch (a tree)

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

top

A primitive root; properly, to divide up; but used only as denominative from ca'iyph, to disbranch (a tree) -- top.

see HEBREW ca'iyph

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin
denominative verb from seappah
Definition
to lop off (boughs)
NASB Translation
lop off (1).

Brown-Driver-Briggs

I. [סֵעֵף] verb Pi`el denominative lop off boughs; — Participle סְסָעֵף מֻּארָה Isaiah 10:33 ׳י֗֗֗ shall lop off (the) crown of branches.

Topical Lexicon

Occurrences

The verb appears a single time in the canon, Isaiah 10:33. “Behold, the Lord, the LORD of Hosts, will lop off the branches with terrifying power; the tall trees will be cut down, the lofty will be brought low.” (Berean Standard Bible)

Literary and Historical Setting

Isaiah 10 forms the climax of the prophet’s oracle against Assyria. The empire is portrayed as an instrument in God’s hand to discipline Israel (Isaiah 10:5-6), yet its arrogant boasting incurs divine wrath (Isaiah 10:12-14). Verse 33 introduces the moment when the Lord Himself steps in to halt Assyria’s advance. The single, forceful verb paints God as a mighty lumberjack who decisively fells proud timber. In the immediate historical horizon this pointed to the sudden collapse of Assyrian power after its invasion of Judah, culminating in the angelic destruction of Sennacherib’s army (Isaiah 37:36-38).

Symbolism and Theological Themes

1. Humbling of Pride. The “tall trees” typify human self-exaltation. God’s act of lopping exposes the impotence of earthly might before His sovereignty.
2. Finality of Judgment. The verb depicts a clean, irrevocable cut, underscoring that divine judgment is neither partial nor tentative.
3. Preservation of the Remnant. Immediately following (Isaiah 11:1) a tender shoot springs from Jesse’s stump, linking the removal of prideful branches to the emergence of Messianic hope. God clears the forest to make room for righteous growth.
4. Lord of Hosts. The title pairs with the verb to stress military and cosmic authority. The One who commands angelic armies also swings the axe.

Connections to Other Biblical Imagery

• John 15:2—“Every branch that bears no fruit, He cuts off.” The gardener metaphor continues the theme of decisive pruning for the sake of holiness.
• Romans 11:17-22—the Gentile branches can be “cut off” if they persist in unbelief. Paul echoes Isaiah’s picture to warn against arrogance.
• Ezekiel 31:3-14 compares Assyria to a cedar felled for pride; Isaiah’s single verb anticipates Ezekiel’s extended allegory, confirming canonical coherence.

Ministry and Devotional Implications

• Personal Humility. Believers are called to examine pride and submit before the divine Vinedresser lest hardness of heart invite chastening.
• Confidence in God’s Justice. No empire, ideology, or individual rises beyond God’s reach. The same Lord who felled Assyria will rectify every wrong in His timing.
• Hope in the Shoot of Jesse. Judgment clears the way for salvation; the cross likewise follows a pattern of death before resurrection.
• Preaching and Counseling. Isaiah 10:33 furnishes a vivid illustration for sermons on repentance, national arrogance, or spiritual pruning.

Summary

The lone occurrence of Strong’s Hebrew 5586 in Isaiah 10:33 encapsulates the Lord’s swift, irresistible judgment against pride, providing a powerful image that reverberates through prophetic and New Testament writings. It assures the faithful of God’s sovereign control over history while exhorting all people to humble themselves under His mighty hand.

Forms and Transliterations

מְסָעֵ֥ף מסעף mə·sā·‘êp̄ məsā‘êp̄ mesaEf

Englishman's Concordance

Isaiah 10:33
HEB: יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת מְסָעֵ֥ף פֻּארָ֖ה בְּמַעֲרָצָ֑ה
NAS: of hosts, will lop off the boughs
KJV: of hosts, shall lop the bough
INT: the GOD of hosts will lop the bough A terrible

1 Occurrence

Strong's Hebrew 5586
1 Occurrence

mə·sā·‘êp̄ — 1 Occ.