Bible Word Study
סָעַף
çâʻaph · to disbranch (a tree)
סָעַף
to disbranch (a tree)
Definition
The Hebrew verb סָעַף (çâʻaph) means to cut off or lop off branches, specifically referring to the act of disbranching a tree. It is used in a literal, agricultural sense of pruning or trimming. In its sole biblical occurrence in Isaiah 10:33, it describes the divine judgment of God cutting down the lofty, symbolized as the 'boughs' of the Assyrian empire. The imagery is one of severe reduction and humbling, stripping away pride and power.
Biblical Usage
This word is used only once in the Old Testament, in Isaiah 10:33. It appears in a prophetic oracle of judgment against Assyria. The context is metaphorical, using the imagery of forestry (lopping boughs, felling trees) to depict God's sovereign action in humbling a proud nation. The usage is poetic and vivid within a judgment prophecy.
Etymology
It is a primitive root meaning properly 'to divide up.' In biblical usage, it functions as a denominative verb derived from the noun סָעִיף (çâʻîyph, H5585), meaning 'bough' or 'branch.' Thus, the verb's meaning is directly tied to an action performed upon a branch: to cut it off.
Semantic Range
This word is theologically significant as it contributes to the powerful metaphor of divine judgment. In Isaiah 10:33, it illustrates God's sovereignty over arrogant human empires, showing that He can 'lop off' their power as easily as a forester trims a tree. Understanding this Hebrew term enriches the reading of this prophecy, emphasizing the completeness and decisiveness of God's corrective action against pride. It connects to broader biblical themes of God humbling the exalted. In an agrarian society, pruning trees was a common practice for health and productivity. The audience would immediately grasp the imagery of a forceful, deliberate cutting. The metaphor conveys not random destruction, but a controlled, purposeful act by a sovereign agent (God) to remove what is unproductive or overly dominant. כָּרַת (kârath, H3772) — a more general term for 'to cut' or 'cut off,' often used for covenants or cutting down people. גָּדַע (gâdaʻ, H1438) — to hew down or fell, as in cutting down trees or idols.
Word Details
How this works
Definitions are from the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon (BDB, 1906, public domain). Concordance and morphology data are from the OSHB (Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible).
Full methodology & sources →References
- Abbott-Smith, G. (1921) A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T&T Clark. [Public Domain]
- Brown, F., Driver, S.R. and Briggs, C.A. (1906) A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon Press. [Public Domain]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Tyndale Brief lexicon of Extended Strongs for Greek (TBESG). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Tyndale House, Cambridge (n.d.) Translators Formatted full LSJ (TFLSJ). STEPBible. Available at: https://www.stepbible.org. [CC BY 4.0]
- Thayer, J.H. (1889) A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament. [Public Domain]
- Gesenius, W. (1846) Gesenius' Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon to the Old Testament. [Public Domain]
- Dodson, J. (2010) Greek Lexicon. Biblical Humanities. [CC0]