Definition and Context
Cropping, in the biblical context, refers to the practice of harvesting or gathering crops. This agricultural activity is deeply embedded in the agrarian society of ancient Israel and is frequently mentioned throughout the Bible. The process of cropping is not only a physical act but also carries significant spiritual and symbolic meanings in Scripture.

Biblical References
The Bible contains numerous references to cropping, often highlighting its importance in the sustenance of life and as a metaphor for spiritual truths. In Genesis 8:22 , God promises, "While the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night shall never cease." This verse underscores the perpetual cycle of cropping as part of God's creation order.

In Leviticus 19:9-10 , the Israelites are commanded, "When you reap the harvest of your land, you are not to reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. You must not strip your vineyard bare or gather its fallen grapes. Leave them for the poor and the foreigner. I am the LORD your God." This law reflects the social justice aspect of cropping, ensuring provision for the needy and emphasizing God's concern for the marginalized.

Symbolism and Spiritual Lessons
Cropping is often used metaphorically in the Bible to convey spiritual truths. In the New Testament, Jesus frequently employs agricultural imagery in His parables. For instance, in Matthew 13:3-9 , the Parable of the Sower illustrates how the Word of God is received differently by various types of "soil," representing the hearts of people. The act of sowing and the resulting crop symbolize the spread and reception of the Gospel.

Similarly, in John 4:35-36 , Jesus speaks to His disciples, saying, "Do you not say, 'There are still four months until the harvest'? I tell you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are ripe for harvest. Already the reaper draws his wages and gathers a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may rejoice together." Here, cropping is a metaphor for evangelism and the gathering of souls into the Kingdom of God.

Cultural and Historical Significance
In ancient Israel, cropping was a vital part of daily life and the economy. The agricultural calendar dictated the rhythm of life, with festivals such as the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) and the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) celebrating the harvest. These feasts were times of thanksgiving and remembrance of God's provision.

The practice of leaving gleanings for the poor, as mentioned in Leviticus, also highlights the communal aspect of cropping. It was a means of fostering community solidarity and ensuring that everyone, regardless of their social status, had access to the basic necessities of life.

Theological Implications
Theologically, cropping serves as a reminder of God's sovereignty and provision. The cycles of planting and harvesting are seen as part of God's ordained order, reflecting His faithfulness and care for creation. Moreover, the spiritual lessons drawn from cropping imagery encourage believers to be fruitful in their lives, bearing the fruit of the Spirit as described in Galatians 5:22-23 .

In summary, cropping in the Bible is a multifaceted concept that encompasses physical, social, and spiritual dimensions. It is a testament to God's provision, a call to social responsibility, and a rich source of spiritual metaphor.(p. pr. & vb. n.) of Crop.4425. melilah -- an ear (of wheat)
... ear. From mlal (in the sense of cropping (compare muwl)); a head of grain (as cut
off) -- ear. see HEBREW mlal. see HEBREW muwl. 4424b, 4425. melilah. 4426 > ...
/hebrew/4425.htm - 6k

A Compendious view of the Christian Life.
... Since cropping is to be adopted not for the sake of elegance, but on account of
the necessity of the case; the hair of the head, that it may not grow so long ...
/.../clement/the instructor paedagogus/chapter xi a compendious view of.htm

The Wind Blew Loud, but Diamond Slept a Deep Sleep...
... that feed the lambs. that go crop-cropping. without stop-stopping. and father's
the best. ... that watch their lambs. cropping the grass. where the waters pass. ...
/.../macdonald/at the back of the north wind/chapter 16 the wind blew.htm

Introductory Note to the Epistle of Barnabas
... which St. Paul had defeated and anathematized, but which was ever cropping
out among believers originally of the Hebrews. [1443] Their ...
/.../barnabas/the epistle of barnabas /introductory note to the epistle.htm

If Christians and the Heathen Thus Resemble Each Other, There is ...
... deride us with greater boldness, you must take your sponge, or perhaps your tongue,
and wipe away those records of yours every now and then cropping out, [754 ...
/.../tertullian/ad nationes/chapter xix name christians and.htm

Their Diversity of Sentiment Affects the Very Central Doctrine of ...
... on a par? Such conceits are constantly cropping out [6937] amongst them,
from the redundance of their mother's seed. [6938] And ...
/.../against the valentinians/chapter xxxix their diversity of sentiment.htm

The Resurrection of Dead Souls
... The old gloomy, narrow view of human nature cropping up again.' Well, I am not at
all unwilling to acknowledge that truths like this have very often been ...
/.../the resurrection of dead souls.htm

God's Workmanship and Our Works
... Now, you will find that in this profound letter of the Apostle there are two ideas
cropping up over and over again, both of them representing the facts of the ...
/.../gods workmanship and our works.htm

What do they Want?
... like, and hurt by its flame"if they copy our vile vices, which are no part of our
Christianity, but the remnants of our own original savagery cropping out in ...
/.../gordon/quiet talks with world winners/what do they want.htm

There was Doubt in the Councils of the Gods How that Unyielding ...
... Liber, who overcame the fierceness of Acdestis, having glided down from the peaks
of heaven after the very venerable meetings of the gods, cropping the tails ...
/.../the seven books of arnobius against the heathen/11 there was doubt in.htm

Concerning the Ranks of the Initiated.
... And the cropping of the hair shews the pure and unpretentious life, which does not
beautify the darkness within the mind, by overlarding it with smeared ...
/.../dionysius/ecclesiastical hierarchy/caput vi i concerning the.htm

Cropping (1 Occurrence)
... & vb. n.) of Crop. Multi-Version Concordance Cropping (1 Occurrence). Job 30:4 Those
cropping mallows near a shrub, And broom-roots 'is' their food. (YLT). ...
/c/cropping.htm - 6k

Hair (135 Occurrences)
... It is, however, probable that among the Jews, as now among many classes of Mohammedans,
the periodical cropping of the hair, when it had become too cumbersome ...
/h/hair.htm - 60k

Crops (48 Occurrences)

/c/crops.htm - 19k

Graze (11 Occurrences)
... 7. (vi) To touch something lightly in passing. 8. (n.) The act of grazing; the
cropping of grass. 9. (n.) A light touch; a slight scratch. ...
/g/graze.htm - 10k

Polling (1 Occurrence)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary 1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Poll. 2. (n.) The act of topping,
lopping, or cropping, as trees or hedges. 3. (n.) Plunder, or extortion. ...
/p/polling.htm - 7k

Broom-roots (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Broom-roots (1 Occurrence). Job 30:4 Those cropping
mallows near a shrub, And broom-roots 'is' their food. (YLT). ...
/b/broom-roots.htm - 6k

Cropped (1 Occurrence)

/c/cropped.htm - 6k

Snuffers (8 Occurrences)
... Noah Webster's Dictionary (n. pl.) An instrument for cropping and holding the snuff
of a candle. Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. SNUFFERS; SNUFFDISHES. ...
/s/snuffers.htm - 11k

Shrub (4 Occurrences)
... JPS DBY YLT NAS NIV). Job 30:4 Those cropping mallows near a shrub, And
broom-roots 'is' their food. (YLT NAS). Jeremiah 17:6 For ...
/s/shrub.htm - 8k

Herod (45 Occurrences)
... Antigonus incapacitated his brother Hyrcanus, who was captured at the same time,
from ever holding the holy office again by cropping off his ears (Ant., XIV ...
/h/herod.htm - 57k

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