Lopping refers to the act of cutting off branches or limbs from a tree or plant. In biblical contexts, this term is often used metaphorically to describe divine judgment or the removal of unfruitful elements from among God's people. The imagery of lopping is vivid and serves to illustrate the severity and decisiveness of God's actions in dealing with sin and disobedience.

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, and the lofty 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" represent the pride and arrogance of the Assyrian empire, which God promises to humble and bring low.

2. John 15:2 : "He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit. And every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful." While the term "lopping" is not directly used in this verse, the concept is similar. Jesus speaks of the Father as the gardener who removes unfruitful branches from the vine, symbolizing the necessity of spiritual fruitfulness and the consequences of spiritual barrenness.

Theological Significance:

The act of lopping in the Bible often symbolizes God's judgment and purification. It serves as a warning to those who are proud, self-reliant, or unproductive in their spiritual lives. The imagery underscores the importance of humility and the need for individuals and nations to align themselves with God's will.

In the New Testament, the concept of lopping or pruning is associated with spiritual growth and discipline. Believers are encouraged to remain in Christ, the true vine, to bear fruit that glorifies God. The process of pruning, though sometimes painful, is necessary for spiritual maturity and effectiveness in God's kingdom.

Practical Application:

For believers, the metaphor of lopping serves as a reminder to examine their lives for areas that may need correction or removal. It encourages self-reflection and a willingness to submit to God's refining work. The imagery also calls for vigilance against pride and self-sufficiency, urging believers to depend on God's strength and guidance.

In a broader sense, the concept of lopping challenges communities and nations to consider their collective actions and attitudes. It serves as a call to repentance and a return to righteousness, emphasizing that God's justice will ultimately prevail over human arrogance and rebellion.1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Lop.

2. (n.) A cutting off, as of branches; that which is cut off; leavings.

2 Kings iv. 25, 26.
... me, that I have not stood by as an unconcerned Spectator amidst the Desolations
of your respective Families, when GOD's awful Hand hath been lopping off those ...
/.../submission to divine providence in the death of children/2 kings iv 25 26.htm

Certain Other Divine Precepts the Apostolic Description of Charity ...
... times?" [9135] Who that is contemplating a suit against his adversary will compose
the matter by agreement, [9136] unless he first begin by lopping off chagrin ...
/.../tertullian/of patience/chapter xii certain other divine precepts.htm

Match-Making.
... It is the breaking up of home-ties and communion, a separation from home scenes,
a lopping off from the parent vine, an engrafting into a strange vine, and alas ...
/.../philips/the christian home/chapter xxiii match-making.htm

Cast Your Eye Round the Room in which You Sit...
... The object of a lancet is to lance; when used for slashing, gashing, ripping,
lopping off heads and limbs, it is a disappointing instrument. ...
/.../chesterton/whats wrong with the world/chapter 17 cast your eye.htm

Would any one Say this About the Gods who had Even a Very Low ...
... Was that Acdestis, pray, the lopping off of whose lewd members was to give a sense
of security to the immortals, was he one of the creatures of earth, or one ...
/.../the seven books of arnobius against the heathen/12 would any one say.htm

What Say You, O Races and Nations, Given up to Such Beliefs? when ...
... We wish to hear or learn from you something befitting the gods; but you, on the
contrary, bring forward to us the cutting off of breasts, the lopping off of ...
/.../arnobius/the seven books of arnobius against the heathen/14 what say you o.htm

A Serious Mind.
... But since a bad plant is more quickly and radically destroyed by pulling it out
of the roots than by simply lopping of the tops as they appear over ground, so ...
/.../sainte-foi/serious hours of a young lady/chapter xiii a serious mind.htm

Curiosity.
... To insure success, do not amuse yourself with lopping off the branches of the evil,
allowing the root to remain, do at once what is essential: feed your mind ...
/.../sainte-foi/serious hours of a young lady/chapter xvii curiosity.htm

Interview of Christ with Nicodcmus.
... ad Lucil., vi.), which is rather a rhetorical expression any how, applies to a gradual
amendment of character by lopping off separate vices, and not to a ...
/.../section 119 interview of christ.htm

The Maniac
... He would think that the lopping of the grass was an attack on private property.
He would think that the kicking of the heels was a signal to an accomplice. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/chesterton/orthodoxy/ii the maniac.htm

Lopping (1 Occurrence)
... 1. (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Lop. 2. (n.) A cutting off, as of branches; that which is
cut off; leavings. Multi-Version Concordance Lopping (1 Occurrence). ...
/l/lopping.htm - 6k

Voluntary (17 Occurrences)
... 3. (vt) Done by design or intention; intentional; purposed; intended; not accidental;
as, if a man kills another by lopping a tree, it is not voluntary ...
/v/voluntary.htm - 14k

Lopped (1 Occurrence)

/l/lopped.htm - 6k

Train (17 Occurrences)
... 5. (vt) To lead or direct, and form to a wall or espalier; to form to a proper shape,
by bending, lopping, or pruning; as, to train young trees. ...
/t/train.htm - 14k

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

Hook (10 Occurrences)
... 3. (n.) An implement for cutting grass or grain; a sickle; an instrument for cutting
or lopping; a billhook. 4. (n.) See Eccentric, and V-hook. ...
/h/hook.htm - 15k

Lord (59401 Occurrences)

/l/lord.htm - 61k

Why were infants dashed to pieces (Nahum 3:10)? | GotQuestions.org

Lopping: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com

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