The term "lopped" refers to the act of cutting off branches or parts of a tree, often used metaphorically in the Bible to describe judgment, removal, or purification. This imagery is prevalent in the prophetic literature of the Old Testament, where it symbolizes God's intervention in the affairs of nations and individuals.

Biblical References:

1. Isaiah 10:33-34 : "Behold, the Lord, the LORD of Hosts, will lop off the branches with terrifying power. The tall trees will be cut down, the lofty ones will be felled. He will clear the forest thickets with an ax, and Lebanon will fall before the Mighty One." In this passage, the prophet Isaiah uses the imagery of lopping to describe God's impending judgment on Assyria. The "tall trees" and "lofty ones" symbolize the pride and arrogance of the Assyrian empire, which God promises to humble and bring low.

2. Isaiah 18:5 : "For before the harvest, when the blossom is gone and the flower becomes a ripening grape, He will cut off the shoots with a pruning knife and remove and discard the branches." Here, the act of lopping is associated with God's timing and precision in judgment. The pruning knife represents God's deliberate and careful intervention to remove what is unfruitful or unnecessary, ensuring the health and productivity of His people.

Theological Significance:

In the biblical context, lopping serves as a metaphor for divine judgment and purification. It reflects God's sovereignty and His ability to humble the proud and exalt the humble. The imagery of lopping also conveys the idea of refinement and the removal of excess or unfruitfulness, aligning with the broader biblical theme of God's desire for His people to bear good fruit.

The act of lopping is not merely punitive but also redemptive. It is intended to bring about repentance and restoration. By cutting away what is dead or unproductive, God prepares His people for a future of growth and fruitfulness. This process is consistent with the biblical principle that God disciplines those He loves (Hebrews 12:6).

Application:

For believers, the concept of being "lopped" can serve as a reminder of the importance of humility and dependence on God. It encourages self-examination and a willingness to submit to God's pruning in one's life. Just as a gardener lops off branches to promote the health of a tree, God may remove certain aspects of a believer's life to foster spiritual growth and maturity.

In a broader sense, the imagery of lopping challenges nations and communities to recognize God's authority and to align themselves with His purposes. It serves as a warning against pride and self-reliance, urging a return to righteousness and justice.

Overall, the biblical use of "lopped" underscores the themes of judgment, purification, and divine sovereignty, inviting reflection on God's active role in shaping the lives of individuals and nations according to His will.(imp. & p. p.) of Lop.2966. kolon -- a limb (of the body)
... a dead body, corpse. From the base of kolazo; a limb of the body (as if lopped) --
carcase. see GREEK kolazo. (kola) -- 1 Occurrence. 2965, 2966. kolon. 2967 ...
//strongsnumbers.com/greek2/2966.htm - 6k

Answer to Another Objection, Showing that the Destruction of ...
... say, that if straw were a creation of God, it would never part company with the
wheat; and that the vine twigs, if made by God, never would be lopped away and ...
/.../irenaeus/against heresies/chapter iv answer to another objection.htm

Of Removing Tithes.
... pl.14.11 Rep.4. when the wood of coppice is felled, some trees growing therein,
which are of the age of twenty years, and have never been lopped, are lopped ...
/.../prideaux/directions to church-wardens/8 of removing tithes.htm

Marriage Lawful, but not Polygamy.
... in the synagogue, yet (to interpret simply) it was necessary to institute (certain
things) which should afterward deserve to be either lopped off or modified. ...
/.../tertullian/to his wife/chapter ii marriage lawful but not.htm

The Sins of the Elect and of the Penitent are of Many Kinds, but ...
... so many branches have been cut off?" And the Shepherd said to me, "Do not be surprised
if the tree remains sound after so many branches were lopped off; [but ...
/.../pastor/the pastor books first second third/similitude eighth the sins of.htm

Seventh Tractate. The Immortality of the Soul.
... cohere. The mere fact that, as material forms, they have bulk means that
they can be lopped and crushed and so come to destruction. ...
/.../plotinus/the six enneads/seventh tractate the immortality of.htm

Second Tractate. The Origin and Order of the Beings. Following on ...
... But, looking more minutely into the matter, when shoots or topmost boughs are lopped
from some growing thing, where goes the soul that was present in them? ...
/.../plotinus/the six enneads/second tractate the origin and.htm

Daia, on Receiving this News, Hasted with Relays of Horses from ...
... So the confessors for the faith had their ears and nostrils slit, their hands and
feet lopped off, and their eyes dug out of the sockets. Footnotes: ...
/.../of the manner in which the persecutors died/chap xxxvi daia on receiving.htm

Simon of Cyrene. Third Fall of Jesus.
... He was a gardener, just returning home after working in a garden near the eastern
wall of the city, and carrying a bundle of lopped branches. ...
/.../chapter xxxiii simon of cyrene.htm

The Suffering Servant-I
... And the eclipse of its glory is further brought out in that not only does the shoot
spring from a tree, all whose leafy honours have long been lopped away, but ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture h/the suffering servant-i.htm

By Way of Leading up to his Proof that Christ is not Different ...
... For heresy, like some hydra of fable, hath waxed great from its wounds, and, being
ofttimes lopped short, hath grown afresh, being appointed to find meet ...
/.../ambrose/works and letters of st ambrose/chapter vi by way of.htm

Lopped (1 Occurrence)
... Multi-Version Concordance Lopped (1 Occurrence). Romans 11:19 "Branches have been
lopped off," you will say, "for the sake of my being grafted in." (WEY). ...
/l/lopped.htm - 6k

Lop (2 Occurrences)
... 3. (vt) To cut partly off and bend down; as, to lop bushes in a hedge. 4. (n.)
That which is lopped from anything, as branches from a tree. ...
/l/lop.htm - 7k

Lopping (1 Occurrence)

/l/lopping.htm - 6k

Polled (3 Occurrences)
... & pp) of Poll. 2. (a.) Deprived of a poll, or of something belonging to the poll.
Specifically: (a) Lopped; -- said of trees having their tops cut off. ...
/p/polled.htm - 7k

Brush (1 Occurrence)
... etc. 2. (n.) The bushy tail of a fox. 3. (n.) A tuft of hair on the mandibles.
4. (n.) Branches of trees lopped off; brushwood. 5 ...
/b/brush.htm - 8k

Sake (241 Occurrences)
... NAS RSV NIV). Romans 11:19 "Branches have been lopped off," you will say,
"for the sake of my being grafted in." (WEY). Romans 11:28 ...
/s/sake.htm - 36k

Lopped: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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